It looks like your doctor and talks like your doctor. But it’s not your doctor Deepfakes raise a basic question: What, and whom, can patients trust?

https://www.statnews.com/2026/07/14/deepfakes-ai-generated-medicine-misinformation-regulation-video/ By Henry BairJuly 14, 2026 Bair is a resident physician at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia and a physician-writer.

UnitedHealth’s questionable review, and more MA stars lawsuits You’re reading STAT’s Health Care Inc. newsletter

https://www.statnews.com/2026/07/13/unitedhealth-housecalls-audit-report-medicare-advantage-stars-lawsuits/ By Bob HermanJuly 13, 2026 Business of Health Care Reporter

10 charts that explain America’s hidden alcohol epidemic From increased strain on ERs to recent trends in alcohol use, see the data behind STAT’s series

https://www.statnews.com/2026/07/14/alcohol-impact-health-data-deep-dive-deadliest-drug-series/ By J. Emory Parker, Lev Facher, and Isabella CuetoJuly 14, 2026

12 ideas for tackling the U.S. alcohol epidemic STAT’s investigation turned up numerous ways the nation can curb excessive drinking and its related harms By Isabella Cueto and Lev FacherJuly 14, 2026

https://www.statnews.com/2026/07/14/alcohol-health-issues-deadliest-drug-series-final-installment-solutions/

2026 Medical Loss Ratio Rebates Authors: Matt McGough, Jared Ortaliza, and Cynthia Cox Published: Jul 13, 2026

https://www.kff.org/private-insurance/medical-loss-ratio-rebates/ The Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) limits the share of premium income that insurers can keep for administration, marketing, and profits. Insurers that fail to meet the applicable MLR threshold are required to pay back excess profits or margins in the form of rebates to individuals and employers that purchased coverage.

The AI Arms Race in Administrative Health Care July 14, 2026

Episode 12, AI Series: Caroline Pearson, executive director of the Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI) and the Peterson Center on Healthcare, joins Chip to discuss who really benefits as AI moves into health care’s back office. A quiet arms race is underway — providers deploying AI to code, bill, and capture revenue and insurers deploying it right back to review, deny, and hold the line. The open question is whether any of this lowers what the country actually spends or just speeds up the fight over the dollar. Pearson brings a rare vantage: PHTI runs rigorous, independent evaluations of health technology — from a now-famous assessment that found digital diabetes tools didn’t lower the total cost of care, to its own examination of the administrative AI arms race in prior authorization and medical billing. She and Chip dig into whether AI can deliver better care and real savings, or simply more activity — and how incentives and policy decide which way it breaks. https://www.kff.org/other-health/the-ai-arms-race-in-administrative-health-care/

3 Things to Know About Substance Use and Suicide Mortality Author: Nirmita Panchal Published: Jul 14, 2026

https://www.kff.org/mental-health/3-things-to-know-about-substance-use-and-suicide-mortality/ This brief explores substance use and suicide deaths, finding that, collectively, these deaths ranked #3 in leading causes of death in the U.S. in 2024. Trends in substance use and suicide deaths over time and by demographics are also presented.