The Covid Contrarian Clubhouse Makes Its Mark on Trump’s Washington
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All Coverage
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What To Know About the CDC’s Baseless New Guidance on Autism
A reshaped CDC website suggesting that vaccines cause autism has appalled the medical community.
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After Series of Denials, His Insurer Approved Doctor-Recommended Cancer Care. It Was Too Late.
Eric Tennant’s doctors recommended histotripsy, which would target, and potentially destroy, a cancerous tumor in his liver. But by the time his insurer approved the treatment, Tennant was no longer considered a good candidate. He died in September.
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Cancer Stole Her Voice. She Used AI, Curse Words, and Kids’ Books To Get It Back.
After a total glossectomy and laryngectomy to treat her cancer, Sonya Sotinsky can no longer speak. She searched for a way to sound like herself again and now pays out-of-pocket for an artificial intelligence app that can replicate her old voice — emotion, inflection, and all.
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US Cancer Registries, Constrained by Trump Policies, To Recognize Only ‘Male’ or ‘Female’ Patients
Under Trump policies, cancer registries in 2026 will have to classify sex data strictly as male, female, or unknown, a change scientists and advocates say will harm the health of one of the nation’s most marginalized populations.
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The GOP Circles the Wagons on ACA
Republicans are solidifying their opposition to extending pandemic-era subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans and seem to be coalescing around giving money directly to consumers to spend on health care. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to leave his mark on the agency, with the CDC altering its website to suggest childhood vaccines could play a role in causing autism. Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Avik Roy.
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Complaints About Gaps in Medicare Advantage Networks Are Common. Federal Enforcement Is Rare.
Health systems drop out of Medicare Advantage plans all the time. Yet government documents obtained by KFF Health News show that federal regulators rarely warn plans that their networks of health providers are so skimpy they violate legal requirements.
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Waning Immunity and Falling Vaccination Rates Fuel Pertussis Outbreaks
New details from health officials suggest the whooping-cough surge may be part of a national pattern driven by slipping vaccine coverage and waning immunity, with infants bearing the brunt of the consequences.
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Help Us Investigate Medical Care for Gunshot Wounds
We’d like to talk to people who’ve been wounded or families of those killed by gun violence to better understand how insurance affects such medical care.
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A Small Texas Think Tank Cultivated Covid Dissidents. Now They’re Running US Health Policy.
Fueled by covid backlash, a libertarian author created the Brownstone Institute in 2021. In recent months, people with ties to the group have catapulted to the highest levels of U.S. government, exercising significant authority over access to vaccines and scientific research.
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A Hidden Health Crisis Following Natural Disasters: Mold Growth in Homes
As extreme weather wreaks havoc, the risk of dangerous mold looms. An estimated 47% of homes already have mold or dampness, leaving their residents exposed to mold spores and associated allergens that can cause respiratory problems.
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Ticked Off Over Preauthorization: Walk-In Patient Avoided Lyme Disease but Not a Surprise Bill
A Maine woman sought care at a clinic for a tick bite, then paid full price after her insurer denied coverage. Its reason? She didn’t have preapproval for the walk-in visit, even though testing later detected the pathogen that causes Lyme disease.
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Breast Cancer and Birth Control: A Huge New Study Shows How Science Can Be Distorted
The study sought to answer questions about how breast cancer risk differs by type of hormonal contraceptive. Doctors say the results won’t change how they counsel patients.
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Once a Patient’s in Custody, ICE Can Be at Hospital Bedsides — But Detainees Have Rights
Federal law allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to guard detainees at health care facilities, but patients can ask to speak privately with medical providers and lawyers.
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FDA’s Plan To Boost Biosimilar Drugs Could Stall at the Patent Office
Drug industry officials and analysts praised the FDA’s plans to streamline regulation of “biosimilars,” which are cheaper alternatives to biologic drugs. But patents that block such drugs from the U.S. market are getting harder to fight.
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Journalists Untangle Issues of Health Care Costs and Food Benefits
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national or local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
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Will Trump’s Team Slow Supersized Health Mergers?
Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.
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Conflicting Advice on Covid Shots Likely To Ding Already Low Vaccine Rates, Experts Warn
About 1 in 4 American adults got a covid vaccine shot during the 2024-25 virus season, a fraction health care experts warn could be smaller this year as millions wrestle with conflicting advice from the government and trusted medical organizations about the value of a shot.
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Listen: New Federal Guidelines Could Weaken Consumer Protections Against Medical Debt
The Trump administration has taken another step to weaken protections for Americans with medical debt, issuing rules that undercut state efforts to keep these debts off consumers’ credit reports.
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The Government Is Open
The record-long federal shutdown is over after a small group of Democrats agreed to a deal with most Republicans that funds the government through January — but, notably, does not extend more generous Affordable Care Act tax credits. Plus, new details are emerging about how the Trump administration is using the Medicaid program to advance its policy goals. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Emmarie Huetteman to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Julie Appleby, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” feature.
