jueves, 18 de junio de 2026
In pancreatic cancer, Patrick Soon-Shiong makes promises he has not kept Plus: Abivax will try again to squelch fears its therapy carries cancer risks
https://www.statnews.com/2026/06/18/patrick-soon-shiong-pancreatic-cancer-abivax-concerns/
By Adam FeuersteinJune 18, 2026
Senior Writer, Biotech
How many Americans can afford high-quality health care? A new poll finds the number has fallen Concerns about affordability in the year ahead were at a record high since tracking began in 2021
https://www.statnews.com/2026/06/18/how-many-americans-can-afford-their-healthcare/
By Associated PressJune 18, 2026
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. Today's selections are about a brain implant for an ALS patient, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and more.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/weekend-reading-050126/
Ivermectin Use Surged Among Cancer Patients, Despite No Proof That It's Effective
Ivermectin Use Surged Among Cancer Patients, Despite No Proof That It's Effective
The FDA has not approved the antiparasitic drug to treat cancer, ABC reports. Experts warn that patients taking the drug without a prescription and the supervision of a physician risk overdosing. Plus: the effects of data centers on Americans' health; and more.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/public-health-061826/
FTC Sues Leading Transgender Care Group, Alleging 'Deceptive Claims'
FTC Sues Leading Transgender Care Group, Alleging 'Deceptive Claims'
Members of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health include psychiatrists, surgeons, pediatricians, endocrinologists, and primary care doctors who work with transgender patients. Politico reports that for months, the Federal Trade Commission has been pursuing legal avenues to clamp down on providers and hospitals offering gender-affirming care.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/lgbtq-health-061826/
OhioHealth, DOJ Agree To Settle Antitrust Claims
OhioHealth, DOJ Agree To Settle Antitrust Claims
Legal experts suggest other health systems should take notice after the Department of Justice accused OhioHealth of driving up prices, Stat reports. Additional news from across the nation comes from California, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Colorado, and Virginia.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/state-watch-061826/
Johnson & Johnson CEO Says Cancer 'Cure' Is Within Reach
Johnson & Johnson CEO Says Cancer 'Cure' Is Within Reach
Johnson & Johnson Chief Executive Officer Joaquin Duato spoke in an interview about his company's continuing focus on cancer treatments — eschewing the obesity medication race — with a goal of eliminating the disease in 10 years.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/healthcare-industry-061826/
Amid Ebola Outbreak, Trump Admin Narrows CDC Role In Global Health
Amid Ebola Outbreak, Trump Admin Narrows CDC Role In Global Health
If the administration's plan does goes into effect in October, it would effectively sideline the CDC with regard to many global health programs and move control over much of the funding and decision making to the State Department, The New York Times reports.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/administration-news-061826/
Americans' Angst Over Healthcare Costs Grows, With Almost Half Saying They Can't Afford It, Survey Finds
Americans' Angst Over Healthcare Costs Grows, With Almost Half Saying They Can't Afford It, Survey Finds
Only about half of U.S. adults could afford their healthcare and had access to quality care last year, according to a West Health-Gallup Affordability Index survey. Only 1 in 5 people surveyed said healthcare costs contributed "no stress" to their lives. Plus, two analyses find hundreds of thousands of children are no longer receiving food assistance, ProPublica reports.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/healthcare-costs-061826/
Sandwiched Between Caring for Kids and Aging Parents? Reach Out for Resources By Cara Anthony June 18, 2026
https://kffhealthnews.org/mental-health/sandwich-generation-caring-for-children-aging-parents-resources/
Squeezed between their young children and aging parents, the sandwich generation is juggling a lot. KFF Health News Midwest correspondent Cara Anthony discusses embracing her identity as a caregiver and which resources are available to Washington, D.C., residents caring for family members. (Cara Anthony, 6/18)
Arrests of Immigrant Parents Create Mental Health Crisis for Children By Claudia Boyd-Barrett June 18, 2026
Arrests of Immigrant Parents Create Mental Health Crisis for Children
An estimated hundreds of thousands of children, many of them U.S. citizens, have been separated from a parent in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Their distress manifests in physical and mental health symptoms including developmental regression, stomachaches, sleep problems, and falling grades. Research points to long-term health consequences.
By Claudia Boyd-Barrett
June 18, 2026
https://kffhealthnews.org/mental-health/immigrant-parents-ice-detention-deportation-children-mental-health-california/
Analysis-Big Pharma Taps UK Playbook to Pressure European Capitals on Drug Prices Maggie Fick And Bhanvi Satija June 17, 2026
https://www.medscape.com/s/viewarticle/analysis-big-pharma-taps-uk-playbook-pressure-european-2026a1000kde
LONDON, June 17 (Reuters) - Global pharmaceutical companies, facing pushback from European capitals on drug pricing, are turning to a playbook that brought them recent success in Britain: threats of pulling investment and expansion plans to pressure policymakers.
AI in Gastroenterology: Benefits, Risks, and Safeguards Edited by Mandeep Singh Rawat June 18, 2026
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/ai-gastroenterology-benefits-risks-and-safeguards-2026a1000kma
Large language models (LLMs) can assist clinicians in gastroenterology and hepatology by drafting notes, summarizing complex data, and managing patient messages. But because they can produce confident yet incorrect or biased outputs and may expose sensitive health information, they must be deployed proportionally to clinical risk, with mandatory human oversight, compliance with privacy laws, use of vetted medical sources, transparent disclosure, and continuous monitoring and governance.
Submitting Clinical Trial Datasets to Evaluate the Impact of Immunogenicity on the Pharmacokinetics of a Drug June 2026
https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/submitting-clinical-trial-datasets-evaluate-impact-immunogenicity-pharmacokinetics-drug?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
FDA Announces the Availability of the Technical Specifications Document “Submitting Clinical Trial Datasets to Evaluate the Impact of Immunogenicity on the Pharmacokinetics of a Drug”
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the availability of a technical specifications document Submitting Clinical Trial Datasets to Evaluate the Impact of Immunogenicity on the Pharmacokinetics of a Drug. The specifications detailed in this guidance were built to support the data standards and processes described in the technical specifications document Study Data Technical Conformance Guide (March 2026).
Evaluating immunogenicity risk and its clinical impact, particularly its effect on pharmacokinetics, is essential for fully characterizing the safety and efficacy of a biological product. To support the regulatory evaluation of immunogenicity data, this technical specifications document describes the desired content and format specifications for three datasets: Analysis Dataset for Immunogenicity Specimen (ADIS), Analysis Dataset for Pharmacokinetic Concentrations (ADPC), and Subject Level Analysis Dataset (ADSL). These specifications will enable efficient analysis and data traceability, as well as facilitate IND-stage discussions between the sponsor and the review team regarding issues with trial design or conduct that may affect the content of the analysis datasets.
miércoles, 17 de junio de 2026
This Ebola Outbreak Could Become Worst Ever, Head Of Africa CDC Warns
This Ebola Outbreak Could Become Worst Ever, Head Of Africa CDC Warns
With lagging contact tracing, the head of Africa's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention worries that the latest outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could become the worst on record.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/outbreaks-and-health-threats-061726/
Colorado Docs Won't Provide Youth Gender Care For Fear Of Retribution
Colorado Docs Won't Provide Youth Gender Care For Fear Of Retribution
A court order is forcing Children’s Hospital Colorado to resume gender-affirming care for trans youth, the Colorado Sun reports, but doctors at the hospital have refused to provide the care over fear of losing their licenses or facing criminal charges.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/state-watch-061726/
Hospitals Look To Training Programs In Effort To Fill Workforce Gaps
Hospitals Look To Training Programs In Effort To Fill Workforce Gaps
Modern Healthcare reports that health systems are increasingly paying to train and educate workers to fill chronically short-staffed positions, as well as seeking higher-education partnerships. Other industry news is on mental health via telehealth, AI, and more.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/health-industry-061726/
HHS To Oversee Special Education Under Trump's Plan To Dismantle Education Department
HHS To Oversee Special Education Under Trump's Plan To Dismantle Education Department
The Trump administration plans to move the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services — which currently manages billions of dollars in grants and oversees state compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act — to the Department of Health and Human Services, the AP reports.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/administration-news-061726/
A 'Lawful ACIP' Can Meet At Any Time, AAP Contends, Countering RFK Jr.'s Claim
A 'Lawful ACIP' Can Meet At Any Time, AAP Contends, Countering RFK Jr.'s Claim
MedPage Today reports on HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s claim that the CDC's vaccine panel is unable to meet ahead of the fall flu season while a lawsuit is pending. The American Academy of Pediatrics pushed back, stating that the federal government has the power to install lawful panelists with the specialized knowledge to make evidence-based vaccine recommendations.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/vaccines-061726/
States Scrambling To Prep For Biggest Medicaid Change Since ACA: Work Requirements
States Scrambling To Prep For Biggest Medicaid Change Since ACA: Work Requirements
This month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services laid out regulations and federal standards for work requirements, which will go live Jan. 1, 2027, Modern Healthcare reports. States claim the newly released CMS guidance differs significantly from the previous general guidance and "will create significant administrative and resource burdens."
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/healthcare-costs-061726/
GLP-1s: Policy And Access Trends In A Rapidly Evolving Landscape Health Affairs
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/glp-1s-policy-access-trends-rapidly-evolving-landscape-mrsje/
Both public and private payers have placed tight restrictions on coverage of GLP-1s for the treatment of obesity, and out-of-pocket prices can be too steep for many populations.
The policy landscape is shifting extremely quickly, however, as consumer demand grows and policy makers begin to reassess the calculus of health care spending on obesity-related conditions.
Exclusive to Health Affairs Insiders, this new report examines why coverage and access to GLP-1 medications are uneven as of early 2026, and explores emerging trends in coverage, affordability, and access.
KEY POINTS
Obesity affects four in ten US adults and costs more than $261 billion per year.
As a drug class, GLP-1s have been FDA approved for a number of different clinical indications other than obesity, which complicates coverage. Most payers will cover GLP-1s to treat type 2 diabetes and are increasing coverage for other FDA-approved indications such as cardiovascular health and sleep apnea, all of which are clinically intertwined with obesity.
The current interpretation of Medicare Part D statute prevents coverage of drugs when used for weight loss, including GLP-1s, but does not prohibit GLP-1 coverage for other FDA-approved indications.
The GLP-1 marketplace is dynamic and highly competitive, with overlapping tensions informing the competition between manufacturers and distributors about how patients access these therapies.
https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/briefs/glp-1s-policy-and-access-trends-rapidly-evolving-landscape?utm_medium=email&utm_source=linkedin+newsletter&utm_campaign=insidermarketing&utm_content=reportspecific
Disruptions in Availability of Breast Biopsy Needles - Letter to Health Care Providers
https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/letters-health-care-providers/disruptions-availability-breast-biopsy-needles-letter-health-care-providers?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
Disruptions in Availability of Stereotactic Breast Biopsy Needles - Letter to Health Care Providers
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Letter to Health Care Providers to notify providers that we are aware that the United States is experiencing interruptions in the supply of Stereotactic Breast Biopsy Needles because of recent supplier issues. The FDA also updated the expected shortage duration for Stereotactic Breast Biopsy Needles on the medical device shortage list (product code KNW).
The disruption in availability of this device is expected to impact patient care and may require adjustments to the clinical management of patients indicated to undergo a breast biopsy.
The FDA recommends health care providers consider strategies to conserve the use of Stereotactic Breast Biopsy Needles when possible.
Analysis-Big Pharma Taps UK Playbook to Pressure European Capitals on Drug Prices Maggie Fick And Bhanvi Satija
Analysis-Big Pharma Taps UK Playbook to Pressure European Capitals on Drug Prices
Maggie Fick And Bhanvi Satija
https://www.medscape.com/s/viewarticle/analysis-big-pharma-taps-uk-playbook-pressure-european-2026a1000kde
LONDON, June 17 (Reuters) - Global pharmaceutical companies, facing pushback from European capitals on drug pricing, are turning to a playbook that brought them recent success in Britain: threats of pulling investment and expansion plans to pressure policymakers.
KFF Health Information and Trust Polling Dashboard Key insights and trends from KFF’s polling on Health Information and Trust Last Updated: June 17, 2026
https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/kff-polling-on-health-information-and-trust/
Who the Public Trusts For Health Information
Doctors and other health care providers are the public’s most trusted source of health information, while trust in government health agencies and officials is much more divided. A large majority of adults express at least “a fair amount” of trust in their doctor for reliable information about health issues, while half say they trust the CDC or FDA and fewer than half express trust in their state government officials, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., or President Trump.
KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust: Use of Social Media and AI For Health Information and Advice Authors: Grace Sparks, Julian Montalvo III, Alex Montero, and Ashley Kirzinger Published: Jun 17, 2026
https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/kff-tracking-poll-on-health-information-and-trust-use-of-social-media-and-ai-for-health-information-and-advice/?utm_campaign=KFF-Polling-Surveys&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8RH5tY2P-J8aBdnR7vB7EV53zBfQjT1UFObn5VZiJjuKEDAYiuZRrFskdQPKTEXHmBeiFcNtf4fq1bRkSjf0ISiOWcrg&_hsmi=424227441&utm_content=424227441&utm_source=hs_email
Poll: Public Uses Social Media for Health Information to Understand Others’ Experiences and Get Immediate Information; Some Also Say They Rely On It Due to Lack of Regular Access to Health Care Providers
Roughly three in ten (31%) adults say they use social media, such as Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, for health information at least monthly, often to learn from other people with similar health conditions and experiences or to get immediate information, a new KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust finds.
Among people who use social media for health information at least occasionally, more than a third (36%) say a “major reason” is to learn from the experiences of others. A similar share cite a desire for immediate information or support as a “major reason.”
A smaller share (17%) cite a limited ability to access or afford visits with a health care provider as a “major reason,” similar to the shares who said these were “major reason” why they relied on Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools or chatbots, such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Claude, for health information back in March.
Overall, four in ten (42%) of those who use social media for health information cite access or cost as at least a "minor reason," and this rises to about half of those with lower incomes (49%) and LGBT adults (55%), two groups with historically less access to regular health care, suggesting that online tools might be filling this gap for certain groups.
The poll also finds that slim majorities are at least somewhat confident that they can tell when health information they obtain from social media or artificial intelligence (AI) is true or false, and that often people don’t follow up with other sources, such as health care professionals, health information websites, or government agencies.
Contact: Craig Palosky | 202.654.1369 | CraigP@kff.org
PUBLIC HEALTH: MedPage Today: FDA Alerts On Shortage Of Breast Biopsy Needles ++++
PUBLIC HEALTH
MedPage Today: FDA Alerts On Shortage Of Breast Biopsy Needles
The FDA informed healthcare providers about disruptions in the supply of stereotactic breast biopsy needles that will likely persist through March 2027. According to the agency, the disruption is expected to impact patient care and "may require adjustments to the clinical management of patients indicated to undergo a breast biopsy." (Bassett, 6/16)
https://www.medpagetoday.com/hematologyoncology/breastcancer/121791?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8PKPWi70VpDbhckrGnYGssdo4S_UNmMxuYK_s-oER9nG1EtaF208EQD76_dM14cci8nyozrTc_TAhlIJT-nEGsW5KHug&_hsmi=424219119&utm_content=424219119&utm_source=hs_email
AP: US Infant Mortality Reached All-Time Low In 2025, CDC Reports
Infant mortality in the U.S. dropped to a new all-time low in 2025, according to preliminary government data. There were slightly fewer than 5.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2025, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While that appears to be a small decline from about 5.5 in 2024 and 5.6 in the two years preceding, researchers say it is statistically meaningful and translates to hundreds of fewer infant deaths per year. (Stobbe, 6/16)
https://apnews.com/article/infant-mortality-cdc-d0da666b52330ba91acccf25e0c62c22?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9BcIq9yBBT3i6p5B3F0oHoMimNF_5q-BPAnNiPD7GV9ENAtozudMPhelkhjA5ZKrk9XRo9srhUXoaqFNfMt1pDZku4ag&_hsmi=424219119&utm_content=424219119&utm_source=hs_email
CIDRAP: AI Chatbots Boost Parents’ Willingness To Vaccinate Kids Against HPV, But Only In The Short Term
Parents were more willing to allow their children to receive a vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) if they interacted with a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence (AI) compared with parents who received no information about the vaccine. The chatbot’s effects faded after 45 days, suggesting the benefits were short-lived, according to a randomized controlled trial of 1,297 parents of children not yet immunized against HPV. The results were published last week in JAMA Network Open. (Szabo, 6/16)
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/human-papillomavirus-hpv/ai-chatbots-boost-parents-willingness-vaccinate-kids-against-hpv-only?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8pVUQjPyjU9ORd0hp7GFDa6QNxvuxECZzFXeX4ox6hL_qGHMNzC4TW06uB97B7oLoJuxHb1o3iO4PW62kz6TtJVOb0Cw&_hsmi=424219119&utm_content=424219119&utm_source=hs_email
NPR: Sharing A Home Means Sharing A Lot Of Microbes, Especially For Couples
A lot changes when you move in with your partner: when you go to bed, what you eat for breakfast, and possibly your microbiome — the mishmash of bacteria that live in and on you. A study published this week in Cell Press Blue finds that cohabitating romantic partners share about 44% of their oral microbiome and 19% of their gut microbiome. First author and computational biologist Vitor Heidrich of the University of Trento, Italy says that his lab was investigating potential sources of the microbes inside us "because before birth we don't have a microbiome, so they must be coming from somewhere." (Kim, 6/16)
https://www.npr.org/2026/06/16/nx-s1-5859419/microbiome-oral-gut-romantic-partner?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8umPafC1BgVzN8PUQdUIGE9sigBDT8A7aVgDElM3EiA4oa1hVZpIdl0R6mXeTa-Lro7RzmF09pWEXZdUKlD2LCfXZZVw&_hsmi=424219119&utm_content=424219119&utm_source=hs_email
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION: MedPage Today: AAP Disputes Kennedy's Claim That Vaccine Panel Can't Meet Ahead Of Flu Season ++++++
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
MedPage Today: AAP Disputes Kennedy's Claim That Vaccine Panel Can't Meet Ahead Of Flu Season
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) pushed back on HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s claims that the CDC's vaccine panel is unable to meet due to a recent ruling in a lawsuit challenging changes to the U.S. childhood immunization schedule. On June 12, Kennedy took to X to announce the filing of a motion asking the First Circuit Court of Appeals to expedite an appeal of the district court's order that he contended left the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) "without a quorum." The AAP rebuffed this claim. (Henderson, 6/16)
https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/washington-watch/121790?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--yF_fbEObO4EA7YFj_u0fTlze18Ve5uTE8tv1NEhSNCz7lFk34ASIdhjQbdcb9f9v8658v8q27k8bvRFhQSBMZ1sDWKw&_hsmi=424219119&utm_content=424219119&utm_source=hs_email
MedPage Today: Experts Pan RFK Jr.'s Inquiry Into Removal Of Flawed Vaccine Study
Legal and public health experts expressed concern about HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s scrutiny of a medical journal's decision to remove a study that purportedly suggested an increased incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) within a few days after vaccination. (Frieden, 6/16)
https://www.medpagetoday.com/pediatrics/vaccines/121793?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--PMQGQRpm5X1sYXwNdiOQ0LuyiGBDOrgjhpkcjXzilIOa1scAz3fiuaw9R5HGDm1cSPnHRKFgElTkgVIhF6oRP1gno-w&_hsmi=424219119&utm_content=424219119&utm_source=hs_email
The 19th: Bill Targets Insurance Gap For Cancer Survivors Who Can’t Breastfeed
Erika Nyhus thought she was done having children. The mother of two had required medical intervention to become pregnant in the past, and she’d been told that the breast cancer treatment she’d completed would further diminish her fertility. Then two-and-a-half years ago, feeling rundown after returning home from a family trip, she took a pregnancy test out of an abundance of caution. She assumed it would be negative. (Luthra, 6/16)
https://19thnews.org/2026/06/breastfeeding-formula-cancer-survivors-insurance-coverage/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-87sTlDSpVGOXCSVY-XkyBRcG0B0hj3CkuIxn67crfpxQqccfps3gVlOaxX6oJNoJs-M0mVqRVStrE-Q2yRMkJATLaiGQ&_hsmi=424219119&utm_content=424219119&utm_source=hs_email
The Hill: NIH Launches New Office To Reduce Animal Testing
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Monday announced the launch of a new office aimed at reducing the use of animal-based research testing and boosting the use of testing methods that “better reflect human biology.” NIH’s new office will be named the Office of Research Innovation, Validation, and Application (ORIVA). Reducing animal testing has been among the primary goals within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s tenure. (Choi, 6/16)
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5926556-nih-launches-office-reduce-animal-testing/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-952K2QVvFz2mic0XMzQ98QXK0xgVOSp_6jSUldCa1CMZl5oB9ii87gpLJFege9Cke9-gzNFB4Dfey67ek2CxpEm_iiEQ&_hsmi=424219119&utm_content=424219119&utm_source=hs_email
The Hill: FDA Approves Third OTC Naloxone Nasal Spray For Opioid Overdose
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a third over-the-counter version of naloxone nasal spray Tuesday, in a move the agency said could save lives and reduce costs. The agency approved another Rextovy, a 4 milligram naloxone nasal spray for the emergency treatment of opioid overdose. FDA said consumers may directly buy it in pharmacies, convenience stores and online. Naloxone is a medicine that can help reduce opioid overdose deaths and when administered in time, usually within minutes of the first signs of an opioid overdose, can counter the overdose effects. (Weixel, 6/16)
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5927054-fda-naloxone-nasal-spray-rextovy/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--kmiXeh4DX-aVZAeOGKDudbMO8un5jXVly2DNS000LPeLGRXjX0lN9x8sRjhkFn9SRNMmehlC2DYWdLOvFPb4OfNV7KQ&_hsmi=424219119&utm_content=424219119&utm_source=hs_email
MedPage Today: FDA Staff Weigh In On Potential First MRNA Flu Shot
Ahead of an advisory committee meeting this week, FDA reviewers raised no serious efficacy or safety concerns about Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine candidate for adults 50 and older, which has the potential to become the first such product approved by the agency. (Rudd, 6/16)
https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/uritheflu/121795?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9qPCOir0U5yW_miQJ25hnRW_K3iE5Wk6Okepp6bOl-bGTgFJTe4ySVBkPCOiNx92FxVxdUrKmMicyEHXWGGig1bmC-gw&_hsmi=424219119&utm_content=424219119&utm_source=hs_email
More Americans Are Surviving Cancer. But the Mental Health Challenges Can Persist. By Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio June 17, 2026
https://kffhealthnews.org/mental-health/cancer-survivors-mental-health-anxiety-depression-therapy-iowa/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-87w89ZZqTfD8DcvEvmvRSS4suyfGcCvo-y6taaLII_DISt9ETcLrb_c4g--e0esn7NeenSd3dUUG7zO7nfLB_snJNQKQ&_hsmi=424219119&utm_content=424219119&utm_source=hs_email
KFF Health News: More Americans Are Surviving Cancer. But The Mental Health Challenges Can Persist
The cancer diagnosis came as a shock, disrupting Morgan Newman’s plans for launching her life. It was 2015, and she was working as a dental assistant in Des Moines, Iowa, while studying to become a social worker. After an abnormal result on her Pap smear, her doctor brought her back in to check the tissue for signs of cancer. Newman wasn’t that concerned at first. She was only 24 years old. (Krebs, 6/17)
Democrats Seek To Spotlight Rising Health Costs by Forcing Vote on Trump Regulation By Julie Appleby June 17, 2026
https://kffhealthnews.org/insurance/aca-payment-parameters-rule-congressional-review-act-resolutions-democrats/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_W3BPbX8F6AS1ABFQ48SsjFB0SDkUqHM2cd6EziXIgnJeXFg6pV_qvziPXIylVmIiuH9JyZdaeuTXvcjLJvze8iUe2Bg&_hsmi=424219119&utm_content=424219119&utm_source=hs_email
KFF Health News: Democrats Seek To Spotlight Rising Health Costs By Forcing Vote On Trump Regulation
In a move that mixes pure politics with weedy congressional procedures, Senate Democrats are seeking to force a vote to overturn a Trump administration rule that they say will make it harder to enroll in Affordable Care Act health plans and sharply raise out-of-pocket costs for those who do. The measure is unlikely to pass in the Republican-controlled Congress, but Democrats could use the vote against their opponents on the campaign trail. When the ACA rule was released in May, the Trump administration touted it as a means to combat enrollment fraud, lower premiums for some people, and offer a wider range of insurance plans, including ones with no set network of doctors or hospitals. (Appleby, 6/17)
Tennessee Pharmacies Sell Potent Ivermectin, Led by Anti-Vaccine Doctor Who’s Taken ‘Bucketloads’ By Brett Kelman and Rachana Pradhan June 17, 2026
Tennessee Pharmacies Sell Potent Ivermectin, Led by Anti-Vaccine Doctor Who’s Taken ‘Bucketloads’
The physician has fueled sales of the controversial drug in the Volunteer State, where it can now be dispensed without requiring a doctor visit.
By Brett Kelman and Rachana Pradhan June 17, 2026
https://kffhealthnews.org/health-industry/ivermectin-pharmacies-tennessee-anti-vaccine-doctor-denise-sibley/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_yGguTV9r51E5jYY3a2ycKHy96ckkCVfo6rvLPWUZmGJBcKLDvk0pEBjfuEllY0WuZ8fLOrcT0ArdP3l3sU_Z2ry2mpw&_hsmi=424219119&utm_content=424219119&utm_source=hs_email
KFF Health News: Tennessee Pharmacies Sell Potent Ivermectin, Led By Anti-Vaccine Doctor Who’S Taken ‘Bucketloads’
Four years ago, Tennessee became the first state to allow adults to buy the antiparasitic drug ivermectin from a pharmacy without first seeing a doctor. Pharmacies can use a pre-written, blanket prescription to sell to just about anyone who walks through their doors. The drug is now marketed and sold across the state in roadside shops and small-town strip malls with little oversight from health authorities. Highway billboards advertise ivermectin as “Available Without a Prescription in Tennessee!” while dozens of pharmacies offer highly concentrated pills, sometimes at 10 or 20 times the potency of a standard tablet. (Kelman and Pradhan, 6/17)
martes, 16 de junio de 2026
Despite Health Insurance, Illinois Woman's Cancer Diagnosis Leads To Bankruptcy +... +...
Despite Health Insurance, Illinois Woman's Cancer Diagnosis Leads To Bankruptcy
Angie Salvador made too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to afford the high costs of healthcare, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Following her breast cancer diagnosis and $8,400 in new medical debt, she filed for bankruptcy. "I'm assuming that you can get excellent quality healthcare in the United States," Salvador said. "I just don't know anybody that's able to afford it."
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/cancer-061626/
Viewpoints: Insurers' Flawed System For Denials Puts Patients In Danger; Congress Must Stop Tiptoeing Around Impending Medicare, Social Security Crises
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/viewpoints-insurers-flawed-system-for-denials-puts-patients-in-danger-congress-must-stop-tiptoeing-around-impending-medicare-social-security-crises/
Independent Doctors Decry Shift To Private-Equity Firm, But Aren't Sure What To Do Next
Independent Doctors Decry Shift To Private-Equity Firm, But Aren't Sure What To Do Next
Valley Health hospitals in Virginia announced plans to end a contract with emergency medicine physicians and partner with a private equity-owned practice management company, blindsiding staff. Physicians who agreed to stay on under new contracts would no longer qualify for health insurance or retirement benefits, MedPage Today reports.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/health-industry-061626/
Colorado Cleared To Import Lower-Cost Drugs From Canada
Colorado Cleared To Import Lower-Cost Drugs From Canada
The Centennial State is the second to gain FDA approval of a program to bring down prescription drug costs for its residents. Florida earned the approval in 2024, but it has yet to begin importing any drugs, Stat reports.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/state-watch-9/
FDA Approves Medical-Grade Maggots For Debridement Therapy
FDA Approves Medical-Grade Maggots For Debridement Therapy
The biomedical developer Cuprina Holdings thinks this is the first debridement product to use this particular species, dubbed Medifly Maggots. Maggot debridement therapy has been associated with a lower risk of lower-limb amputation in diabetics with non-healing lesions, MedPage Today reports.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/science-and-innovations-061626/
RFK Jr. Directs Woman To Remain In Hantavirus Quarantine Unit Weeks After Others Went Home
RFK Jr. Directs Woman To Remain In Hantavirus Quarantine Unit Weeks After Others Went Home
The New York Times reports that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. signed an order to continue holding Angela Perryman at a quarantine facility in Nebraska, against her wishes and despite a CDC recommendation Thursday that she be allowed to return home for the remainder of her 42-day quarantine.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/outbreaks-and-health-threats-061626/
Trump Admin Requests Expedited Appeal Of Ruling Blocking HHS Vaccine Policies
Trump Admin Requests Expedited Appeal Of Ruling Blocking HHS Vaccine Policies
A federal court ruled in March to temporarily block a number of vaccine decisions made by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. while a lawsuit brought by six medical organizations continued. The ruling froze all decisions made by the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices and prevented its advisers from meeting as scheduled, The New York Times reports.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/administration-news-061626/
Development of Antihypertensive Therapies for Use in Pediatric Patients July 15 - 16, 2026
https://www.fda.gov/drugs/news-events-human-drugs/development-antihypertensive-therapies-use-pediatric-patients-07152026?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
FDA Workshop Will Focus on Development of Antihypertensive Therapies for Use in Pediatric Patients
Treatment of chronic hypertension (high blood pressure) in pediatric patients remains an area of unmet medical need, with limited FDA-approved therapies, particularly for children younger than six years of age. Products are being developed to treat uncontrolled and/or resistant hypertension in adults that may have benefits in pediatric patients.
This FDA public workshop, hosted with the University of Maryland Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation (M-CERSI), will bring together key stakeholders, including clinicians, academicians, regulators, industry, and patients/caregivers, to discuss the similarities and differences in disease pathophysiology and drug response across age groups, determine the extent to which efficacy can be extrapolated from adults to pediatrics, identify development priorities for both initial therapy and uncontrolled hypertension, and explore feasible strategies to generate evidence for the safe and effective use of antihypertensive treatment(s) in pediatric patients with hypertension, including children younger than six years of age.
Please visit this webpage for more information and to register for the meeting.
Federal Medicaid Spending Through State Directed Payments Nears $100 Billion Annually Across 41 States, With New Limits Set to Reduce Funding to States KFF analysis shows hospitals have the most spending through state directed payments Published: Jun 15, 2026
https://www.kff.org/medicaid/federal-medicaid-spending-through-state-directed-payments-nears-100-billion-annually-across-41-states-with-new-limits-set-to-reduce-funding-to-states/
Forty states and DC currently receive $93 billion in annual federal Medicaid spending through state directed payments (SDPs) and may be at risk due to forthcoming limits on these payments, according to new KFF estimates. Annual federal spending on SDPs is highest in California (an estimated $10.6 billion)—followed by Texas ($6.3 billion), North Carolina ($5.2 billion), and Illinois ($5.1 billion).
Forthcoming Policy Changes to Medicaid State Directed Payments Authors: Alice Burns, Elizabeth Hinton, Scott Hulver, Jessica Mathers, and Robin Rudowitz Published: Jun 15, 2026
https://www.kff.org/medicaid/forthcoming-policy-changes-to-medicaid-state-directed-payments/
The 2025 reconciliation law reduced federal Medicaid spending by an estimated $911 billion from 2025 through 2034, some of which stems from new restrictions on Medicaid state directed payments (SDPs) for hospital and other health care services. While states are generally prohibited from directing how managed care organizations (MCOs) pay for care, states can implement SDPs that require MCOs to increase rates or set minimum rates for specified Medicaid services. In authorizing SDPs, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) aimed to help states improve access to care and provider participation. Many states that contract with MCOs use SDPs to make uniform rate increases that function like supplemental payments in fee-for-service (FFS) Medicaid.
Bench to Bedside at AI Speed June 16, 2026
Episode 8, AI Series: How can AI determine who gets matched to new therapies, who is identified for clinical trials, and how patient tracking is scaled across large populations? Chip is joined by Dr. A.J. Blood, a practicing cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of AIwithCare, a startup company that delivers AI-enabled solutions for research, clinical operations, and patient care. They discuss the role of AI in identifying patients for clinical trials and new therapies—which is typically a critical bottleneck in drug development—as well as how to ensure clinical trials are representative. Also, Dr. Blood shares insights from his extensive research background and the tool, RECTIFIER (RAG-Enabled Clinical Trial Infrastructure for Inclusion Exclusion Review), designed to enhance patient recruitment for clinical trials by efficiently sifting through complex medical data.
https://www.kff.org/other-health/bench-to-bedside-at-ai-speed/
Recent State Actions Related to Immigrants’ Access to Services and Immigration Enforcement Authors: Akash Pillai, Drishti Pillai, and Samantha Artiga Published: Jun 16, 2026
https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/recent-state-actions-related-to-immigrants-access-to-services-and-immigration-enforcement/
During the 2025 and 2026 legislative sessions, states enacted or proposed a range of legislation that will impact immigrants’ access to state-funded health coverage and other services as well as actions related to how states may enhance or limit federal enforcement activities. Several states have rolled back or plan to scale back state-funded health coverage programs for immigrants to reduce budget deficits amid economic uncertainties. Some states have also enacted laws to support the Trump administration’s increased interior immigration enforcement activities, including sharing data from Medicaid or other state agencies with federal enforcement officials. In contrast, some states are expanding access to health coverage or other benefits for immigrants, including lawfully present immigrants losing eligibility for federally funded health coverage under the 2025 reconciliation law, and/or enhancing protections for immigrants. While some states are seeking to enhance protections for immigrants, the Trump administration signed an executive order directing federal agencies to suspend federal grants and contracts with states or local jurisdictions identified as obstructing enforcement of federal immigration laws, or “sanctuary jurisdictions.” So far federal challenges to state and local sanctuary jurisdictions have largely failed. However, the federal stance may limit state or local actions.
Spending on Medicaid State Directed Payments Before New Limits Take Effect Authors: Alice Burns, Scott Hulver, Jessica Mathers, Robin Rudowitz, and Patrick Drake Published: Jun 15, 2026
https://www.kff.org/medicaid/spending-on-medicaid-state-directed-payments-before-new-limits-take-effect/?utm_campaign=KFF-Medicaid&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--yGyYW4aek78RtFiiUOKjXyD_EZazMZ3qpYCMxvs-bGLYvpWMsda3clwDqhakE3jjbtWHuXL4YsBvtxA6fyOfUU3pdZg&_hsmi=423844078&utm_content=423844078&utm_source=hs_email
KFF analysis shows hospitals have the most spending through state directed payments
Forty states and DC currently receive $93 billion in annual federal Medicaid spending through state directed payments (SDPs) and may be at risk due to forthcoming limits on these payments, according to new KFF estimates. Annual federal spending on SDPs is highest in California (an estimated $10.6 billion)—followed by Texas ($6.3 billion), North Carolina ($5.2 billion), and Illinois ($5.1 billion).
Medicaid SDPs FI
The vast majority of federal SDP spending (84%) covers hospital services, totaling an estimated $78 billion annually. Professional services at academic medical centers ($3.2 billion) and nursing facility services ($2.1 billion) account for the next-largest shares of federal SDP spending each year.
First established in 2016, SDPs allow states to direct how managed care organizations pay for services. They may take a variety of forms but most commonly require the managed care organization to make supplemental payments and specify a total payment rate. KFF estimates that 84% of SDP spending is currently benchmarked to commercial (or private) rates, which are notably higher than Medicare rates.
CMS started approving SDPs that linked payments to commercial rates in 2018 because the higher rates were seen as helpful to attracting a broader provider network and ensuring robust access to care. In 2024, a rule on Medicaid managed care codified the payment limit for SDPs at average commercial rates but also spurred additional spending on them as states began pegging more SDPs to the average commercial rates.
Just over a year later, the 2025 reconciliation law established new limits on SDPs, capping payment rates at or near Medicare levels instead of average commercial rates. These new limits will reduce payment rates for Medicaid services in affected states, with the largest effects expected to be on hospitals since they account for the majority of SDP spending. In May, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that would expand the scope of the law’s limits on SDPs, according to KFF’s explainer on the policy changes.
CMS estimates that SDP-related changes in both the reconciliation law and the proposed rule would reduce federal Medicaid spending by $510 billion between 2026 and 2035, with effects increasing in size each year.
How states and providers will respond to the new payment limits remains uncertain. States have limited options for offsetting the federal cuts because of other changes to Medicaid financing from the reconciliation law, including new restrictions on provider taxes.
The stakes are particularly high for financially vulnerable hospitals, which are more likely to include safety net providers that primarily serve Medicaid enrollees. Some hospitals could face pressure to close or reduce services, especially if uncompensated care increases because people lose Medicaid or coverage through the ACA marketplaces.
Media Contact: Tammie Smith | 202-654-1410 | TammieS@kff.org
Studies Confirm Private Equity Dangers Donavyn Coffey June 16, 2026 +++
Studies Confirm Private Equity Dangers
Donavyn Coffey
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/studies-confirm-private-equity-dangers-2026a1000k6n
June 16, 2026
For patients hospitalized with a specific condition, like those in a new lung study, Medicare typically pays a lump sum. This means “the sooner you get them out, the greater the delta between what you’re being paid and what it costs you,” said Rishi Wadhera, MD, cardiologist and associate director of Health Policy at the Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Boston. Private equity hospitals may be pushing for faster discharges or truncating the home-transition period in the name of efficiency, which can lead to readmissions.
The Chatbot Will See You Now: A Crisis in Trust?
Annie Lennon
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/chatbot-will-see-you-now-crisis-trust-2026a1000k73
Healing a Broken Trust
June 16, 2026
When Hilary Hodge needs help making sense of her health, the doctor’s office isn’t always her first port of call. Often, she turns to ChatGPT.
Immigrant Physicians, Medical Students at Center of Storm as US Court Battles Intensify
Randy Dotinga
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/immigrant-physicians-medical-students-center-storm-us-court-2026a1000k4q
June 15, 2026
Last winter, the Trump administration made a series of moves to limit immigration, immediately throwing into doubt the plans of physicians and medical students around the world planning to come to the US or continue working here.
Alfredo sauce distributed to dozens of states recalled due to potential salmonella contamination +++++
https://apnews.com/article/alfredo-sauce-recall-b66c07c52270d1f2a1a84969b95e9ac1?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_TlWa3LjIiau9mmO-SU0OBBm8PNUHJ0Q4sGQn9x673ia-koaSiNeAP6ptOIFftjoJv3yH7WCyHVmo8SSpKDoTyKHwtBA&_hsmi=424011519&utm_content=424011519&utm_source=hs_email
PUBLIC HEALTH
AP: FDA Issues Product Recall For Alfredo Sauce Over Salmonella Fears
https://apnews.com/article/alfredo-sauce-recall-b66c07c52270d1f2a1a84969b95e9ac1?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_TlWa3LjIiau9mmO-SU0OBBm8PNUHJ0Q4sGQn9x673ia-koaSiNeAP6ptOIFftjoJv3yH7WCyHVmo8SSpKDoTyKHwtBA&_hsmi=424011519&utm_content=424011519&utm_source=hs_email
Federal health officials have issued a recall for alfredo sauce distributed to dozens of U.S. states by a supplier because of potential salmonella contamination. The sauce was voluntarily recalled by the supplier because it contained a dry milk powder ingredient that was possibly contaminated with salmonella, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration enforcement report. There were 913 cases recalled and each of those cases contained 12 sealed bags of sauce, with each bag weighing over 3 pounds (1.36 kilograms), the FDA said. (6/15)
Bloomberg: Happiest Baby Faces FDA Warning For $1,700 Snoo Bassinet Safety Issues
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-15/fda-issues-warning-to-maker-of-1-700-snoo-baby-bassinets?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_aBganFEiZahz_qRTJJFaRoBxGu9lY6nPhVSbkiH9drfocGzLcZkEWYEH8P6lnRQYt47oxq6HqziyCkK2emQptDkxpOQ&_hsmi=424011519&utm_content=424011519&utm_source=hs_email&embedded-checkout=true
Happiest Baby, Inc., maker of the wildly popular Snoo Bassinet that sells for $1,700, received a safety warning from US regulators for selling unauthorized products and for unsanitary conditions — including mold — reported on some items. The company sold new sizes of its bassinets that haven’t been vetted by the the US Food and Drug Administration for safety and effectiveness, posing risks to infants that use them, the agency said in a statement Monday. The FDA regulates medical devices and considers the Snoo products, which provide robotic movements to help newborns sleep, to be devices. (Inampudi, 6/15)
MedPage Today: Newborn Girls Appear Less Likely To Get Vitamin K, Hepatitis B Shots
https://www.medpagetoday.com/pediatrics/vaccines/121762?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_SRlUkTLenFjNDpe4G6CfrvmVZJlaTX_p_EVhkSUBLY72DbT1ZvMpHR1bPA35EhyhotSTESKme_Ha0MvXqliyxt0AmUg&_hsmi=424011519&utm_content=424011519&utm_source=hs_email
Newborn girls were less likely to receive vitamin K prophylaxis and hepatitis B vaccination than newborn boys, according to a cohort study involving more than 93,000 babies. (Henderson, 6/15)
CNN: Social Media Use Early On Can Lead To Substance Experimentation
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/12/health/adolescent-social-media-substance-use-wellness?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_7UOnTIoMqCzxsFpSHwgX3Y7iwKcggiRs9g-vzJIU_tB6cGcoLV4VSZFf8Ylj8to3_UVJi8D_iV0Ractojx40y8NZRYQ&_hsmi=424011519&utm_content=424011519&utm_source=hs_email
The minimum age requirement for most social media platforms is 13 years old, but nearly 40% of adolescents between the ages of 8 and 12 use social media. Doing so could lead these tweens to earlier experimentation with drugs and alcohol. (Trivedi, 6/12)
KUNC: More Seniors Are Using Cannabis. Researchers In The Mountain West Want To Know Why
https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2026-06-11/more-seniors-are-using-cannabis-researchers-in-the-mountain-west-want-to-know-why?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8gfzX5434QSmag9YqmVHXevVXAMA3yowPuZolkpvcH7YkINbleMuVFeG4czSfvfRqQac3uc3ceZ3juz01LrHI2OS9myA&_hsmi=424011519&utm_content=424011519&utm_source=hs_email
Many older adults are turning to edible cannabis for the first time to find relief from age-related health issues. Researchers want to better understand their motivations. A new study out of the University of Utah and University of Colorado Boulder surveyed about 170 adults in Colorado over the age of 60 about why they wanted to purchase edible cannabis products. (Cohen, 6/15)
Trump admin paying thousands of dollars per month to store ruined USAID contraceptives Comments: by Nathaniel Weixel - 06/15/26 5:21 PM ET +++
Trump admin paying thousands of dollars per month to store ruined USAID contraceptives
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5925304-expired-contraceptives-trump-storage-costs/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--M9UwlIFYkxXQka9V0heR54fAMPxtbQRjhaN-ioasL2duIUlOkwYbPCT6jOG6kDc8B3GOL3TH20dhy-yNi2vk7Abr9DA&_hsmi=424011519&utm_content=424011519&utm_source=hs_email
by Nathaniel Weixel - 06/15/26 5:21 PM ET
The Hill: Trump Admin Pays To Store Expired Contraceptives In Belgium
Millions of dollars’ worth of contraceptives meant to be distributed to low-income nations in Africa have expired, but the Trump administration is paying tens of thousands of dollars a month to keep them in storage in Belgium, according to a report from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) inspector general. About $9.7 million worth of taxpayer-funded contraceptives purchased by USAID and originally destined for low-income nations in Africa got stuck in Belgium after the Trump administration shut down the agency last year. According to the report, about $8 million worth of hormonal contraceptives, injectable contraceptives and other family planning commodities are no longer usable after they were moved from climate-controlled storage. (Weixel, 6/15)
RFK Jr. demands journal explain removal of vaccine study used to support his childhood immunization changes
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5924878-kennedy-demands-answers-vaccine-study/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz---bzO5S2jhTSa_ZihLsIIiDRdS0_0Um0EkeT8pZSa6h4nIq6VPU3rp4yip8yJyJHZOMLxB20s791mhr1q1Qg9npCbdWw&_hsmi=424011519&utm_content=424011519&utm_source=hs_email
The Hill: RFK Jr. Demands Explanation For Journal's Vaccine Study Removal
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is demanding answers from a science journal on why a study regarding vaccination and sudden infant death was removed from the publication. In a letter dated June 11, Kennedy wrote to Toxicology Reports Editor-in-Chief Lawrence H. Lash concerning a 2021 study titled “Vaccines and sudden infant death: An analysis of the VAERS database 1990–2019 and review of the medical literature.” (Choi, 6/15)
Dems offer roadmap to expand drug price talks
Peter Sullivan
https://www.axios.com/2026/06/16/democrats-drug-price-plan-trump?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9OuOKrYtkaqOB2z9XRa6vcQeKqjuU6CsXSutAvCBRzhjR8CRPEnQTbZgmfR5ulBZIwA8ondxqLz_8xq6tqYv2y3AIIZg&_hsmi=424011519&utm_content=424011519&utm_source=hs_email
Axios: Dems Offer Roadmap To Expand Drug Price Talks
Senate Democrats on Tuesday are unveiling a proposal to expand Medicare drug price negotiations, in a bid to counter President Trump's election-year messaging on health care affordability. (Sullivan, 6/16)
Head-to-head comparison suggests flu was much more likely to lead to hospitalization than COVID last winter News brief June 15, 2026 Mary Van Beusekom, MS +++++++
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/head-head-comparison-suggests-flu-was-much-more-likely-lead-hospitalization-covid-last?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9Zs7WvZ6wGrk6TuBqZKWMFY7ETTgelxRz5sFn_9sFy3n5-B6MEkiKAWLZ3vOFPRgiuoX4RJHv2k49mio21hqNJS2WTYQ&_hsmi=424011519&utm_content=424011519&utm_source=hs_email
OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS
The New York Times: Kennedy Orders Woman To Stay In Hantavirus Quarantine, Despite C.D.C. Recommendation
A cruise ship passenger who was exposed to hantavirus in early May is still being held at a quarantine facility in Nebraska, against her wishes and against the recommendation of a medical review from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On Monday, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a staunch proponent of medical freedom, signed an order to continue quarantining Angela Perryman, 47, even though others who had been held at the facility have, since May 31, been allowed to return to their homes if they wished to do so. (Mandavilli, 6/15)
Fox News: Deadly Parasitic Tapeworm Detected In West Coast Wildlife For First Time
https://www.foxnews.com/health/deadly-fox-tapeworm-linked-lethal-disease-detected-west-coast-wildlife?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--7sPO4RrPAQN5V30Qh_rkmTD--JA8v4Jte3Xx_IDE7RCjXofqqQCvOLck9K56j19FuRY1s_uNtjTkM62cGX2z227ZMVg&_hsmi=424011519&utm_content=424011519&utm_source=hs_email
A parasitic tapeworm known as Echinococcus multilocularis — often called the "fox tapeworm" — has been detected for the first time in West Coast wildlife. University of Washington researchers discovered the tapeworm, which can cause a rare but potentially deadly disease in humans, in 37 out of 100 coyotes sampled near Puget Sound in Washington State. The findings were published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases earlier this year. (Sudhakar, 6/15)
Bloomberg: USDA Steps Up Screwworm Monitoring As Cases Expand In Texas
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-15/screwworm-spreads-beyond-initial-control-zone-in-risk-to-cattle?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9cqcCqUuHe0t0rkUHBnmDESO98RA2P0eawsEZhyxI6v_1GqgACWs4TB3z5fKwFLXUh0s39mfedXh1QnxLthmme8GatJg&_hsmi=424011519&utm_content=424011519&utm_source=hs_email
The US Department of Agriculture is stepping up its surveillance of New World screwworm, seeking to work with the Department of Homeland Security to contain a growing outbreak threatening the nation’s cattle herd. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a Monday press conference that the two agencies were planning to enter into an official memorandum of understanding this week, which will establish a formal framework for greater collaboration on response efforts to a deadly parasite. The agency is also looking into utilizing dogs, drones and artificial intelligence to detect larvae and assess where animals may need inspection. (Peng and Elkin, 6/15)
CIDRAP: How To Protect Outdoor Pets From New World Screwworm
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/new-world-screwworm/how-protect-outdoor-pets-new-world-screwworm?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--iRi7XM8jBpVEUCh1ZQuhkVh5sD60noBkjukTbfxvj1iVExSw_3qcTOC1FMJY86K668a9K7KAsAmHa10qbAVU_TstrZQ&_hsmi=424011519&utm_content=424011519&utm_source=hs_email
The New World screwworm (NWS), a parasitic fly that had been eliminated from the United States for 60 years before reappearing in Texas earlier this month, has traditionally been considered a threat to livestock and wild animals. But a report of screwworm in a New Mexico dog last week highlights the insect’s danger to pets. (Szabo, 6/15)
CBS News: American Doctor Who Recovered From Ebola Arrives Back In U.S., Says He's "Feeling Well"
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ebola-outbreak-congo-us-doctor-peter-stafford-back-in-america/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_76vLs7XouSUgCZABsE98ELnRrhoprxQ40f6KTP1D2p6bwDpEMtgbqa6WZIHlSmz0tCdlTJafKnQrC9WZE3L71T3K0AA&_hsmi=424011519&utm_content=424011519&utm_source=hs_email
The American doctor who contracted Ebola while working on a humanitarian mission in Congo has returned to the United States and said he's feeling well after recovering from the potentially deadly disease. Dr. Peter Stafford, his wife, Rebekah Stafford, and their four children all arrived safely on Monday, according to Serge, a Pennsylvania-based Christian missions organization. Stafford has been Ebola-free since May 30, the organization said. (Intarasuwan, 6/15)
ABC News: DRC Reports Record Number Of Ebola Cases In A Single Day As Outbreak Hits 1-Month Mark
https://abcnews.com/Health/drc-reports-record-number-ebola-cases-single-day/story?id=133883214&utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9V1ZZUvY-64ElmWc_dRLq7CMQa019NWZKERCypAN-xK4pslhqMn97m266AjylqQdsjWIecZB2BAoKqVFvmm9YAUWZAng&_hsmi=424011519&utm_content=424011519&utm_source=hs_email
Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have reported a record one-day increase in Ebola cases since the current outbreak was first detected one month ago. The DRC Ministry of Health reported 72 new confirmed Ebola cases on June 13, bringing the total number of cases to 782. Additionally, 29 deaths were recorded, bringing to 181 the number of fatalities that have occurred in the last month. (Jovanovic, Magee, and Kekatos, 6/15)
CIDRAP: Head-To-Head Comparison Suggests Flu Was Much More Likely To Lead To Hospitalization Than COVID Last Winter
During the most recent respiratory virus season, the risk of hospitalization was higher for influenza than for COVID-19, per a US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) study of nearly 13,000 patients. The authors, from the VA Saint Louis Health Care System, noted that while COVID-19 was tied to a substantially greater risk of hospitalization than flu early in the pandemic, data showed an increase in flu cases and hospitalizations in 2025-26 compared with previous seasons. The findings were published last week in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. (Van Beusekom, 6/15)
Early-Onset Cancers Are on the Rise. Knowing Your Family History Is Crucial. By Cara Anthony and Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio June 16, 2026
https://kffhealthnews.org/news/healthq-early-onset-cancers-family-history/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_4j07mAarT1IhRFLOFPiTlQ8teom7UEDXgkRY9EGfU3y8AB31rFH0bNp20e8OGMBozQbtAXdkoroBVCsNCJ7EPXbFfCw&_hsmi=424011519&utm_content=424011519&utm_source=hs_email
KFF Health News: Early-Onset Cancers Are On The Rise. Knowing Your Family History Is Crucial
Bryce Ramsey of Madison, Mississippi, was 33 when she was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Upon noticing blood in her stool, she blamed the hemorrhoids she’d developed after delivering her son eight years earlier. Ramsey didn’t initially link her symptoms to cancer. “But I had just kind of made a deal with myself because the blood was starting to become more frequent,” she said. “I was like, ‘If this happens the next time I go to the bathroom, I’m going to make a call.’” (Anthony and Farmer, 6/16)
Backed by Threat of Clawbacks, Feds Wield Tight Grip on $50B Rural Health Fund By Sarah Jane Tribble and Arielle Zionts June 16, 2026
https://kffhealthnews.org/rural-health/rural-health-transformation-program-federal-cms-clawbacks-state-plans/
KFF Health News: Backed By Threat Of Clawbacks, Feds Wield Tight Grip On $50B Rural Health Fund
In Maine, state health officials hoped to steer a slice of $190 million in new federal rural health funding to shield hospitals and clinics from the fallout caused by cuts to federal health programs. Their plan would have helped pay to treat low-income, uninsured patients. But federal leaders overseeing the five-year, $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program said no. “It was not our decision,” said Lisa Letourneau, a senior adviser at Maine’s health department. (Tribble and Zionts, 6/16)
Register to Join Our Functional Precision Medicine Workshop Date and Time: July 1–2, 2026, from 9am–5pm
https://events.cancer.gov/OD/functional-medicine/agenda?cid=eb_govdel
Date and Time: July 1–2, 2026, from 9am–5pm
Location: Hybrid Event—National Cancer Institute Shady Grove Joseph F. Fraumeni Conference Room TE-406/408/410, Rockville, MD, and Webex
At this event, explore the evolving landscape of functional precision medicine; collaborate with leaders from the National Cancer Institute, academia, industry, government, and patient advocacy; and help move functional precision oncology rapidly from the lab into clinical practice. You’ll learn about the current landscape of the field and define critical scientific questions that will shape progress over the next decade. Review the agenda!
Day 1: The State-of-the-Art in Functional Precision Medicine
A comprehensive overview of current technologies, applications, and successes to date in using functional assays to guide cancer therapy
Day 2: Charting the Course—Scientific Questions for the Future of Cancer Care
Interactive sessions focused on identifying and prioritizing key challenges and unanswered scientific questions that will define the future direction of the field
Registration Deadline:
Registration is free and required to attend. Register to attend virtually by June 29, 2026.
Contact:
If you have questions about the workshop, please contact Ana Robles at roblesa@mail.nih.gov.
FDA Public Meeting: FDA-Led Patient-Focused Drug Development Meeting for Nonhealing Chronic Wounds August 25, 2026
https://www.fda.gov/drugs/news-events-human-drugs/fda-public-meeting-fda-led-patient-focused-drug-development-meeting-nonhealing-chronic-wounds?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
Public Meeting on Patient-Focused Drug Development for Nonhealing Chronic Wounds
On August 25, 2026, FDA is hosting a hybrid public meeting on Patient-Focused Drug Development (PFDD) for Nonhealing Chronic Wounds. This meeting will provide FDA and other key stakeholders, including medical product developers, health care providers, and academic researchers, the opportunity to hear directly from patients, patient representatives, and care partners about their experiences with nonhealing chronic wounds, including how the wounds and associated wound care affect their daily life, what matters most to them, their current approaches for managing or treating their nonhealing chronic wounds, and what they consider when determining whether to participate in a clinical trial.
There will be three sessions focused on: (1) health effects and daily impacts, (2) current approaches to treatment, and (3) perspectives on clinical trials. For each topic, a brief initial patient panel discussion will begin the dialogue. This will be followed by a facilitated discussion inviting comments from other patient and care partner participants in the audience. Panelists are also welcome to participate in the facilitated discussion.
Meeting Logistics and Registration
Date: August 25, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET
Registration: https://www.fda.gov/pfddchronicwounds
Location:
Attend In Person or Online
Virtual: Via Webcast
In Person: FDA White Oak Campus, 10903 New Hampshire Ave, Building 31, Room 1503, Silver Spring, MD 20993
Panelists
Patients or care partners interested in providing comments as part of the panel discussion are asked to indicate their interest when they register for the meeting. A member of our PFDD Staff will contact them via email. Panelists will be confirmed prior to the meeting and will be invited to a brief one-on-one call with our team to help prepare for their role in the discussion.
lunes, 15 de junio de 2026
Science Controversies in the Media +++ +++ ++
Science Controversies in the Media
‘Humanitarian catastrophe’: Trump’s USAID shutdown could help drive nearly 23 million deaths — including 5.4 million children — by 2030, Lancet study warns
Nick Ferris | The Independent
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/06/15/humanitarian-catastrophe-trumps-usaid-shutdown-could-help-drive-nearly-23-million-deaths-including-5-4-million-children-by-2030-lancet-study-warns/
Nearly 23 million additional deaths are expected by 2030 as a result of countries like the US and UK dramatically cutting their overseas aid, a new report estimates.
Viewpoint: COVID lab leak? Misguided backers of the lab leak theory refused to give up
Rasmussen Retorts
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/06/15/viewpoint-covid-lab-leak-misguided-backers-of-the-lab-leak-theory-refused-to-give-up/
[W]hen I learned that Lord Matt Ridley had been invited to speak at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) about his search for the origins of COVID-19 by NIH Director “Podcast Jay” Bhattacharya, I reacted like John Wick after his dog got killed. I felt a return of the fighting spirit ….
Six key health insights from taking weight-loss drugs
Dani Blum | New York Times
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/06/15/six-key-health-insights-from-taking-weight-loss-drugs/
Tens of millions of people around the world are now taking drugs like Ozempic — a kind of real-time experiment that offers far more data than a carefully controlled clinical trial can.
‘Have you asked your doctor?’: AMA launches campaign to counter health misinformation
Bruce Japsen | Forbes
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/06/15/have-you-asked-your-doctor-ama-launches-campaign-to-counter-health-misinformation/
The American Medical Association confirmed plans to launch a national campaign to combat health misinformation and “rebuild trust in medicine.”
Selective Pressure, Selective Silence
Jon Entine, Patrick Whittle | Quillette
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/06/12/selective-pressure-selective-silence/
Human evolution, particularly of the brain, ended a long time ago—at least that is what many educated people, wary of claims about biological differences between human groups, prefer to believe. For much of the postwar era, it was widely assumed that natural selection had largely ceased to shape human populations and that any evolution during the past ten millennia was too slow or too slight to detect. …
Will hi-tech genetic fortune-telling really help parents make healthier children?
Rob Stein | NPR
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/06/12/will-hi-tech-genetic-fortune-telling-really-help-parents-make-healthier-children/
Like high-tech fortune-telling, the screening estimates the chances that embryos will produce children at risk for thousands of illnesses, from rare inherited disorders such as Tay-Sachs and cystic fibrosis to common diseases with genetic factors such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s.
‘Toxin’ detox: A gastroenterologist weighs in on $71 billion health trend
Marc Zarefsky | American Medical Association
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/06/12/detoxing-from-toxins-a-gastroenterologist-weighs-in-on-latest-health-trend/
In 2025, the detoxification industry worldwide was valued at over $71 billion, and some estimates have that number approaching $120 billion by 2034.
Gen Z burned by sunscreen misinformation and tanning myths
American Academy of Dermatology
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/06/12/gen-z-burned-by-sunscreen-misinformation-and-tanning-myths/
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) released results from its annual Practice Safe Sun Survey, revealing many Americans still engage in risky sun behaviors driven by misinformation, social media, and persistent tanning myths despite their concerns about the long-term aging effects of sun exposure.
Viewpoint—‘The gleeful efficiency of an arsonist’: Administration’s health and science research cuts are ‘sabotaging’ America’s future Henry Miller | June 15, 2026
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/06/15/viewpoint-the-gleeful-efficiency-of-an-arsonist-administrations-health-and-science-research-cuts-are-sabotaging-americas-future/
There is a word for what the federal government has done to American science during the past year and a half: sabotage. Not reform. Not streamlining. Not the “realignment of priorities” the White House prefers to call it. Sabotage — the deliberate, systematic destruction of one of the most productive enterprises in the history of human civilization, inflicted at a time when the nation can least afford it, for reasons that range from the ideological to the incoherent.
Wyoming Abortion Restrictions Ruled Unconstitutional By Judge
Wyoming Abortion Restrictions Ruled Unconstitutional By Judge
A Wyoming judge struck down three anti-abortion state laws, ruling that they violated the state's constitutional right for a person to make their own healthcare decisions. Other state health news comes from Minnesota, Illinois, California, and elsewhere.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/state-watch-061526/
FDA OKs Sanofi's Teplizumab To Help Treat Stage 3 Diabetes In Kids
FDA OKs Sanofi's Teplizumab To Help Treat Stage 3 Diabetes In Kids
The FDA expanded its approval of the drug for children 8 and older who have stage 3 diabetes. Teplizumab was created to delay the progression of Type 1 diabetes. The former acting director for the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research worried that the drug’s benefits did not outweigh its risks, Stat reports. Also in the news: drug shortages; new GLP-1 drugs; remote patient monitoring; and more.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/pharmaceuticals-061526/
Poison Center Calls For Benadryl Surge Among Teens Amid Social Media Challenge
Poison Center Calls For Benadryl Surge Among Teens Amid Social Media Challenge
Through May of this year, poison centers received 6,179 calls involving diphenhydramine — the active ingredient in Benadryl — among people ages 13 to 19. It is more than double the number reported during the same period in 2025, ABC News reports. Other public health news is on nicotine pouches, a formula recall, ticks, and more.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/public-health-061526/
CDC: US Measles Cases Reach 2,073, With Virginia As A New Hot Spot
CDC: US Measles Cases Reach 2,073, With Virginia As A New Hot Spot
Meanwhile, across the country, the San Francisco Chronicle reports on a measles case in Santa Clara County as thousands of World Cup soccer fans descend on the area. Also in the news: New World screwworm, hantavirus, Ebola, and more.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/outbreaks-and-health-threats-061526/
Safety Accreditors Face Stricter Standards, More Monitoring Under CMS Rule
Safety Accreditors Face Stricter Standards, More Monitoring Under CMS Rule
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released its final rule late last week, aimed at toughening up oversight from organizations that accredit the safety and health of Medicare and Medicaid providers and suppliers.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/administration-news-061526/
Judge Blocks Shortened ACA Enrollment Period
Judge Blocks Shortened ACA Enrollment Period
Judge Brendan Hurson also blocked the implementation of eligibility checks ahead of special enrollment periods, Modern Healthcare reports. Also: Axios forecasts pent-up demand for weight loss drugs as Medicare prepares to roll out a new coverage program.
https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/healthcare-costs-061526/
Long-Awaited Rule Aims To Boost ACA Choices While Embracing Higher Deductibles By Julie Appleby June 15, 2026
https://kffhealthnews.org/insurance/affordable-care-act-rule-more-choices-higher-deductibles/
The Affordable Care Act seems to always be in a policy tug-of-war as its backers and critics spar over how it should work and who can qualify for coverage. This year is no different, with the Trump administration embracing standards it says will reduce fraud as well as steps that could further erode national enrollment.
They’re Uninsured After Obamacare Became Too Costly. And They’re Far From Alone. By Andrew Jones June 15, 2026
They’re Uninsured After Obamacare Became Too Costly. And They’re Far From Alone.
Some families have decided the price is too great of a financial burden and canceled their coverage.
https://kffhealthnews.org/insurance/uninsured-obamacare-affordable-care-act-aca-canceled-coverage-north-carolina/
Orange You Glad You Used the Right Form? June 15, 2026 By Sara W. Koblitz —
https://www.thefdalawblog.com/2026/06/orange-you-glad-you-used-the-right-form/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=orange-you-glad-you-used-the-right-form
Listing patent information in the Orange Book is one of the most important things you can do as an innovator sponsor to ensure that your property rights are respected. And, of course, it’s statutorily required. So that makes the new guidance FDA just issued on how to list your patents in the Orange Book—or rather how to properly fill out Forms 3542a and 3542—pretty important. It’s not groundbreaking stuff if you’re familiar with the forms, but the submission is complicated when you’re not experienced with it. This guidance serves to simplify it.
How a diabetes conference sparked a controversy A STAT reporter’s account of an unsettling crackdown on free speech at the annual meeting in New Orleans.
https://www.statnews.com/2026/06/12/ada-convention-controversy-explored-status-report-alex-hogan/
By Alex HoganJune 12, 2026
Senior Multimedia Producer
At hospital finance conference, a call to end the friction that’s keeping costs high Affordability was a major theme, but the price of medical care was rarely mentioned
https://www.statnews.com/2026/06/12/hfma-conference-healthcare-affordability-revenue-cycle-vendors/
By Tara BannowJune 12, 2026
Hospitals and Insurance Reporter
I’ve spent 40 years in research. I have never seen a threat to science like the new grantmaking rule A proposed rule from the Office of Management and Budget would add political scrutiny to science
https://www.statnews.com/2026/06/12/omb-grantmaking-rule-uniform-guidance-politics-science/
By David J. SkortonJune 12, 2026
Skorton is president and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Trump administration revisits policy to close Medicare drug price negotiation loophole The administration says its proposal maintains program integrity. Drugmakers say it would discourage them from improving drugs
https://www.statnews.com/2026/06/12/medicare-drug-price-negotiation-loophole-proposed-rule/
By John WilkersonJune 12, 2026
Washington Correspondent
As states follow Trump’s Medicaid fraud playbook, people with disabilities struggle to find care Disability advocates say these actions are straining a home care industry already at its breaking point
https://www.statnews.com/2026/06/15/medicaid-caregivers-state-pay-people-with-disabilities/
By O. Rose BroderickJune 15, 2026
Disability in Health Care Reporting Fellow
State Medicaid crackdowns strain home care industry
Over the past few months, the Trump administration has directed major attention and resources to a campaign against health care fraud. Now, some states are beginning to follow the same playbook. In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine (R) is expected to sign a bill tightening restrictions on who receives Medicaid-funded care along with who can provide it — all in a bid to curb fraud.
Disability advocates say these actions are adding more strain to a home care industry already at its breaking point. “I would rather die in my own bed than ever go back to a nursing home again,” Jennifer Kucera, an Ohio resident with spinal muscular atrophy, told STAT’s O. Rose Broderick. Kucera needs around-the-clock care from Medicaid-funded providers to help her bathe, dress, and otherwise navigate her life. But she’s worried about the availability of home care providers and the looming possibility of being forced to live in a home.
WHO director-general is profoundly concerned after visit to Ebola outbreak area Amid warring factions, hunger, other diseases, DRC residents see Ebola as ‘a lesser evil’
https://www.statnews.com/2026/06/13/who-director-general-in-drc-war-greater-concern-than-ebola/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--A01PC6FzO_bSeGuVE3XgWiEwr_l0R-mJjC3_QugmJhKNNeRuv0aDj__g7s4VlQ46l3uQ5BzkLwzEywvC9cprDAWPi6w&_hsmi=423738578&utm_content=423738578&utm_source=hs_email
‘I’m really worried’: WHO leader on Ebola, war, and politics
With at least 708 confirmed cases and 141 deaths, the Ebola outbreak centered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is already the third largest on record. In less than a month, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has been to the affected area twice. He’s profoundly worried about the outbreak, but community leaders and people on the ground told him there are other, bigger concerns facing residents.
“Why would they care about Ebola when they're dying more because of other problems, whether it's health problems or conflict?” Tedros told STAT’s Helen Branswell in a rare one-on-one interview. “They actually wonder why we are serious about Ebola and not the rest of their suffering.” I highly recommend you read this tough, honest conversation.
By Helen BranswellJune 13, 2026
Infectious Diseases Correspondent
One California politician’s unexpected crusade against ultra-processed food Jesse Gabriel has grabbed national headlines by cracking down on ultra-processed foods. The issue, he says, was “not on my dance card.”
https://www.statnews.com/2026/06/15/jesse-gabriel-ultra-processed-food-california-laws-national-impact/
By Sarah ToddJune 15, 2026
Reporter, Commercial Determinants of Health
Jesse Gabriel, a California lawmaker representing the western San Fernando Valley, never expected ultra-processed food to become one of his signature issues. But in the last few years, he’s emerged as a national leader building public health policies to regulate the ingredients in our food.
In 2023, he introduced a bill prohibiting the use of four additives that have been linked to higher risk of cancer, reproductive problems, and other health issues. The FDA eventually followed his lead, taking action on all four additives. “People often copy what California does,” Gabriel told STAT’s Sarah Todd. But the federal government has yet to create new laws or regulations that make changes in food production a requirement. As he works on new legislation in the Golden State, he wants to spur similar momentum nationally.
domingo, 14 de junio de 2026
ASPE’s Analysis Of Medicaid Work Requirements: Argument By Assumption Richard G. FrankandSherry Glied June 12, 2026 ++
ASPE’s Analysis Of Medicaid Work Requirements: Argument By Assumption
Richard G. FrankandSherry Glied
June 12, 2026
https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/aspe-s-analysis-medicaid-work-requirements-argument-assumption?utm_campaign=forefront&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-869VZQThymwjRMqFItNgfjRU008-GOIjJoG35uw9PEh1xjlUXg8iHn_qtKGhCu2mgBnWPr3pAh3nQuK7rBdSb440hmHA&_hsmi=423554003&utm_source=hasu
The finding that Medicaid work requirements could reduce poverty by 1.6 to 2.9 million people, rather than representing their likely impact, stems from an unwarranted assumption: If millions of beneficiaries newly obtain work, poverty would decline by a corresponding amount.
Will The ACOG Finally Address The Stillbirth Crisis—Or Continue To Stand On The Sidelines?
Ann O’Neill,Samantha Banerjee,andHelen Raleigh
June 12, 2026
https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/acog-finally-address-stillbirth-crisis-continue-stand-sidelines?utm_campaign=forefront&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--2IyF5F8s5oeETAtdcTBVyRbUSAjb4JtE0wvwAyLNg2ey4G4QQxchHJLobuD5zD_nTpNkjs_TsDbcgQx19X50PBnuBYw&_hsmi=423554003&utm_source=hasu
If any institution can bend the curve on preventable stillbirth, it is the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Yet, despite clear evidence and successful state initiatives, the ACOG has been frustratingly slow to revise its clinical guidelines.
Why New Drugs And AI Chatbots Won’t Cure Health Care’s Cost Disease Soleil Shah,Suhas Gondi,andNiyum Gandhi June 11, 2026
https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/why-new-drugs-and-ai-chatbots-won-t-cure-health-care-s-cost-disease?utm_campaign=forefront&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--1aLCtwKdTXCjDsNDglDm-1K35fiXhx8bL2twka2O_1LpCb6GktvmC-Lq8DegANxRLhjb1D2M4LZSIAZvkCZjLHnMq1A&_hsmi=423554003&utm_source=hasu
The classic cost-disease cure is to “productize” what used to be a service by substituting scalable goods. But in health care, the opportunity lies not in replacing services with goods but in raising productivity across labor-intensive workflows.
Lessons From TAVR For Medicare’s ‘Coverage With Evidence Development’ Program Pei-Jung Lin,Sean R. Tunis,andPeter J. Neumann June 11, 202
https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/lessons-tavr-medicare-s-coverage-evidence-development-program?utm_campaign=forefront&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_SIKFTPf4MBkJ2kanRONZ0lXVGFZ7v0pClxGy0SQOslMQ5QTulC0UNVintU_NZLqEuR6r3VvKu_zjM6dZpJFOjsff3DQ&_hsmi=423554003&utm_source=hasu
Policymakers should preserve the achievements of the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement registry while recognizing that ongoing evidence generation does not require a permanent mandate.
Suing The Scorecard Won’t Improve Hospital Safety Barak D. RichmanandRobert M. Kaplan June 10, 2026
https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/suing-scorecard-won-t-improve-hospital-safety?utm_campaign=forefront&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8xpvcf4thAm-BBXftcd2rQOb0kuqz0-nAyVKQa9V9nshnfVArMCx5xDny_tHpL4XN2tvhm4lj8zGeuGqR2BQ6-A-OsFQ&_hsmi=423554003&utm_source=hasu
Hospitals that received poor grades did not respond with a pledge to improve quality; instead, they sued the messenger. They also invoked a consumer protection statute to silence a consumer advocate. That inversion should give policymakers pause.
Hospital Safety Grades Aren’t Keeping Up With Technology. Here’s What They Need To Measure Next Eric Leroux June 10, 2026
https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/hospital-safety-grades-aren-t-keeping-up-technology-here-s-they-need-measure-next?utm_campaign=forefront&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--9jr_EP-CUcWUeimlG_IuCfpX5sse7cGd_ncB-d_vHpkDxQtsaK9ORAbOb6xAZc3_JiIU9mhmGsIs1okM2v2yimqoykw&_hsmi=423554003&utm_source=hasu
We should keep grading hospitals. We must also imagine measurement structures as intelligent as the systems they evaluate.
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