sábado, 31 de enero de 2026

Priority Without Progress: the FDA’s Neglected Tropical Disease Voucher Program After 18 Years

https://academic.oup.com/healthaffairsscholar/advance-article/doi/10.1093/haschl/qxag024/8444463?rss=1&login=false

Mandated Perinatal Mental Health Screening in California: A Mixed-Methods Exploration

https://academic.oup.com/healthaffairsscholar/advance-article/doi/10.1093/haschl/qxag021/8444423?rss=1&login=false

Balancing Investment And Oversight: A Legislative Framework For Health Care Acquisitions Richard K. Leuchter Thom Walsh January 29, 2026

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/balancing-investment-and-oversight-legislative-framework-health-care-acquisitions Private equity (PE) investment has been a lightning rod for debates over rising health care costs, workforce instability, and declining quality. However, a frequently misunderstood point is that the mere presence of PE investment is not necessarily problematic. Rather, it is a handful of specific investment practices that lead to harm in the health care ecosystem, and thoughtfully designed legislative initiatives may act as guardrails while still allowing some of the benefits that private investment affords.

Before The Next Pandemic: Will We Learn Lessons From The COVID-19 Vaccine Response? Bruce Gellin January 30, 2026

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/before-next-pandemic-we-learn-lessons-covid-19-vaccine-response In the wake of the COVID pandemic, at a time when the US vaccine ecosystem is being systematically dismantled by HHS Secretary RFK, Jr and his acolytes, and when equity has become a four letter word, Seth Berkely’s Fair Doses: An Insider’s Story of the Pandemic and the Global Fight for Vaccine Equity makes a plea to play fair the next time a pandemic strikes. His work -- part memoir, part history, part cautionary tale, and, overall, a call to action -- tells the story of COVAX, the largest and most complex emergency response in the history of global health. Beyond his telling of the stories that shaped COVAX, Berkely offers his take on what we need to get right (or at least get better) during the next pandemic. Fair Doses is a story that takes place at the intersection of science, politics, and human behavior.

A Personal Remembrance Of Stuart Altman David Shactman January 29, 2026

With Stuart Altman’s death on January 1, 2026, the health policy community has lost a giant. For over five decades, Stuart was a preeminent figure in American health care. Perhaps no other individual has contributed so much for so long. And Stuart did it with grace and humor in ways that endeared him to people across the political spectrum. https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/personal-remembrance-stuart-altman

A Voice Of Calm Amidst The AI Hype Storm Jeff C. Goldsmith January 30, 2026

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/voice-calm-amidst-ai-hype-storm

New Federal Student Loan Cap Will Worsen The Nursing Workforce Shortage Kelseanne Breder January 30, 2026

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/new-federal-student-loan-cap-worsen-nursing-workforce-shortage Every year I teach brilliant students—former musicians, teachers, lawyers, veterans—who have decided to change careers and become nurses. They come to nursing for emotionally meaningful, intellectually demanding work serving patients and the public.

Health Affairs Starts New Chapter As 'Health Affairs Publishing' Donald E. Metz Jane Hiebert-White Vabren Watts Emily Zeigenfuse January 27, 2026

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/health-affairs-starts-new-chapter-health-affairs-publishing For more than four decades, Health Affairs has stood as a trusted, nonpartisan voice in health policy, serving as an essential forum for rigorous analysis and informed debate. Established in 1981, the journal has grown far beyond its original mission, becoming one of the most influential resources for health policy leaders, researchers, and practitioners worldwide.

Digital Inclusion Pathways To Health Equity Amy R. Sheon Elaine C. Khoong

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/briefs/digital-inclusion-pathways-health-equity Digital inclusion strategies are essential to ensure that digital health technology advances, rather than undermines, health equity. Although recent policy rollbacks have slowed the digital inclusion momentum built during the pandemic, policy makers and health systems have many opportunities to sustain and extend health equity gains from the continuing digital health transformation. January 22, 2026

Podcast: US Health Care Spending 2009–2019: What Changed? (Sherry Glied) Rob Lott Sherry Glied January 13, 2026

https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hp20260109.859125/full/?utm_campaign=podcast&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_MYpbio48lHrG_hLL2P3DXCJOy84LkVvUXOQssn60ZnyAHRnj0CI6Wm0RvRNfABrEzqeA4w8hvj-MY8Q13AQsvHEcrfQ&_hsmi=401282012&utm_content=ahp&utm_source=well%20read

Podcast: It's Not the Prices, Stupid. Michael Chernew on US Health Expenditures Jeff Byers Michael E. Chernew January 16, 2026

https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hp20260115.905305/full/?utm_campaign=podcast&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8xcFFj-kR9xA_-qzmB21YesfqaexoKPZsQ1SkV69n8AUoEV1mRVYKEnhU9mvc1ft94ODThcQRARqCUU3o0SL1RI_x7xw&_hsmi=401282012&utm_content=hatw&utm_source=well%20read

National Health Care Spending Increased 7.2 Percent In 2024 As Utilization Remained Elevated Micah Hartman, Anne B. Martin, David Lassman, Aaron Catlin

https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2025.01683?utm_campaign=february%202026%20issue&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_XSpXkK2juMXnou1bwc7TQ26HxTXTAisnJ9JNQBdDlRE8Leu9N3F-J1M_shcMEImMJUUEXYE7FBnFzKDtl6wZFld8fDQ&_hsmi=401282012&utm_content=ahead%20of%20print&utm_source=well%20read Health care spending in the US reached $5.3 trillion and increased 7.2 percent in 2024, similar to growth of 7.4 percent in 2023, as increased demand for health care influenced this two-year trend. As in 2023, the use and intensity of health care goods and services continued to grow rapidly in 2024, particularly for hospital care, physician and clinical services, and retail prescription drugs. The insured share of the population remained relatively high in 2024, at 91.8 percent, after its peak in 2023 of 92.5 percent. Health care spending growth continued to outpace overall economic growth in 2024, and as a result, the health care share of the economy increased from 17.7 percent in 2023 to 18.0 percent in 2024.

Health Policy At A Crossroads: What To Watch In 2026 Katie Keith January 20, 2026

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/health-policy-crossroads-watch-2026 This article is the latest in the Health Affairs Forefront featured topic, “Health Policy at a Crossroads,” produced with the support of the Commonwealth Fund and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Articles in this topic offer timely analysis of regulatory, legislative, and judicial developments in health policy under the Trump-Vance Administration and the 119th Congress.

Growth In National Health Expenditures: It’s Not The Prices, Stupid Michael E. Chernew January 15, 2026

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/growth-national-health-expenditures-s-not-prices-stupid?utm_campaign=forefront&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8wsIKroxOVzqCC8M7TmXazgO4WktnW3ZY900Q7yp1tdRugR9V7SLIy2lUxh0PUF0U6bvMocoxsEFmguu3alsaBbf862A&_hsmi=401282012&utm_source=well%20read Yesterday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released the latest data on national health expenditures (NHE). The headline number, 7.2 percent growth in 2024, is concerning but hardly a surprise. It follows 7.4 percent growth in 2023. This rate of NHE growth is not sustainable. It exceeds general inflation and growth in the gross domestic product (GDP), pushing the share if GDP devoted to health care spending to 18 percent in 2024; the share of GDP devoted to health care is projected to rise to 20.3 percent by 2033. In fact, these figures may be an underestimate of the fiscal burden of the health care system because spending on some things, such as employer administrative costs, are not captured.

Stop Pretending Pharmacists Can’t Meet Primary Care Needs Steven N. Leonard January 12, 2026

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/stop-pretending-pharmacists-can-t-meet-primary-care-needs?utm_campaign=forefront&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8UvttOYgXe37M1BOPTn2122OWB2vdtK5OgU5L5YZ8X-O1kSSDyWyUxmxicDBQyhHT7uQ5prjpCZ5dgk0hn0ZoggxK_mQ&_hsmi=401282012&utm_source=well+read Primary care is in crisis. Physicians are drowning in chronic disease management, working impossible hours for the lowest compensation among their peers. The New England Journal of Medicine recently explored this crisis in depth—the hierarchy within medicine, the impossible workload, the burnout. It paints a picture of a system we know is fundamentally flawed and unsustainable. But the essay has a glaring blind spot: It never questions organized medicine’s role in perpetuating the very crisis it laments.

When Safety-Net Programs Compete: Medicaid, 340B, And The Battle Over Drug Discounts Sayeh Nikpay, Mikayla Reinke, and Elizabeth Watts

https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/abs/10.1377/hlthaff.2025.00652?utm_campaign=january+2026+issue&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--DBlwQXNZEIk0GZ3IQz_NXgWDuzm6JwuYLH1udN-flatbP_7E3eySGQYE7thIblXJwtZHqCjUUuGZRWhIy6BsQudZo6A&_hsmi=401282012&utm_source=well+read&journalCode=hlthaff The Medicaid Drug Rebate Program and the 340B Drug Pricing Program are generally understood as separate efforts to promote drug affordability—one by directly subsidizing low-income patients through insurance coverage (Medicaid) and the other by indirectly subsidizing safety-net clinics and hospitals (340B). Yet they interact in ways that can unintentionally raise costs for Medicaid. This Policy Insight examines how this interaction occurs, introduces two policy strategies to mitigate the interaction, and summarizes the use of these strategies across states as of 2024. We conclude with recommendations for how policy makers can weigh the costs and benefits of states’ efforts to preserve Medicaid savings against lost revenue for 340B-participating organizations.

Anatomy Of A Slowdown: Decomposing The Moderation In Health Spending Growth, 2009–19 Sherry A. Glied and Brendan Lui

https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2025.00472?utm_campaign=january%202026%20issue&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--zScHzRVw09NuWeSf3dFCafA2Q9564bvlmNiv-B_1Bx7tSPBELAmFRguJPpxm0yRy5G1OVeqcwfzpARS0DjA5eHV1KnA&_hsmi=401282012&utm_source=well%20read National health expenditure growth between 2009 and 2019 slowed to less than half the historical rate of growth seen between 1970 and 2008. To identify why, we gathered actuarial projections of the fiscal effects of policies implemented between 2009 and 2019, netted these out from the 2009 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services baseline projections of national health expenditures, and decomposed the residual differences by payer and service to shed light on the spending slowdown. We identified four trends that contributed to spending growth below the baseline projections: declining utilization and substitution of lower-cost alternatives across hospitals, physicians, and pharmaceuticals; slow private hospital and physician price growth and the expanding scope of practice of nonphysicians in office-based settings; declining home health use among the oldest Medicaid beneficiaries; and slow growth in private insurers’ administrative spending. Our results raise questions about several of the assumptions that underlay previous forecasts of future health care spending.

The AI Arms Race In Health Insurance Utilization Review: Promises Of Efficiency And Risks Of Supercharged Flaws Michelle M. Mello, Artem A. Trotsyuk, Abdoul Jalil Djiberou Mahamadou, and Danton Char

https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2025.00897?utm_campaign=january+2026+issue&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8Civtzgjg9BXL7tTzSqP26FoRnzUAxkEhMpJSDU4uih_rEZXCsP9COXHmu3okqGjtBazoCQ5Rkljz87855PKtRg0EYyQ&_hsmi=401282012&utm_source=well+read Health insurers and health care provider organizations are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) tools in prior authorization and claims processes. AI offers many potential benefits, but its adoption has raised concerns about the role of the “humans in the loop,” users’ understanding of AI, opacity of algorithmic determinations, underperformance in certain tasks, automation bias, and unintended social consequences. To date, institutional governance by insurers and providers has not fully met the challenge of ensuring responsible use. However, several steps could be taken to help realize the benefits of AI use while minimizing risks. Drawing on empirical work on AI use and our own ethical assessments of provider-facing tools as part of the AI governance process at Stanford Health Care, we examine why utilization review has attracted so much AI innovation and why it is challenging to ensure responsible use of AI. We conclude with several steps that could be taken to help realize the benefits of AI use while minimizing risks.

FDA Grand Rounds – Postmarket Regulation of Cosmetic Products: The Who, What, When, Why and How Thursday, February 5, 2026 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. ET

https://www.fda.gov/science-research/about-science-research-fda/fda-grand-rounds?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Quality Management System Regulation (QMSR)

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/postmarket-requirements-devices/quality-management-system-regulation-qmsr?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery FDA implements QMSR: Medical device inspections to be conducted under an updated process On February 2, 2026, the FDA will begin implementing the Quality Management System Regulation (QMSR), which amends the Quality System Regulation (21 CFR Part 820). The FDA will discontinue use of the Quality System Inspection Technique (QSIT) for medical device inspections and will instead conduct inspections using the process described in the updated Inspection of Medical Device Manufacturers Compliance Program (CP 7382.850). As of February 2, 2026, the FDA will no longer use Inspection of Medical Device Manufacturers (CP 7382.845) or Medical Device PMA Preapproval and PMA Postmarket Inspections (CP 7383.001). This action is part of implementing the amendments to 21 CFR Part 820, the Quality Management System Regulation. The action continues the FDA’s efforts to align its regulatory framework with that used by other regulatory authorities to promote consistency in the regulation of devices and provide timelier introduction of safe, effective, high-quality devices for patients. https://www.fda.gov/media/80195/download?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

viernes, 30 de enero de 2026

Viewpoint: Do Big Pharma and doctors collect big bucks ‘peddling’ vaccines? Elana Pearl BenJoseph, Jen Covich Bordenick, Jess Steier et al. | January 30, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/01/30/viewpoint-do-big-pharma-and-doctors-collect-big-bucks-peddling-vaccines/

7 pediatric bioethicists: Proposed ban on Medicaid funding for hospitals providing gender-affirming care for minors is deeply unethical Decisions on gender-affirming care should rest with patients, families, and clinicians

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/30/gender-affirming-care-why-experts-oppose-proposed-ban/ By Ian D. Wolfe, Rafael Escandon, Meredithe McNamara, Sabrina Derrington, Emily Berkman, Amy Caruso Brown, and Alyssa BurgartJan. 30, 2026 The authors are bioethicists.

The food nationalism of the new dietary guidelines The new food pyramid’s limited view of the ‘American’ diet dismisses the meals I grew up with

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/30/new-food-pyramid-american-diet-immigrants/ By Vishal KhetpalJan. 30, 2026 Khetpal is a fellow in cardiovascular disease and writes the STAT column The Workup.

Trump’s addiction initiative brings bold rhetoric but few details Effort appears to duplicate existing White House drug policy office By Lev FacherJan. 29, 2026 Addiction Reporter

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/29/new-trump-addiction-initiative-light-on-details/

How direct-to-consumer health tests could impact insurance, mortgages, and employment Sensitive health data generated by these tests aren’t always protected under federal privacy laws

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/30/direct-to-consumer-health-tests-face-patient-privacy-questions/ By Mohana RavindranathJan. 30, 2026 In this series of stories, Ravindranath, a 2025 Association of Health Care Journalists fellow, takes a closer look at the growing trend of patients ordering their own lab tests and MRIs, and how that’s impacting health care.

Tenuous biomedical funding has put first-year Ph.D. students in a bind Worried about the future, labs are turning away students looking for a research home By Jonathan WosenJan. 30, 2026

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/30/first-year-phd-students-squeezed-tighter-research-funding/

Abortion Pill Safety Decisions by FDA Were Science-Based, New JAMA Study Finds Irving Washington , Hagere Yilma , and Joel Luther

https://www.kff.org/health-information-trust/abortion-pill-safety-decisions-by-fda-were-science-based-new-jama-study-finds/?utm_campaign=22234741-KFF-Information-Trust&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--J5trWbv4WnoBTry9UA4Lqe-XaMhdtcXk35rVeg1d-timF1Df_d0StqIlMK4DHdZlCsBIhbKRLQNEcgY8Wul81EdTPuQ&_hsmi=401049416&utm_content=401049416&utm_source=hs_email A new study found that Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decisions about the abortion pill mifepristone consistently followed scientific evidence, even as misleading claims about the drug’s safety continue to shape public understanding. And Google removed some health AI summaries after a Guardian investigation reported that AI-generated summaries for search results about multiple health topics, including cancer screening, liver disease, and mental health conditions, shared false and potentially dangerous health information. While the full extent of inaccurate health information in these AI-generated summaries is unclear, patient advocacy organizations described the examples as “dangerous” and “alarming.”

The Trump Administration’s Latest Expansion of the Mexico City Policy: A Funding Analysis Authors: Kellie Moss, Jennifer Kates, Anna Rouw, and Stephanie Oum Published: Jan 28, 2026

https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/the-trump-administrations-latest-expansion-of-the-mexico-city-policy-a-funding-analysis/?utm_campaign=KFF-Global-Health-Policy&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_18qJTrcDGu48AzUwxm73Elu9Fa5RT1KQ24KmnHhoWgDBLBeVF6lXrQ46cOzZFsYTfgf7Dyr4c7KP4UjDIRfNOEo4xOw&_hsmi=401039135&utm_content=401039135&utm_source=hs_email Nearly $40 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid Could Be Subject to Mexico City Policy Expansion Following the Trump administration’s release of an expanded Mexico City Policy (MCP) on January 23 (as part of its new Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance Policy (PHFFA), a new KFF analysis reveals that nearly $40 billion in U.S. foreign aid, spanning 160 countries, could be subject to the latest expansion. Notably, this figure is tens of billions more than the amount of global assistance subject to the policy under the previous Trump administration (about $7.3 billion in FY 2020) and significantly more than the amount of family planning assistance subject to the policy during earlier administrations (between $300-600 million). The analysis examines U.S. government foreign assistance obligations data for FY 2024 (the most recent year for which complete obligations data by sector are available) to quantify the amount of funding and the number and types of prime recipients that could be affected. The MCP had restricted foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from performing or promoting abortion as a method of family planning as a condition of receiving most U.S. global health aid. The PHFFA has broadened the MCP significantly to include more organizations (not just foreign NGOs) and most non-military U.S. foreign aid, resulting in more foreign aid being subject to the policy. In addition, the policy now prohibits activities related to diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as support for gender-affirming care and services, and legal protections based on gender identity, among other activities. https://www.kff.org/event/abortion-policy-on-the-global-stage-unpacking-the-trump-administrations-newly-expanded-mexico-city-policy/?utm_campaign=KFF-Global-Health-Policy&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-82OxjCbcEgvAMvj_4rOWj6aUkLTiXmN0LilKRaiaEfsxd37Qh2X9U5JtKK99VQR_a5qFOimJxVVt3ulroVg6P9kS1a8Q&_hsmi=401039135&utm_content=401039135&utm_source=hs_email

Viewpoints: Medicaid Ban Will Harm Hospitals And Transgender Youth; The H-1B Hiring Pause Is Bad For Patients

https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/viewpoints-medicaid-ban-will-harm-hospitals-and-transgender-youth-the-h-1b-hiring-pause-is-bad-for-patients/

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 on lung transplants, male birth control, a power struggle at the NIH, and more. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/longer-looks-interesting-reads-you-might-have-missed-249/

Nurse’s Death Looms Large As Senators Make Last Attempts To Avoid Shutdown

Nurse’s Death Looms Large As Senators Make Last Attempts To Avoid Shutdown The Senate will reconvene at 11 a.m. Friday to see if they can reach an agreement, ABC News reported. Modern Healthcare explains how health care would be affected if no deal is reached before Saturday. Plus: Nurses across the U.S. hold vigils for slain Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/nurses-death-looms-large-as-senators-make-last-attempts-to-avoid-shutdown/

Trump Unveils Plan To Prevent Drug Use, Boost Treatment And Recovery

Trump Unveils Plan To Prevent Drug Use, Boost Treatment And Recovery The president's executive order is intended "to help Americans struggling with all forms of addiction ... get the help and the support they need." Plus, TrumpRx won't launch this month after all. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/trump-unveils-initiative-aimed-at-drug-use-prevention-treatment-recovery/

Finalized CMS Rule Sets Limits On State Provider Taxes Funding Medicaid

Finalized CMS Rule Sets Limits On State Provider Taxes Funding Medicaid The new regulation will crack down on the provider taxes states use to help finance their share of Medicaid spending. CMS is expecting the policy to reduce federal expenditures by $78 billion over the next decade. Also, tech firms are vying to implement Medicaid work requirements; CMS incentivizes hospitals to buy American; and more. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/finalized-cms-rule-sets-limits-on-state-provider-taxes-funding-medicaid/

Covid Exposure In Utero Could Affect Brain Development, Researchers Find

Covid Exposure In Utero Could Affect Brain Development, Researchers Find Scientists investigating the mysteries of SARS-CoV-2 are finding subtle differences in brain structure among babies exposed to the virus before they were born. They say their findings underscore the need for vaccination. Also, a study debunks the theory that covid vaccines affect fertility. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/covid-exposure-in-utero-could-affect-brain-development-researchers-find/

Genetics Play Greater Role In Lifespan Than Previously Thought, Study Shows

Genetics Play Greater Role In Lifespan Than Previously Thought, Study Shows A study published Thursday suggests the genetic contribution to a person's longevity could be as high as 55%, which is in stark contrast to the previously estimated 6% to 33%. Plus: GLP-1s are linked to pancreatitis; a lower risk of amputation for people with diabetes on GLP-1s; B6 toxicity; and more. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/genetics-play-greater-role-in-lifespan-than-previously-thought-study-shows/

Colorado Democrats Move To Update Red Flag Law And Regulate Gun Barrels

Colorado Democrats Move To Update Red Flag Law And Regulate Gun Barrels Democrats in the Colorado legislature have given approval of Senate Bill 4, which would allow behavioral health co-responders to ask a judge to order the removal of an individual’s firearms. Also in the news: Iowa, Texas, Mississippi, Florida, and California. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/colorado-democrats-move-to-update-red-flag-law-and-regulate-gun-barrels/

Blurry Line Between Medical and Vision Insurance Leaves Patient With Unexpected Bill By Tony Leys January 30, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/medicare-advantage-eye-care-wisconsin-bill-of-the-month-january-2026/

‘I Can’t Tell You’: Attorneys, Relatives Struggle To Find Hospitalized ICE Detainees By Claudia Boyd-Barrett Illustration by Oona Zenda January 30, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/ice-immigrants-hospitals-detainees-patients-rights-family-blackout-policies-california/

Improving outcomes for children with serious illness through applied qualitative research Wed, Feb 4, 2026 16:00 - 17:00 GMT

https://stjudeglobal.zoom.us/meeting/register/XVMXsfyYQiqckeZaLIrbVw?utm_campaign=conferencealerts&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-95Tplwb326cGNQ8W3EnX2cWfVuMwXL0TxhJxzE_i6dUuEI2-H9pUObNuGbLPHhAhJDslYXmfksoHLry2YOoCu_8o9a4A&_hsmi=399447336&utm_content=399447336&utm_source=hs_email#/registration

Direct-to-Consumer Drug Program: New OIG Safeguards for Federal Program Enrollees January 30, 2026 By Julie Kim & Jeffrey N. Wasserstein —

https://www.thefdalawblog.com/2026/01/direct-to-consumer-drug-program-new-oig-safeguards-for-federal-program-enrollees/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=direct-to-consumer-drug-program-new-oig-safeguards-for-federal-program-enrollees

jueves, 29 de enero de 2026

The Russians are coming, the Russians are coming: AI is overwhelmed with Russian and anti-Western disinformation David Gilbert | Wired | January 28, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/01/28/the-russians-are-coming-the-russians-are-coming-ai-is-overwhelmed-with-russian-and-anti-western-disinformation/

14 million child study debunks RFK, Jr. and COVID vaccine rejectionists claim that vaccinations were more dangerous than the infection Robin Eveleigh | January 28, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/01/28/14-million-child-study-debunks-rfk-jr-and-covid-vaccine-rejectionists-claim-that-vaccinations-were-more-dangerous-than-the-infection/

The dawn of the era of the AI therapist Becky Ferreira | MIT Technology Review | January 28, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/01/28/the-dawn-of-the-era-of-the-ai-therapist/

Rejecting global science guidance, RFK, Jr.’s vaccine panel chair says polio shots should be optional Apoorva Mandavilli | New York Times | January 29, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/01/29/rejecting-global-science-guidance-rfk-jr-s-vaccine-panel-chair-says-polio-shots-should-be-optional/

Viewpoint: Vaccine skeptics permeating the Trump administration are remaking U.S. health policy—for the worse Rachana Pradhan | January 28, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/01/28/viewpoint-vaccine-skeptics-and-deniers-permeate-the-trump-administration-and-are-remaking-u-s-health-policy/?mc_cid=7b85be64d7&mc_eid=b73600b7ac

Trump administration signals there’s widespread desire to curb Medicare Advantage Health insurers panicked, but policy experts and even some in the industry believe proposals are ‘reasonable’

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/28/medicare-advantage-insurer-pay-new-rules-target-upcoding/ By Bob HermanJan. 28, 2026 Business of Health Care Reporter

Medicare proposes new transplant system rules that might spur use of less-than-perfect organs CMS says rules would strengthen its oversight of organ procurement organizations

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/28/medicare-proposes-new-transplant-system-rules-organs/ By Associated PressJan. 28, 2026

AI biotech founded by ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt is raising $150 million Hologen, which uses AI to optimize late-stage clinical trials, has ambitious financial goals

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/28/hologen-ai-biotech-startup-series-a-fundraise/ By Brittany TrangJan. 28, 2026 Health Tech Reporter

HHS appoints 21 new members to federal autism advisory committee Many have questioned established science that vaccines do not cause autism

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/28/kennedy-names-new-autism-advisors-advocates-alarmed-vaccine-skeptics/ By O. Rose BroderickJan. 28, 2026 Disability in Health Care Reporting Fellow

DeepMind releases AlphaGenome source code, aiming to improve its AI predictions of gene regulation Nearly 3,000 scientists have started using it to advance disease research in past seven months

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/28/deepmind-opens-alphagenome-source-code/ By Megan MolteniJan. 28, 2026 Science Writer

Artificial Intelligence on Trial: Who’s Liable When Clinical Algorithms Go Wrong? Carla Cantor January 29, 2026

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/artificial-intelligence-trial-whos-liable-when-clinical-2026a10002tk

Morning Briefing: Today's News Summaries Thursday, Jan 29 2026 9:00 AM +++ +++ ++

Morning Briefing: Today's News Summaries Thursday, Jan 29 2026 9:00 AM Americans' Biggest Pocketbook Worry Is The Cost Of Health Care, Poll Reveals Health care ranks higher on the list of concerns than the cost of groceries and housing, and voters say the cost of health care will affect their election choices in November. Also: Affordable Care Act enrollment drops by more than a million people following the expiration of federal subsidies. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/americans-biggest-pocketbook-worry-is-the-cost-of-health-care-poll-reveals/ Autism Council Stacked With Panelists Who Question Vaccine Safety The makeup of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee has raised alarms among advocates over the imbalance of the committee, specifically the lack of scientists. Plus, the U.S. is imploring Gavi, the vaccine alliance, to stop including thimerosal in multidose shots used in other countries. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/autism-council-stacked-with-panelists-who-question-vaccine-safety/ HHS Rule Reversal Leaves Access To Abortion Drugs Up To Pharmacists Overturning the Biden-era rule means that pharmacists can now refuse to stock or dispense the medication abortion drugs mifepristone, misoprostol, and methotrexate without losing federal funding. Methotrexate is also used to treat ectopic pregnancies and autoimmune disorders https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/hhs-rule-reversal-leaves-access-to-abortion-drugs-up-to-pharmacists/ Government Shutdown Is Days Away Amid Impasse Over DHS Funding In the wake of the slaying of VA nurse Alex Pretti, Democrats want to see either Homeland Security funding separated from the larger appropriations bill or congressional measures to rein in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Republicans do not want to split the funding bill. If the measure does not pass, nonessential work at Health and Human Services would stop come Saturday. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/government-shutdown-is-days-away-amid-impasse-over-dhs-funding/ Walmart Invests In Pharmacy Workers, Raises Pay As Clinics Lose Popularity Axios reports how Walmart's approach comes at a time when its major competitors are cutting back hours and closing pharmacies across the U.S. Millions of Americans prefer to use pharmacies over clinics, with 75% of Walmart's testing-and-treatment visits happening outside normal business hours. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/walmart-invests-in-pharmacy-workers-raises-pay-as-clinics-lose-popularity/ US Life Expectancy Hits Record High Thanks To Drop In Overdose Deaths CDC data for 2024 shows the life expectancy at birth for the average American to be 79, up 0.6 years from 2023. Other public health news is on U.S. obesity, the health effects of traditional sleep-wake schedules, and more. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/us-life-expectancy-hits-record-high-thanks-to-drop-in-overdose-deaths/ Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of health policy studies and briefs. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/research-roundup-the-latest-science-discoveries-and-breakthroughs-53/ Viewpoints: When Insurance Drops Doctors, Patients Suffer; Why I Trusted ChatGPT Health With My Medical Data https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-briefing/thursday-january-29-2026/

Abortion Pill Safety Decisions by FDA Were Science-Based, New JAMA Study Finds Irving Washington , Hagere Yilma , and Joel Luther

https://www.kff.org/health-information-trust/abortion-pill-safety-decisions-by-fda-were-science-based-new-jama-study-finds/ A new study found that Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decisions about the abortion pill mifepristone consistently followed scientific evidence, even as misleading claims about the drug’s safety continue to shape public understanding. And Google removed some health AI summaries after a Guardian investigation reported that AI-generated summaries for search results about multiple health topics, including cancer screening, liver disease, and mental health conditions, shared false and potentially dangerous health information. While the full extent of inaccurate health information in these AI-generated summaries is unclear, patient advocacy organizations described the examples as “dangerous” and “alarming.”

KFF Health Tracking Poll: Health Care Costs, Expiring ACA Tax Credits, and the 2026 Midterms Authors: Shannon Schumacher, Audrey Kearney, Mardet Mulugeta, Isabelle Valdes, Ashley Kirzinger, and Liz Hamel Published: Jan 29, 2026

https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/kff-health-tracking-poll-health-care-costs-expiring-aca-tax-credits-and-the-2026-midterms/?utm_campaign=KFF-Polling-Surveys&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8cF5n_FJ_RGNDcXbxEIymqp8zxsPA4uLTsQNhU-zXIu41Qtzvwfj71v8fCSwV-ylknVdVfXoB9fEv0K61rKbGmEkAUCg&_hsmi=401038841&utm_content=401038841&utm_source=hs_email Health Care Costs Tops the Public’s Economic Worries as the Runup to the Midterms Begins; Independent Voters Are More Likely to Trust Democrats than Republicans on the Issue Two Thirds of Public Say Congress "Did the Wrong Thing" by Not Extending ACA Enhanced Tax Credits, But Republicans Largely Say Congress “Did the Right Thing” Heading into this midterm election year, the cost of health care tops the public’s economic anxieties and more than 4 in 10 voters say the issue will have a major impact on their vote, a new KFF Health Tracking poll finds. Voters, including independents, currently trust Democrats more than Republicans to address the cost of health care and most other health care issues, though neither party has an advantage on addressing the overall cost of living, the poll finds. The poll provides an early look at how the public and voters view health care issues, including costs, following a year of substantial debate and changes. Congress last year enacted major Medicaid changes expected to cut federal spending and increase the number of uninsured and allowed the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced tax credits to expire, sharply increasing the premium payments for most ACA Marketplace enrollees. Across a range of measures, the poll finds significant concerns about health care costs: The public was given a list of household expenses families worry about. A third (32%) say that they are “very worried” about their ability to afford health care for them and their families – more than say the same about affording food and groceries (24%), rent or mortgage (23%), monthly utility bills (22%), or gasoline and other transportation costs (17%). Health care costs are the top economic worry for Democrats, independents, Republicans, and supporters of President Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement. A majority (56%) of the public expect health care costs for their family to become less affordable in the coming year. About 1 in 5 say that their health care costs have increased more quickly than other necessities such as monthly utilities (23%) and food and groceries (21%). Among independent voters, more trust the Democratic Party (35%) than the Republican Party (15%) to address health care costs. Independent voters also give Democrats an advantage over Republicans on Medicaid, the ACA, Medicare, and the cost of prescription drugs, though sizeable shares say they trust neither party. Among all voters, trust in Republicans (30%) is within 5 percentage points of Democrats (35%) on drug prices, an issue President Trump has championed. More than 4 in 10 voters say that health care costs will have a “major impact” both on their decision to vote in the midterm elections (44%) and on which party’s candidates they will support (43%). This includes two thirds of Democrats, more than 4 in 10 independents, and about a fifth of Republicans. “Republicans won the legislative battle to let the enhanced ACA tax credits expire, but that helped make health costs more of an economic worry and voting issue, and Democrats are well positioned to capitalize on that in the midterms,” KFF President and CEO Drew Altman said. Most Continue to View ACA Favorably, But Support Falls Among Republicans After Debate The poll also gauges the public’s views on the ACA after Congress allowed the law’s enhanced tax credits to expire after extensive debate. Two thirds (67%) of the public say that Congress did “the wrong thing” by allowing the tax credits to expire, twice the share (33%) that says Congress did “the right thing.” Large majorities of Democrats (89%) and independents (72%) say that Congress did the wrong thing. While most Republicans (63%) and MAGA supporters (64%) say Congress did the right thing, about a third of each group says that Congress did the wrong thing. Most (58%) of the public continues to hold favorable views of the ACA, though support this month is down 6 percentage points since September (64%). The shift reflects a drop in favorability among Republicans (22% now vs. 36% in September) and among MAGA supporters (16% now vs. 31% in September). Designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at KFF, this survey was conducted January 13-20, 2026, online and by telephone among a nationally representative sample of 1,426 U.S. adults in English and in Spanish. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for the full sample. For results based on other subgroups, the margin of sampling error may be higher. Finding on other topics including prior authorization will be reported separately.

Why I decided to share all my health information with ChatGPT Health I use every tool at my disposal to make sense of the messiness of living with brain cancer

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/29/chatgpt-health-review-privacy-trust/ By Liz SalmiJan. 29, 2026 Salmi is a patient-turned-researcher with the OpenNotes Lab at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a cognitive science student.

ImmunityBio’s Soon-Shiong mischaracterized talks with FDA over cancer drug, sources say The company had expressed shock at the agency’s response to its submission

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/29/immunitybio-soon-shiong-anktiva-bladder-cancer/ By Adam FeuersteinJan. 29, 2026 Senior Writer, Biotech

Do pediatricians make large profits from vaccines? We followed the money

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/29/pediatricians-vaccines-profits-incentives-costs/ By Jess Steier, Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, Jen Covich Bordenick, and David HigginsJan. 29, 2026 Steier is the founder and CEO of Unbiased Science and the executive director of the Center For Unbiased Science and Health. Pearl Ben-Joseph is a pediatrician and chief medical and scientific editor at Unbiased Science. Bordenick is is chief strategy officer at Unbiased Science and deputy director at the Center for Unbiased Science & Health. Higgins is a pediatrician and public health and preventive medicine specialist.

How Opvee, Indivior’s powerful overdose antidote, went bust Flop is unusual victory for harm reduction advocates, who cited expense and risk of withdrawal

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/29/why-opvee-overdose-antidote-failed-harm-reduction-community-opposition/ By Lev FacherJan. 29, 2026 Addiction Reporter

With new vaccine schedule secured, RFK Jr. allies head to statehouses Advocates are seizing the moment to push for looser school requirements and more exemptions

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/29/vaccine-requirements-state-challenges/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8naHc7oSz727x0FUaMtScACTZzjByH_Tb0msF4kCZHw7b74foRZ_lOMdZyq3_sP7ynvGG-Wrj_IME1HqPqeA1mrglK7Q&_hsmi=400975388&utm_content=400975388&utm_source=hs_email By Daniel Payne and Isabella CuetoJan. 29, 2026

Medicare Advantage Insurers Face New Curbs on Overcharges in Trump Plan That Reins in Payments By Fred Schulte January 29, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/medicare-advantage-overcharging-chart-reviews-trump-federal-rate-hike/ KFF Health News: Medicare Advantage Insurers Face New Curbs On Overcharges In Trump Plan That Reins In Payments Medicare Advantage health plans are blasting a government proposal this week that would keep their reimbursement rates flat next year while making other payment changes. But some health policy experts say the plan could help reduce billions of dollars in overcharges that have been common in the program for more than a decade. (Schulte, 1/29)

Her Son’s Injury Never Got Its Day in Vaccine Court. Their Lawyer Is Now Advising RFK on Its Overhaul. By Maia Rosenfeld January 29, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/vicp-vaccine-court-cases-moved-lawsuits-lawyers-merck-hpv-rfk-allies-hhs/ KFF Health News: Her Son’s Injury Never Got Its Day In Vaccine Court. Their Lawyer Is Now Advising RFK On Its Overhaul In 2019, after a routine vaccination, 11-year-old Keithron Thomas felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and down his arm. His mother, Melanie Bostic, thought it would go away after a few days. But days turned to weeks, then months, and years. Bostic learned of a federal program designed to help people who suffer rare vaccine reactions. The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program was created in 1986 after a flood of vaccine injury lawsuits drove drugmakers from the market. ... She then contacted the Carlson Law Firm, which referred her to Arizona-based attorney Andrew Downing — who now serves as a senior adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Rosenfeld, 1/29)

CDRH Annual Reports

https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/cdrh-reports/cdrh-annual-reports?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery The FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health’s (CDRH) mission is to protect and promote public health while supporting timely access to innovative, safe and effective medical devices and safe radiation-emitting products. This includes evaluating devices with innovative medical technologies, supporting manufacturers in delivering high-quality devices, and advancing safety through rigorous oversight. Anchored on the pillars of safety and innovation, the CDRH 2025 annual report highlights the Center’s resilience and sustained performance this past year.

Recordings Available - SBIA | Quality and Regulatory Predictability: Shaping USP Standards

By hosting this workshop, the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM), FDA, and United States Pharmacopeia (USP) aimed to increase stakeholder awareness of, and participation in, the USP standards development process, ultimately contributing to product quality and regulatory predictability throughout the drug development, approval, and product lifecycle. Public quality standards are universally recognized as essential tools that support the design, manufacture, testing, and regulation of drug substances and products. USP standards play a critical role in helping ensure the quality and safety of medicines marketed in the United States and worldwide. This discussion showed how USP public standards strengthen quality, streamline development, support regulatory compliance, and overall, increase regulatory predictability for drugs. Attendees gained insights into the USP standards development process and learned how they can sponsor or participate—via public comment—in the development of future standards. Quality and Regulatory Predictability: Shaping USP Standards December 11, 2025 https://www.fda.gov/drugs/news-events-human-drugs/quality-and-regulatory-predictability-shaping-usp-standards-12112025?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

miércoles, 28 de enero de 2026

15 new drugs added to Medicare price negotiations The medications include cancer drugs, Botox, and treatments for arthritis

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/27/medicare-drug-price-negotiations-third-round-targets-15-drugs/ By John WilkersonJan. 27, 2026 Washington Correspondent

Medicare may start covering multi-cancer early detection tests. It should proceed with caution While MCED tests may be convenient, they’re not a one-stop shop for cancer detection

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/28/multi-cancer-early-detection-tests-medicare-coverage/ By Barbara Levy and Badrinath KonetyJan. 28, 2026 Levy is chief medical officer at Visana Health. Konety is president of Allina Health Cancer Institute and chief medical officer at Astrin Biosciences.

More high-income countries have used compulsory licenses to gain access to meds, study finds The number of licenses pursued by wealthier nations rose significantly between 2005 and 2024

https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2026/01/28/pharma-compulsory-licenses-patents-medicines-wto/ By Ed SilvermanJan. 28, 2026 Pharmalot Columnist, Senior Writer

DeepMind releases AlphaGenome source code, aiming to improve its AI predictions of gene regulation Nearly 3,000 scientists have started using it to advance disease research in past seven months

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/28/deepmind-opens-alphagenome-source-code/ By Megan MolteniJan. 28, 2026 Science Writer

Startup Altido Therapeutics pursues CAR-T for glioblastoma tumors Nick Leschly and Marcela Maus lead effort to meet the ‘need for hope’ for deadly brain cancer

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/28/gene-therapy-nick-leschly-startup-altido-therapeutics-targets-glioblastoma/ By Jason MastJan. 28, 2026 General Assignment Reporter

FDA halts gene therapy trials after brain tumor found in patient One of the impacted rare-disease treatments, for MPS II, had been nearing potential approval By Jason MastJan. 28, 2026 General Assignment Reporter

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/28/fda-halts-regenxbio-gene-therapy-trials/

How ‘gas station drugs’ remain legal An explainer of why there’s a wide array of gray market products alongside motor oil and snacks By Alex HoganJan. 28, 2026 Senior Multimedia Producer

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/28/how-gas-station-drugs-remain-legal/

Why some hospitals are making their own ChatGPTs for patient records Stanford Health Care and Penn Medicine have developed chart chat tools for doctors

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/28/stanford-penn-hospitals-build-electronic-health-record-chatbots/ By Brittany TrangJan. 28, 2026 Health Tech Reporter

General Wellness: Policy for Low Risk Devices Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff January 2026

https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/general-wellness-policy-low-risk-devices?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery U.S. Food and Drug Administration, CDRH Webinars Bookmark and Share Town Hall – General Wellness: Policy for Low Risk Devices, Final Guidance The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will host a town hall for industry and other interested parties to discuss updates to the General Wellness: Policy for Low Risk Devices, Final Guidance, issued on January 6, 2026. This guidance provides clarity to industry and FDA staff on CDRH's policy for low risk products that promote a healthy lifestyle (general wellness products). Dates: February 11, 2026 Time: 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET Registration is not required. Town Hall – General Wellness: Policy for Low Risk Devices, Final Guidance February 11, 2026 https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/medical-devices-news-and-events/town-hall-general-wellness-policy-low-risk-devices-final-guidance-02112026?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

A Special Year, New Seal, and Renewed Commitment to the American People

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/fda-voices/special-year-new-seal-and-renewed-commitment-american-people?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Beyond the Data: A Column by Dr. Drew Altman

https://www.kff.org/series/beyond-the-data/?utm_campaign=KFF-Drew-Columns&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_iLhRxeQo-Sgtb1m9Nh-NLG36b5T3MN7XI6WYbSteOif6dc2QV2KWyfUioYeKsZpWEKqNXmI0bucZuYBr0uZ5W-KVMFQ&_hsmi=400843839&utm_content=400843839&utm_source=hs_email In his “Beyond the Data” columns, CEO Drew Altman discusses what the data, polls, and journalism produced by KFF mean for policy and for people, and also occasionally comments on important work others have done that hasn’t received enough attention. Read and share Drew's column on kff.org. ---------------------------------- Our Darwinian Approach to Health Care Costs President Trump is now railing about insurance company premiums.The Ways and Means Committee and Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee in the House just held hearings putting insurance company executives on the hot seat and examining a broad range of health cost issues. Politically, it’s an effort to shift accountability for affordability worries from Republicans to tried-and-true villains (insurance companies and drug companies), and blunt Democratic attacks to come in the midterms on affordability issues. It also helps to put health care costs back in the spotlight. What it doesn’t really do is put the costs that matter most in focus: spending for hospitals and doctors, which together represent 52% of the health care bill. With the exception of the occasional piece of legislation affecting them, such as site neutral payment for some hospital services, they have mostly been basking on the sidelines while drug companies (retail drugs are 9% of spending), and now insurance companies, take it on the chin. The other thing Congress has been doing aggressively is reducing federal health spending through cuts in Medicaid and the ACA tax credits, shifting cost burdens to states and to consumers. It underscores how reducing health care costs has become a Darwinian game; everyone wants to reduce health care costs and spending—their own, often at the expense of someone else. It’s like a Venn diagram with spending problems that only somewhat overlap and more often conflict. Here is a brief review of the multiple spending problems in play and the tradeoffs in addressing them. National Health Spending When experts talk about health costs, they usually mean national health care spending, measured as health care’s share of GDP or per capita health care spending. By these measures, as you all know, the U.S. looks pretty terrible compared to other wealthy nations, with not much to show for it in terms of better health outcomes (a complicated subject). Health spending as a share of our economy has plateaued, just short of 18%. When you hear the expression “bending the cost curve,” it’s the rate of increase in per capita national health spending that people want to bend downwards. Spending is increasing more rapidly again (7.2% in 2024), and the CMS actuaries now project that health spending will finally hit 20% of GDP by 2033. My Health Care Costs Consumers (also patients and voters) mean something very different when they talk about health costs. What they are concerned about are their own out-of-pocket health care costs, which can wreck havoc on family budgets and prevent people from getting needed care. It’s this issue, and certainly not national health spending, that animates health as an issue for voters. The U.S. subsidizes coverage through Medicare, Medicaid, a $300 billion a year tax break for employers to provide coverage to employees, and yes, ACA tax credits. To put it crudely, the government spends more so people can spend less. And because health care and insurance are so expensive, the subsidies the government provides are not enough for many lower-income and working people given the high costs of care, and a wide cross section of the American people struggle with health care bills and medical debt, especially people who are sick and need a lot of care. Obviously, however, liberals and conservatives disagree on how expansive subsidies should be. These first two affordability problems—the national health care bill and the personal one—are different and in tension. Economists are sometimes dismissive of out-of-pocket costs, noting that out-of-pocket spending as a share of national health spending hasn’t changed much. It’s indicative of a talking-past-one-another problem we have; tell that to the 100 million Americans with medical debt or the 30-plus percent of people with chronic illness who say they can’t pay their medical bills. One solution to reducing the rate of increase in health spending favored by the conservatives is to ask people to spend more on health care, on the theory that more “skin in game” will cause people to use less care, putting the goal of reducing spending for government and the country overall ahead of the needs of people. Liberals by contrast favor more subsidies to help working people afford coverage, prioritizing health security over reducing spending. In both cases, national and personal affordability goals conflict. Federal and State Health Spending (and Counties) The next two spending problems are related and famously in conflict—federal health spending and state health spending. “The Big Beautiful Bill” cut federal health spending by almost a trillion dollars over 10 years, mostly on the backs of low-income people through Medicaid cuts, advancing a longer-term goal of conservatives to cut federal health spending and shrink the federal role in health. That directly shifts burdens to states, who will be hard pressed to replace very much of the lost funding, and to people who may lose coverage, face higher bills, or fewer or no services. States in turn are concerned primarily about their own state general fund spending—not health spending overall in the state. They are constantly trying to maximize federal funding, and when it shrinks and states cut back, counties are often left to pick up the slack when they can, which for most counties isn’t much of the time. The debate about federal health spending and the “One Big Beautiful Bill” was a debate about cutting Medicaid and federal health spending; pointedly, it was never a debate about, and was not fundamentally about, reducing health care costs. Employer Premiums Employers are almost single-mindedly focused on their premium increases, which they often view as a tradeoff with the wages and other benefits they can provide (economists take this as an article of faith, although, in the real world of budget politics of the public and non-profit sector organizations I have run, it’s been far less than clear that there’s a direct tradeoff). In a fragmented health system with large employers spread out over many markets, their tools for influencing premiums are limited, but they work hard at the margin every year to shave costs, as they are doing now, developing coverage policies for GLP-1s. Next year, employers are likely to see higher premium increases with the possibility that the average cost of a family policy will approach $30,000 per year. This is likely to cause employers to increase cost sharing and deductibles at least somewhat again in 2027, after several years of relative quiet on that front—another example of spending/affordability problems and goals in conflict, in this case, the interests of employers and workers. There has been wide consensus for a long time that the big taxpayer subsidy for employer health benefits is regressive and drives up health spending, as you would expect it would, and various attempts to rein it in have been proposed. Each attempt has proven to be a political non-starter. Employers and workers want health coverage, and while the tax subsidy may offend as policy, politicians don’t want to take it away. It has always been noteworthy to me that we don’t have a health cost and affordability strategy as a nation—another casualty of our fragmented health system. CMS does spending projections and is responsible in varying ways for the ACA, Medicare and Medicaid. But there is no agency or official charged with developing an overall health cost strategy for the health system, even if that strategy lacks the enforcement mechanisms other nations may have. The laudatory efforts in several states to establish cost targets are a step in the right direction, although most focus mainly on hospital costs and lack teeth. While it’s captured in different places in different federal surveys, no agency looks over affordability—what people pay out of pocket and how that especially affects sick people—the health cost issue that animates the public and has always been a heartbeat issue for us at KFF. And with the possible exception of CMMI’s limited pilots and demonstrations focusing on Medicare, no agency looks at the underlying costs of care across the health system and what can be done about it. That’s probably the biggest failure of all. Washington, states, employers and people would not have to scramble so much to reduce their own health spending if we did more to reduce underlying health care costs, or at least tried harder. It’s well established that the main reason we spend so much more for health care compared to other nations is the high prices we pay for health services in the U.S. But the reason our spending is rising more sharply again now is about an equal mix of utilization of services and our high prices. A hodge podge of initiatives under the rubric of “value” may be having some impact on health care use collectively, even as individual initiatives have modest effects, and some have tradeoffs that warrant scrutiny, such as narrow networks. And with industry consolidation and weak market forces in health care, and regulation out of fashion politically, little is being done to address high prices. In the absence of any meaningful way to address underlying health care costs, everyone focuses on reducing spending—their own.

SOPS Nursing Home Survey

SOPS Nursing Home Survey: AHRQ released the Surveys on Patient Safety Culture® (SOPS®) Nursing Home Survey to assess staff perceptions about patient safety culture in their nursing home in 2008. In 2025, AHRQ released a new version, the SOPS Nursing Home Survey 2.0. This new version removed all negatively worded items, shortened the survey from 44 items to 25 items (12 composite measures in 1.0 compared to 8 composite measures in 2.0), added items or revised item wording, added a new composite measure, “Speaking Up,” and updated the background questions. Webcast Materials Now Posted— New SOPS Nursing Home Survey Version 2.0: Updates, Insights, and Implementation This one-hour webcast introduced Version 2.0 of the Surveys on Patient Safety Culture® (SOPS®) Nursing Home Survey, highlighting key improvements—including a shortened and more focused survey--and results from 27 pilot test nursing homes. Speakers from AMI Expeditionary Healthcare described their first-hand experience using the new survey in a field test. Also, they discussed how they achieved greater than 50 percent response rates in eight nursing homes in Pennsylvania and how they are reviewing the results and preparing action plans for the participating nursing homes. Speakers: Jonathan Bakdash, Ph.D., Social Science Analyst, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Naomi Yount, Ph.D., Principal Research Associate, Westat Jamie Thomas, M.S.N., M.B.A., R.N., Senior Quality Improvement Manager, AMI Expeditionary Healthcare William Martyak, PA-C, Chief Clinical Officer, AMI Expeditionary Healthcare Joann Sorra, Ph.D. (Moderator), Vice President, Westat Access slides and view the webcast recording. https://www.ahrq.gov/sops/events/webinars/nh-survey-v20-121725.html

Overview of President Trump’s Executive Actions on Global Health Authors: Jennifer Kates, Josh Michaud, Kellie Moss, Lindsey Dawson, and Anna Rouw Published: Jan 27, 2026

https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/overview-of-president-trumps-executive-actions-on-global-health/ Note: Originally published on Jan. 28, 2025, this resource is updated as needed, most recently on October 24, 2025, to reflect additional developments. Starting on the first day of his second term, President Trump began to issue numerous executive actions, several of which directly address or affect U.S. global health efforts.* This guide provides an overview of these actions, in the order in which they were issued. The “date issued” is date the action was first taken; subsequent actions are listed under “What Happens/Implications.” See an accompanying timeline of events specific to the foreign aid review and USAID dissolution.

Our Darwinian Approach to Health Care Costs Author: Drew Altman Published: Jan 28, 2026

https://www.kff.org/from-drew-altman/our-darwinian-approach-to-health-care-costs/ In his latest column, President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman presents his Venn diagram of health care cost problems and shows how, in our fragmented health system, reducing one health cost problem often makes another worse. He writes, “Washington, states, employers and people would not have to scramble so much to reduce their own health spending if we did more to reduce underlying health care costs or at least tried harder. … In the absence of any meaningful way to address underlying health care costs everyone focuses on reducing spending — their own.”

Viewpoints: What Happens When Helping People Puts Doctors And Nurses In Harm’s Way?

https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/viewpoints-what-happens-when-helping-people-puts-doctors-and-nurses-in-harms-way/

Asian Airports Intensify Health Checks After Nipah Virus Outbreak In India

Asian Airports Intensify Health Checks After Nipah Virus Outbreak In India Indian authorities say the outbreak of the virus, which can spread via human-to-human contact and for which there is no vaccine, has been contained, AP reports. Other global health news is on social media bans, baby formula contamination, and more. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/asian-airports-intensify-health-checks-after-nipah-virus-outbreak-in-india/

Trump Admin Wants Mifepristone Case Delayed While It Weighs Future Access

Trump Admin Wants Mifepristone Case Delayed While It Weighs Future Access In its lawsuit against the federal government, Louisiana is requesting restrictions that would wipe out access to the abortion pill across much of the country. The FDA is currently reviewing the safety of the drug and whether to roll back access via telemedicine prescription and mail delivery. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/trump-admin-wants-mifepristone-case-delayed-while-it-weighs-future-access/

New Format For DSM-5 Psychiatric Manual Planned In Major Overhaul

New Format For DSM-5 Psychiatric Manual Planned In Major Overhaul The American Psychiatric Association has announced that the next revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders will be "a living document" online. The DSM-5 is used by psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians, researchers, and insurance companies. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/new-format-for-dsm-5-psychiatric-manual-planned-in-major-overhaul/

South Carolina Measles Outbreak Hits 789, Largest Outbreak In US In Decades

South Carolina Measles Outbreak Hits 789, Largest Outbreak In US In Decades The majority of cases are centered in Spartanburg County, and 89 new cases have been confirmed since Friday. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has lost its WHO status of being measles-free. Other news covers flu and covid. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/south-carolina-measles-outbreak-hits-789-largest-outbreak-in-us-in-decades/

Storm Death Toll Tops 50; Hundreds Of Thousands Shiver In Powerless Homes

Storm Death Toll Tops 50; Hundreds Of Thousands Shiver In Powerless Homes More record lows are forecast this week as the frigid misery continues across many states. More news is on the immigration crisis in Minneapolis; health-based standards for smoke contamination in California; lingering mental health concerns from the Challenger disaster; and more. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/storm-death-toll-tops-50-hundreds-of-thousands-shiver-in-powerless-homes/

Cancer, Diabetes Drugs — And Botox — On List For Medicare Price Negotiations

Cancer, Diabetes Drugs — And Botox — On List For Medicare Price Negotiations CMS has identified 15 prescription drugs to target for lower prices in 2028: Anoro Ellipta, Biktarvy, Botox, Cimzia, Cosentyx, Entyvio, Erleada, Kisqali, Lenvima, Orencia, Rexulti, Trulicity, Verzenio, Xeljanz, and Xolair. Plus, the fallout from a largely flat Medicare Advantage reimbursement increase. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/cancer-diabetes-drugs-and-botox-on-list-for-medicare-price-negotiations/

When Suicidal Calls Come In, Who Answers? Georgia Crisis Line Response Rates Reveal Gaps By Andy Miller and Rebecca Grapevine, Healthbeat January 28, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/georgia-988-suicide-crisis-lifeline-hotline-response-rates-hang-up-mental-health/

martes, 27 de enero de 2026

Abortion Policy on the Global Stage: Unpacking the Trump Administration’s Newly Expanded Mexico City Policy Event Date: Jan 28, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.

https://www.kff.org/event/abortion-policy-on-the-global-stage-unpacking-the-trump-administrations-newly-expanded-mexico-city-policy/ On Wednesday, January 28 at 12:00 p.m. ET, join KFF global and public health policy experts for an hour-long discussion about the latest developments in the MCP and what they mean for global health programs, U.S. foreign assistance, and the people who rely on them. During the discussion, panelists will explain the expanded policy, and answer audience questions about implementation and impact, such as how many organizations would be affected, how much foreign aid funding is subject to restrictions, and which foreign aid sectors may be impacted.

Overview of President Trump’s Executive Actions on Global Health Authors: Jennifer Kates, Josh Michaud, Kellie Moss, Lindsey Dawson, and Anna Rouw Published: Jan 27, 2026

https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/overview-of-president-trumps-executive-actions-on-global-health/

Watch: A Strange Checkup Bill Revealed a Firefighter’s Kids Were Mistakenly Uninsured By Caresse Jackman, InvestigateTV January 27, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/watch-costly-care-checkup-surprise-bill-line-of-duty-health-insurance-benefits-children/

Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’ January 27, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/listen-to-the-latest-kff-health-news-minute-2026/

Trump Policies at Odds With Emerging Understanding of Covid’s Long-Term Harm By Stephanie Armour January 27, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/covid-long-term-effects-risks-trump-policies-vaccines-research-hhs-rfk/

Doctors Increasingly See AI Scribes in a Positive Light. But Hiccups Persist. By Michelle Andrews January 27, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/ambient-ai-scribes-doctor-appointments-note-taking-ehr-epic/

Morning Briefing: Today's News Summaries Tuesday, Jan 27 2026 8:58 AM ++++++ +

Morning Briefing: Today's News Summaries Tuesday, Jan 27 2026 8:58 AM Sources: Patrol Chief, Some Agents To Exit Minneapolis After Nurse's Killing President Donald Trump will send border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to take over, AP reports. News outlets also cover the life and death of intensive care nurse Alex Pretti, as well as the impact that immigration enforcement activity is having on those who need medical care. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/sources-patrol-chief-some-agents-to-exit-minneapolis-after-nurses-killing/ CDC Vaccine Databases, Crucial For Managing Outbreaks, Are Out Of Date Researchers found that nearly 90% of the databases that are no longer being updated are related to vaccinations and that updates largely stopped in March and April, after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took the helm at the Department of Health and Human Services. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/cdc-vaccine-databases-crucial-for-managing-outbreaks-are-out-of-date/ CMS Proposes 0.1% Average Pay Raise For 2027 Medicare Advantage Plans The increase is far below the 4%-6% bumps the industry expected, Stat reports, and comes alongside proposed restrictions on insurers' coding practices. Other industry news is on a Kaiser Permanente strike in California and Hawaii, health system investments in pulsed field ablation, and more. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/cms-proposes-0-1-average-pay-raise-for-2027-medicare-advantage-plans/ NYC Rushes To Shelter Unhoused From Extreme Cold As Death Toll Rises Eight people were found dead outside or later died at a hospital, New York City officials said. It wasn't confirmed if they were homeless. USA Today reported that at least 34 people have died across the U.S. as frigid temperatures are settling in. Plus: News from Colorado, Maryland, Florida, and California. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/nyc-rushes-to-shelter-unhoused-from-extreme-cold-as-death-toll-rises/ Feds End Pursuit Of Patient Records Identifying Transgender Minors In LA The Justice Department has put on hold until 2029 its request for “documents sufficient to identify each patient (by name, date of birth, social security number, address, and parent/guardian information) who was prescribed puberty blockers or hormone therapy.” https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/feds-end-pursuit-of-patient-records-identifying-transgender-minors-in-la/ Roche's Entry Into Weight Loss Game Could Be A Difference-Maker In a study, Roche's experimental shot delivered weight loss that appeared to be better than Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and on par with Eli Lilly's Zepbound, an analyst said. The results show the shot has the potential to be the best in its class, an official at Roche said. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/roches-entry-into-weight-loss-game-could-be-a-difference-maker/ Viewpoints: Immigration Enforcement Is Harming Health Care; Why Is American Health Care So Expensive? https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/viewpoints-immigration-enforcement-is-harming-health-care-why-is-american-health-care-so-expensive/

Viewpoint: Media and science misinformation are rampant and corrupting. Finland believes they have a solution Zion Lights | New Humanist | January 26, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/01/26/viewpoint-media-and-science-misinformation-is-rampant-and-corrupting-finland-believes-they-have-a-solution/

RFK Jr.’s CDC withdrawal of childhood hepatitis B vaccine will lead to cancer, liver cirrhosis and death Richard Perloff | Cleveland.com | January 27, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/01/27/rfk-jr-s-cdc-withdrawal-of-childhood-hepatitis-b-vaccine-will-lead-to-cancer-liver-cirrhosis-and-death/

Viewpoint: Trump is undermining U.S. success in science and innovation Karen Hao | MIT Technology Review | January 27, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/01/27/viewpoint-trump-is-undermining-u-s-success-in-science-and-innovation/

Judging junk science: Here are the tools available for the courts to identify and block predatort and activist misinformation Barbara Pfeffer Billauer | January 26, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/01/26/judging-junk-science-here-are-the-tools-available-for-the-courts-to-identify-and-block-predatort-and-activist-misinformation/

Viewpoint: Lancet’s reputation as a leading science journal takes another hit in its capitulation to MAHA fearmongering over ultra-processed food Chuck Dinerstein | January 26, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/01/26/viewpoint-lancets-reputation-as-a-leading-science-journal-takes-another-hit-in-its-capitulation-to-maha-fearmongering-over-ultra-processed-food/

ACI’s 44th Annual FDA Boot Camp January 23, 2026

https://www.thefdalawblog.com/2026/01/acis-44th-annual-fda-boot-camp/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=acis-44th-annual-fda-boot-camp The American Conference Institute’s (“ACI”) FDA Boot Camp returns March 25-26, 2026, at the New York City Bar, New York, NY. This foundational training brings together life sciences attorneys, in-house counsel, and compliance professionals to dissect FDA law, policy, and enforcement trends.

Student Loans: Non-‘Professional’ Clinicians Are Gonna Pay Alok S. Patel, MD January 26, 2026

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/student-loans-non-professional-clinicians-are-gonna-pay-2026a1000270

France Acts Against Health Disinformation With New Plan Jean-Bernard Gervais Medscape Europe January 27, 2026

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/france-acts-against-health-disinformation-new-plan-2026a10002hi

Nonurgent ED Use: What Drives Patient Decisions Paolo Spriano, MD Medscape Europe January 27, 2026

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/nonurgent-ed-use-what-drives-patient-decisions-2026a10002k0

FDA/MHRA/Health Canada Symposium: Regulatory perspectives in good clinical practice, bioequivalence and good pharmacovigilance practice June 2 - 4, 2026

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/fda-meetings-conferences-and-workshops/fdamhrahealth-canada-symposium-regulatory-perspectives-good-clinical-practice-bioequivalence-and?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery FDA, UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and Health Canada will host a joint symposium, Regulatory Perspectives in Good Clinical Practice, Bioequivalence and Good Pharmacovigilance Practice, June 2-4, 2026. This hybrid event will take place in Ottawa with options for virtual attendance. Register today. This symposium will highlight current and emerging topics of interest related to good clinical practice, bioequivalence and good pharmacovigilance practice. The event will bring together regulators, investigators, clinical researchers, clinical trial staff, sponsors, research organizations, service providers, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academics and patient advocacy groups. Participants will hear directly from regulatory experts on ICH E6(R3) implementation, innovative trial design, bioequivalence case studies and international collaboration on pharmacovigilance compliance. https://events.myconferencesuite.com/joint_us-fda_uk-mhra_health_canada_gcp-be-gvp/reg/form/edit?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Now Available: 2026 Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems® Home and Community-Based Services Survey Database Results

CAHPS Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Survey Database: CAHPS Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Survey Database 2026 Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Home and Community-Based Services Survey Database Results Results from AHRQ’s 2026 Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Survey Database are now available. The survey asks adult Medicaid beneficiaries about their recent experiences with their long-term services and supports from State HCBS programs. The 2026 HCBS CAHPS Survey Database includes 11,033 survey responses voluntarily submitted by State Medicaid agencies and managed care plans from 36 HCBS programs. Program types include older adults, physical disability, acquired brain injury, intellectual and developmental disability, mental health and substance use disorder programs, and programs that serve multiple populations. Key findings include: Highest-scoring composite measure: Personal Safety and Respect Lowest-scoring composite measure: Planning Your Time and Activities Highest-overall rating: Rating of Personal Assistance and Behavioral Health Staff

FDA Signals Flexibility with Recent Single-Arm Approvals January 26, 2026 By Julie Kim & Mark A. Tobolowsky & Frank J. Sasinowski —

https://www.thefdalawblog.com/2026/01/fda-signals-flexibility-with-recent-single-arm-approvals/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fda-signals-flexibility-with-recent-single-arm-approvals

ACI’s Advanced Summit on Food Law Regulation, Compliance, and Litigation January 27, 2026 The American Conference Institute’s (“ACI”) milestone 10th Anniversary edition of its Advanced Summit on Food Law, Compliance and Regulation is scheduled to take place from April 28–29, 2026 at the Hilton Chicago/Magnificent Mile Suites in Chicago, IL.

https://www.thefdalawblog.com/2026/01/acis-advanced-summit-on-food-law-regulation-compliance-and-litigation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=acis-advanced-summit-on-food-law-regulation-compliance-and-litigation

Noise pollution and public health curricula: a missing link in environmental health preparedness Francesco Aletta* [1]

https://www.academia.edu/academia-global-and-public-health/1/1/10.20935/AcadPHealth8070 Environmental noise is a pervasive yet under-recognized public health hazard. Robust evidence links transport and community noise exposure to a range of adverse health outcomes, including sleep disturbance, cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, and reduced quality of life. Yet, despite its clear health burden, noise pollution remains marginal in global health agendas and is inconsistently integrated into education and training. Recent reforms to public health curricula, particularly in the United States, have contributed to a broader erosion of environmental health content, with noise largely absent or reduced to a subtopic within occupational health. This educational gap has significant implications: graduates often lack competencies in community exposure assessment, epidemiological interpretation, policy evaluation, and intersectoral interventions. Addressing the underrepresentation of noise in public health training is therefore a critical step toward mainstreaming noise as a determinant of health. Embedding core competencies on noise pollution in MPH curricula would enhance professional readiness, promote equity, and better align public health capacity with the scale of the problem. Malaria in childhood: school-based diagnosis and treatment as a public health approach offering equitable access to care Andrew Macnab Volume 2, Issue 1 https://www.academia.edu/journals/academia-global-and-public-health/articles?source=journal-top-nav

lunes, 26 de enero de 2026

Chocolate sold nationwide recalled for Salmonella risks: Throw away, return ASAP

https://www.masslive.com/news/2026/01/chocolate-sold-nationwide-recalled-for-salmonella-risks-throw-away-return-asap.html?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_ZheUD0E1-TF1nROMC4NN10W4-2LlsBsOGjtKfa5kYiD0Lsy5oWeNIXU96vEi62QlsnZuUH3OYT42XKWpQ3PGLF8YePA&_hsmi=400350224&utm_content=400350224&utm_source=hs_email

Health Infant Botulism Linked to ByHeart Ingredient Supplier

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-23/infant-botulism-linked-to-byheart-formula-ingredient-supplier?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--ecpx8WbgzrYHNjVHu0aRBjZu1doS0_TiBWYLcZe4AAFX2wtTsP5j1OCxX8b7Z121M0s9KbBIaqTkFiLZU_olazCKq_g&_hsmi=400350224&utm_content=400350224&utm_source=hs_email&embedded-checkout=true

Advocates urge safeguards for caregivers under new Medicaid work requirements

Advocates urge safeguards for caregivers under new Medicaid work requirements Many NC caregivers are facing financial strain, health challenges and difficulty accessing services. Advocates warn that new Medicaid work requirements could disrupt coverage for caregivers unless the state takes steps to clearly identify and protect those who are federally exempt. https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2026/01/26/safeguard-caregivers-medicaid-work-requirements/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8AKHkADcuOX5ZfqPw6S-ieEyLkvMlydFKt5487W5QzIBwjH23iDH7-IRuZhXs_8abp_uR7KyrC3U9-hBuxKIjHcn3BMA&_hsmi=400350224&utm_content=400350224&utm_source=hs_email

Indiana’s needle exchange programs are on the chopping block

https://apnews.com/article/indiana-addiction-and-treatment-medical-devices-morgan-bryant-medication-b9eff85b8dd2c7543335e5d6247ebe15?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8s6c5VslQO0VPYLk3q967hk1e188j7Wz-TrbwEXP5ihKPtAksvzwkkaLYu7MM2PSRzRtxp7Jgvv_kFrjjZPxklQn5GMQ&_hsmi=400350224&utm_content=400350224&utm_source=hs_email

A pregnant mother in ICE detention says she’s bleeding — and hasn’t seen a doctor in weeks

A pregnant mother in ICE detention says she’s bleeding — and hasn’t seen a doctor in weeks Cecil Elvir-Quinonez, who is still breastfeeding her youngest child, is awaiting deportation in a Louisiana ICE facility states away from her family and children. https://19thnews.org/2026/01/pregnant-mother-ice-detention-medical-care/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--QtaJgJLp8ZdkYisv0iDO02hXJkqU5GRmLeFDZ5TnYpDlZYVVOwZd5_FRaLyaahzqiZjAoNpBKyaxP0qrkAec_wTT2lg&_hsmi=400350224&utm_content=400350224&utm_source=hs_email

HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY - PHARMA AND TECH +++ +++

HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY MedPage Today: Physician-Produced Videos On Internet Flunk Evidence Test Fewer than 20% of online health information videos produced by health professionals had high-quality evidence to support claims made in the videos, according to a review of content on the popular YouTube video platform. Two-thirds of the videos, all related to cancer or diabetes, had low, very low, or no evidence to support health claims. About 15% of the 309 videos had moderate-quality evidence. A multivariate analysis showed that videos with lower-quality evidence attracted more views than those with the highest level of evidence. (Bankhead, 1/14) https://www.medpagetoday.com/primarycare/generalprimarycare/119571?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--IQQ56wqRN7A0fJNkzX7637lDix71d87ZGH96gqidNkYfzOELpMcgYDK9mW9b850z388M7_J8RBuIpR26Pz-bHKUZ47Q&_hsmi=400350224&utm_content=400350224&utm_source=hs_email Aurora Beacon-News: VNA Health Care To Expand Indian Avenue Center In Aurora VNA Health Care is planning to expand one of its busiest health centers in Aurora with the help of a recently-announced $750,000 award from Endeavor Health. (Smith, 1/23) https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/23/vna-health-care-to-expand-indian-avenue-health-center-in-aurora/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8m7722EhhtB2ViVWFi65KFQMcR8ZNDX85kW1IyYS1n31ooJeq2shgeQ_O7q0ZNqNm6km7ZAdVZTXCxfFd37-47w44lwA&_hsmi=400350224&utm_content=400350224&utm_source=hs_email The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Ohio Nursing Homes Still Waiting On $1 Billion Supreme Court Says They’re Owed By The State The Ohio Supreme Court ordered the state to pay nursing homes up to $1 billion. Four months later, the money still hasn’t arrived. (Staver, 1/25) https://www.cleveland.com/news/2026/01/ohio-nursing-homes-still-waiting-on-1-billion-supreme-court-says-theyre-owed.html?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_gpBXeZYcgHIm2YchRrmzFYo8Rf-zXKmHfrJcNY4Jk5pkwY0GjSx85sWxOhTpjA1McPQGjrmseUrjUHvyRhpMfuobJgQ&_hsmi=400350224&utm_content=400350224&utm_source=hs_email PHARMA AND TECH The New York Times: Genetic Data From Over 20,000 U.S. Children Misused For ‘Race Science’ Genetic researchers were seeking children for an ambitious, federally funded project to track brain development — a study that they told families could yield invaluable discoveries about DNA’s impact on behavior and disease. They also promised that the children’s sensitive data would be closely guarded in the decade-long study, which got underway in 2015. Promotional materials included a cartoon of a Black child saying it felt good knowing that “scientists are taking steps to keep my information safe.” The scientists did not keep it safe. (McIntire, 1/24) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/us/children-genetics-race-science.html?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9vUjRwdUup7upVVTHBXpviSdF9q-LxPGd5QZsBOXys4r-2PdpEeYu-yAhZWlUaf0mTZqI6-O654PTCzgpCofD_M_VrVQ&_hsmi=400350224&utm_content=400350224&utm_source=hs_email Stat: New FDA Pathway For CRISPR Treatments Raises Concerns When Baby KJ was introduced to the world last year as the first recipient of a personalized gene-editing treatment, the logical next question was: How can we get to more Baby KJs? (Mast, 1/26) https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/26/fda-makary-prasad-crispr-gene-editing-concerns-baby-kj/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_8IdRJEAYVO6jvVGU1LYczbiEBZZeifeVBMsDgtVje5uV8VNKhgFCvt9u4Vt0jbkqfmqs3WViYvJQyENdWy6Tw3p1VpA&_hsmi=400350224&utm_content=400350224&utm_source=hs_email CIDRAP: Narrow-Spectrum C Difficile Antibiotic Shows Promise In Phase 2 Study A narrow-spectrum antibiotic candidate for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) was highly effective and well-tolerated in a small phase 2 trial, researchers reported yesterday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. (Dall, 1/23) https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/clostridium-difficile/narrow-spectrum-c-difficile-antibiotic-shows-promise-phase-2-study?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--eVDBB9pbDnG4465mjP6C_7DUGQdnJD6BrU-B43b8dus9apvK_sPFHfvxdjbNScNPb0nlmZbEulLk6W5rXowLil_x_1w&_hsmi=400350224&utm_content=400350224&utm_source=hs_email

OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS +++

OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS The Hill: Gavin Newsom Adds California To WHO's Global Outbreak Alert Group California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced just one day after the U.S. officially withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO) that his state would become the first to join the organization’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, in a seeming rebuke of the Trump administration’s withdrawal from international collaborations. Newsom traveled this week to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he was scheduled to speak at an event but was canceled at the last moment. During his trip, he met with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. (Choi, 1/23) https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5703447-who-gavin-newsom-california/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8bIEcuD3EWY4KMsORNnoVlp139jkHxiqPXTYwLs6fmaDBkXrdwlGjFFTP534z7LZYS3xO0rPP-hF8mFznLklowWt0D1A&_hsmi=400350224&utm_content=400350224&utm_source=hs_email CIDRAP: South Carolina’s Measles Outbreak Hits 700 Cases As CDC Confirms 416 So Far In 2026 The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) today confirmed 54 new measles cases in just three days, raising the size of its outbreak, which DPH first reported in October, to 700 cases. The news comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed 416 total US cases so far this month—an increase of 245 infections in the past week—and as US health officials downplay the burgeoning outbreak and the key role that vaccines play in preventing illness. (Wappes, 1/23) https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/measles/south-carolina-s-measles-outbreak-hits-700-cases-cdc-confirms-416-so-far-2026?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8_crbI_b9XBkqNcqMiuGVk6hPHPyXmvVsNCmQXkDkGyHNLYDZCVKEy4Trm0DkIqGWVpwghtTsws_m0xZcJs4TlMXw9yQ&_hsmi=400350224&utm_content=400350224&utm_source=hs_email ABC News: Flu Activity Nationwide Declines But ER Visits For School-Aged Kids Increasing: CDC Flu activity is starting to decline nationwide, according to newly released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC estimated on Friday that there have been at least 19 million illnesses, 250,000 hospitalizations and 10,000 deaths from flu so far this season. Currently, seven states are seeing "very high" levels of flu-like illnesses while 23 states are seeing "high" levels, CDC data shows. (Benadjaoud, Zhang, and Kekatos, 1/23) https://abcnews.go.com/Health/flu-activity-nationwide-declines-er-visits-school-aged/story?id=129487936&utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_ZtlBslCCQU7FEJc1VDpg5bDKUrAlVwUgM5YdVypXIcIEvx6-0o12hHWYV9Ms0BFUcRToST_SI2qhvXefDEwxbKW4pWw&_hsmi=400350224&utm_content=400350224&utm_source=hs_email

VACCINES +++

VACCINES The Wall Street Journal: Defying CDC, Pediatricians Recommend All Kids Get Vaccinations Against 18 Diseases The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children be vaccinated against 18 diseases, more than the U.S. government directs after it overhauled its schedule. The doctors group, which released its recommendations Monday, kept its guidance largely unchanged from its previous version from last year. The group said it doesn’t endorse the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s childhood-vaccine schedule. The agency now recommends all children get vaccinated against 11 diseases. (Petersen, 1/26) https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/defying-cdc-pediatricians-recommend-all-kids-get-vaccinations-against-18-diseases-b50f2549?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-__ERSrqB8w1qk2mI9hnuV3zVmeu2h0nhNAKbKPCAOYQ77xK6uS_uOnJh9UwnkOEq8cApiN4W9HIjOswiD_7fHiYfdlnA&_hsmi=400350224&utm_content=400350224&utm_source=hs_email CIDRAP: No Link Found Between Routine Childhood Vaccines, Aluminum Adjuvants, And Epilepsy Risk Routine childhood vaccinations, nor the aluminum used as vaccine adjuvants, are not associated with an increased risk of epilepsy in young children, according to a new case-control study published this week in The Journal of Pediatrics. The study, led by a team from the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute in Marshfield, Wisconsin, examined whether being up to date on recommended vaccines or having higher cumulative exposure to vaccine-related aluminum was linked to the development of epilepsy in children under age four. (Bergeson, 1/23) https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-vaccines/no-link-found-between-routine-childhood-vaccines-aluminum-adjuvants-and-epilepsy?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--c-otA3pflVK3sDLUhWW3A0atYTxAxBpcnCqC2aEOt3wdPuIopCNbm83UMWpaoMDLMEdUkzwdj5k7sEQ_fR_ejZTrqpQ&_hsmi=400350224&utm_content=400350224&utm_source=hs_email AP: Small Pox Eradication Pioneer Dr. William Foege Dies Dr. William Foege, a leader of one of humanity’s greatest public health victories — the global eradication of smallpox — has died. Foege died Saturday in Atlanta at the age of 89, according to the Task Force for Global Health, which he co-founded. The 6-foot-7 inch Foege literally stood out in the field of public health. A whip-smart medical doctor with a calm demeanor, he had a canny knack for beating back infectious diseases. (Stobbe, 1/25) https://apnews.com/article/william-foege-smallpox-cdc-73770ffe382e48829a87fee0b364a3d1?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9yCXdaPdVubVTKcRfu895UAwHzdiRmwwHDKYM8TU98MIQKawfAWGDbvSJbwtqI4IRDYtoLiPSSOh1hPgie_WgM9u3Ohw&_hsmi=400350224&utm_content=400350224&utm_source=hs_email