Latest Morning Briefing Stories
How Much Will That Surgery Cost? đ€· Hospital Prices Remain Largely Unhelpful.
Health care price transparency is one of the few bipartisan issues in Washington, D.C. But much of the information that hospitals and health plans have made available to the public is not helpful to patients, and thereâs no conclusive evidence yet that itâs lowering costs or increasing competition.
Trump Says Heâll Stop Health Care Fraudsters. Last Time, He Let Them Walk.
In his first term, President Donald Trump granted pardons or clemency to more than 60 convicted fraudsters, including health care executives who defrauded Medicare out of hundreds of millions of dollars, courts and juries found. Now, Trump says cracking down on fraud is a priority.
Montana May Start Collecting Immunization Data Again Amid US Measles Outbreak
Montana is the only state that doesnât collect immunization reports from schools, creating a data gap for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and community health officials. With more than 480 measles cases reported in the U.S., state lawmakers are considering a bill to restart the data collection.
Readers Shop for Nutritional Information and Weigh Radiation and Cancer Risks
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
âThey Wonât Help Meâ: Sickest Patients Face Insurance Denials Despite Policy Fixes
The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson prompted both grief and public outrage about the ways insurers deny treatment. Republicans and Democrats agree prior authorization needs fixing, but patients are growing impatient.
Montanaâs Small Pharmacies Behind Bill To Corral Pharmacy Benefit Managers
A bill designed to force PBMs to pay higher fees to independent drugstores sailed through the state House, but lobbyists are marshaling their forces to kill the measure in the Senate.
Their Physical Therapy Coverage Ran Out Before They Could Walk Again
Health plans limit physical or occupational therapy sessions to as few as 20 a year, no matter the patientâs infirmities. The limits persist despite federal rules banning insurers from setting annual dollar limits on the care they will provide.
He Had Short-Term Health Insurance. His Colonoscopy Bill: $7,000.
After leaving his job to launch his own business, an Illinois man opted for a six-month health insurance plan. When he needed a colonoscopy, he thought it would cover most of the bill. Then he learned his planâs limited benefits would cost him plenty.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The Ax Falls at HHS
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced a proposed reorganization for the department â which, counting those who already have left the agency, amounts to about a 25% cut in its workforce. And its planned âAdministration for a Healthy Americaâ will collapse several existing HHS agencies into one. Meanwhile, the department continues to cut billions in health spending while the nation faces measles outbreaks in several states and the continuing possibility of another pandemic, such as bird flu. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico join KFF Health Newsâ Julie Rovner to discuss the news.
With Few Dentists and Fluoride Under Siege, Rural America Risks New Surge of Tooth Decay
The anti-fluoride movement has more momentum than ever. In rural counties with few dentists, tooth decay could surge to levels that have not been seen in decades, experts warn.
Trump Turns Homelessness Response Away From Housing, Toward Forced Treatment
The Trump administration is moving to end the âHousing Firstâ approach despite warnings from providers and homelessness experts that the shift wonât work. But with homelessness rising, President Donald Trump could find allies in blue cities and states as the public clamors for streets to be cleaned up.
âI Am Going Through Hellâ: Job Loss, Mental Health, and the Fate of Federal Workers
Since the Trump administration began firing federal workers, they say they feel overwhelmed, have obtained or considered seeking psychiatric care and medication, and are anxious about paying their bills. And soon, their health insurance will run out.
Many People With Disabilities Risk Losing Their Medicaid if They Work Too Much
As politicians demand that more Medicaid recipients work, many people with disabilities say their state programsâ income and asset caps force them to limit their work hours or turn down promotions.
The Colorado Psychedelic Mushroom Experiment Has Arrived
With the first licenses for providing psychedelic mushrooms issued, excitement and questions build about the fungiâs potential, affordability, and safety in the Centennial State.
Current, Former CDC Staff Warn Against Slashing Support to Local Public Health Departments
Public health and science researchers are concerned about the Trump administrationâs cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reductions in staff and budgets could undermine the nationâs ability to respond to threats, they say.
Workers Prep To Meet ICE Officials at the Health Clinic Door
Recent arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in northern Virginia have put immigrant communities in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area on alert. Health clinics that serve those communities say they are working to continue to care for patients amid detention and arrest fears.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Federal Health Work in Flux
Itâs the Trump administration vs. the federal courts, as the Department of Government Efficiency continues to try to cancel federal contracts and programs and fire workers. But in the haste to cut things, jobs and programs are being eliminated even if they align with the new administrationâs goal to âMake America Healthy Again.â Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post join KFF Health Newsâ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
US Judge Names Receiver To Take Over California Prisonsâ Mental Health Program
A federal judge has named a receiver to run Californiaâs troubled prison mental health system. Colette Peters, a reformist with a rocky tenure as director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, will have four months to develop a plan to adequately care for tens of thousands of prisoners.
Amid Plummeting Diversity at Medical Schools, a Warning of DEI Crackdownâs âChilling Effectâ
Enrollment of underrepresented groups at medical schools fell precipitously this academic year after the Supreme Courtâs 2023 ban on affirmative action. Education and health experts worry the Trump administrationâs anti-DEI measures will only worsen the situation, even in states like California that have navigated bans on race-conscious admissions for years.
Indiana Lawmakers Seek To Forbid Hospital Monopolies, but One Merger Fight Remains
Union Health has made a new bid to buy its only rival hospital in Terre Haute, Indiana. The system passed one hurdle after lawmakers watered down a bill that threatened the proposed deal. That means the merger will now face a likely showdown with Indianaâs new governor.
