Drugs Archives - Page 3 of 66

Culture Wars Take Center Stage

Episode 429

Jan. 15, 2026

With lawmakers still mired over renewing enhanced tax credits for Affordable Care Act plans, much of Washington has turned to culture war issues. Meanwhile, “confusion” remains the watchword at HHS as personnel and funding decisions continue to be made and unmade with little notice. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Elisabeth Rosenthal, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” report.

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Two 5 mg Zepbound injection pens sit in a case

California Ends Medicaid Coverage of Weight Loss Drugs Despite TrumpRx Plan

Low-income Californians who use Wegovy and similar medications for weight loss lost their coverage at the start of the new year, with officials advising diet and exercise instead. California and other states say the drugs are too costly, even as the Trump administration announces plans to lower prices.

By Don Thompson

Jan. 9, 2026

The New Old Age

Older Americans Quit Weight Loss Drugs in Droves

In some studies, half of patients stopped taking GLP-1s within a year despite the benefits, citing the expense and side effects.

By Paula Span

Jan. 6, 2026

HealthCare Helpline

To Knock Down Health-System Hurdles Between You and HIV Prevention, Try These 6 Things

It’s been more than 10 years since the FDA first approved an HIV prevention drug. Today, people who could benefit from preexposure prophylaxis often struggle to access the lifesaving medicine or run into doctors without the education or empathy to offer affirming care. And those lapses can produce billing headaches.

By Zach Dyer

Jan. 5, 2026

FDA Panelists Questioned Antidepressants in Pregnancy. But Doctors Call Them a Lifeline.

Participants in an FDA panel discussion warned the public about risks from using antidepressants in pregnancy. But mental health issues, including suicide and overdoses, are the leading cause of maternal death in the United States. Antidepressants are a safe, well-studied way to help prevent those deaths, medical experts say.

By Lisa Rab

Dec. 15, 2025

A photo of the ACIP hearing from the press section. Reporters type on laptops in the foreground. In front of them is a large TV screen showing Robert Malone speaking. The full panel is seen behind the screen.

In RFK Jr.’s Upside-Down World of Vaccines, Panel Votes To End Hepatitis B Shot at Birth

A session of a vaccine panel dominated by skeptics was chaotically at odds with past practices of the CDC, which HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has described as a “cesspool of corruption.” His crew voted to end a 34-year recommendation to vaccinate newborns against hepatitis B.

By Arthur Allen

Dec. 5, 2025

A close-up photograph of Marty Makary speaking into a microphone at a podium.

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.

By Arthur Allen

Nov. 17, 2025

What the Health? From KFF Health News

The Government Is Open

Episode 422

Nov. 13, 2025

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.

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What the Health? From KFF Health News

Happy Open Enrollment Eve!

Episode 420

Oct. 30, 2025

A standoff in Congress is keeping much of the government shut down as open enrollment begins in most states for Affordable Care Act plans. Democrats are demanding Republicans agree to extend ACA tax credits, but there has been little negotiating — even as customers are learning what they’ll pay for coverage next year. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is telling states they can’t pass their own laws to keep medical debt off consumers’ credit reports. Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more.

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A photo of Gov. Gavin Newsom at a news conference with an American flag behind him.

After Chiding Democrats on Transgender Politics, Newsom Vetoes a Key Health Measure

California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have expanded access to hormone therapy, a top priority for the trans community. Advocates say it would have ensured continuity in gender-affirming care amid Trump administration attacks. Analysts say it’s another sign of the Democrat’s move to the center.

By Christine Mai-Duc

Oct. 17, 2025

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Schrödinger’s Government Shutdown

Episode 418

Oct. 16, 2025

Democrats and Republicans remain stalled over funding the federal government as Republicans launch a new attack on the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is taking advantage of the shutdown to lay off workers from programs supported mostly by Democrats. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews health insurance analyst Louise Norris about Medicare open enrollment.

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A photo of a woman standing for a portrait in a hallway. A wheelchair is behind her.

In Mississippi, Medicaid Coverage of Weight Loss Drugs Fails To Catch On

In Mississippi, a state with one of the highest obesity rates in the nation, Medicaid covers weight loss drugs, but few enrollees have signed up for the benefit.

By Phil Galewitz

Oct. 15, 2025

A photo of a police sergeant standing outside.

Cops on Ketamine? Largely Unregulated Mental Health Treatment Faces Hurdles

Ketamine, long used as an anesthetic or illegal party drug, is being combined with psychotherapy to treat severe depression and post-traumatic stress — a potential tool for those with high trauma rates, like firefighters and police officers. Yet the drug’s stigma and unregulated marketplace leave first responders in uncharted territory.

By Katja Ridderbusch

Oct. 10, 2025

Listen: Why ‘TrumpRx’ Might Not Save You Money

On the "Today, Explained" podcast, KFF Health News' Julie Rovner recaps the TrumpRx announcement and why the direct-to-consumer initiative may not save you money on prescription drugs if you have insurance through your employer or the government.

By Julie Rovner

Oct. 9, 2025

A white house with a large tree in the front with red and orange leaves

‘Demon Copperhead’ Author Lays Foundation for Women in Appalachia To Beat Addiction

Barbara Kingsolver won a Pulitzer Prize for her bestselling novel about Appalachia’s drug crisis. She invested some of the proceeds into a home for women trying to beat substance use disorders.

By Taylor Sisk

Oct. 2, 2025

The Week in Brief

‘Historic’ White House Announcement on Autism and Tylenol Causes Confusion

Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.

By Amy Maxmen

Sept. 26, 2025

A photo illustration showing a brain and a child's face. Above it is the chemical formula for leucovorin.

Off-Label Drug Helps One Boy With Autism Speak, Parents Say. But Experts Want More Data.

This week, the FDA began the process of approving leucovorin, an inexpensive, generic drug derived from folic acid, to help children diagnosed with autism.

By Céline Gounder

Sept. 26, 2025

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Public Health Further Politicized Under the Threat of More Firings

Episode 415

Sept. 25, 2025

In a rambling news conference that shocked public health experts, President Donald Trump — without scientific evidence — blamed the over-the-counter drug acetaminophen, and too many childhood vaccines, for the increase in autism diagnoses in the U.S. That came days after a key immunization advisory panel, newly reconstituted with vaccine doubters, changed several long-standing recommendations. Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official Demetre Daskalakis joins KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories. Meanwhile, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join Rovner with the rest of the news, including a threat by the Trump administration to fire rather than furlough federal workers if Congress fails to fund the government beyond the Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year.

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KFF Health News & PolitiFact HealthCheck

Trump Claims ‘No Downside’ to Avoiding Tylenol During Pregnancy. He’s Wrong.

Doctors say acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol, is safe to take during pregnancy. Other over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin and ibuprofen aren’t recommended because they can harm fetal development. Untreated fever in pregnancy can pose maternal and fetal health risks.

By Madison Czopek, PolitiFact

Sept. 24, 2025

A photo of President Donald standing at a podium speaking into a microphone flanked by four other people

‘Sick to My Stomach’: Trump Distorts Facts on Autism, Tylenol, and Vaccines, Scientists Say

The White House’s autism announcement exaggerates links to Tylenol, misleads on vaccines, and sets back the field by ignoring decades of research, scientists say.

By Amy Maxmen

Sept. 22, 2025

Trump 2.0

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