Licensing deals on generic versions of Roche flu drug aimed at preparing for pandemic Eleven companies will be permitted to develop, manufacture, and supply Xofluza in 129 countries

https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2026/09/25/roche-xofluza-influenza-treatment-agreements/ By Ed SilvermanSept. 25, 2026 Pharmalot Columnist, Senior Writer

Ohio governor’s race is a battle over Covid, health costs, and trust in science The tight contest between physician Amy Acton and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is a proxy for tensions in the heartland

https://www.statnews.com/2026/09/22/ohio-governor-election-health-care-policy-acton-ramaswamy/ By Sarah ToddSept. 22, 2026 Reporter, Commercial Determinants of Health

Skeptical about modern medicine? I know the feeling — and want to listen As STAT’s trust-in-science reporter, my hope is to better understand how doubt takes hold

https://www.statnews.com/2026/09/21/trust-in-science-nick-florko-on-understanding-growing-scientific-mistrust/ By Nicholas FlorkoSept. 21, 2026 Trust-in-Science Reporter

Drugmakers, biotech VCs show ‘reinvigorated’ interest in osteoporosis treatments Shift by the FDA and frustration with existing therapies have created new opportunities

https://www.statnews.com/2026/09/23/biotech-vc-investors-new-opportunity-osteoporosis-treatments/ By Allison DeAngelisSept. 23, 2026 Biotech Startups and Venture Capital Reporter

Trump administration uses rare authority to claw back nearly $1B in spending approved by Congress Most of the cuts are focused on HHS programs that serve refugees, unaccompanied minors

https://www.statnews.com/2026/09/25/trump-administration-cancel-spending-hhs-programs/ By Associated PressSept. 25, 2026

I worked on the CDC investigation of the anthrax letters. 25 years later, are we ready for the next biothreat? The anthrax letters offer us three lessons for today

I worked on the CDC investigation of the anthrax letters. 25 years later, are we ready for the next biothreat? The anthrax letters offer us three lessons for today https://www.statnews.com/2026/09/26/anthrax-letters-25th-anniversary-cdc-investigation-new-biothreats-ai/ By Daniel JerniganSept. 26, 2026 Jernigan is a contributing scholar at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and previously served 31 years at CDC.

The Health Risks of AI

Healthcare a Vague but Potent Issue for Election 2026

How Unaffordable is Health Care and What Can We Do About It?

Healthcare a Vague but Potent Issue for Election 2026 Episode 464 • September 24, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/podcast/what-the-health-464-midterm-election-obamacare-fraud-september-24-2026/?utm_campaign=KFF-This-Week&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8-6Ni7u1gqep75l5fAmEOMPsBEQAQ8mSPd5d-pYhQaT1XcG59FXnoWKtA-d1UzJlC_CTIwrXDNoRhdDy8Dc9X3I_v91g&_hsmi=440973649&utm_content=440973649&utm_source=hs_email

Developments in Prescription Drug Pricing under the Second Trump Administration Event Date: Nov 20, 2025

https://www.kff.org/event/developments-in-prescription-drug-pricing-under-the-second-trump-administration/

How do prescription drug costs in the United States compare to other countries? By Nisha Kurani, Dustin Cotliar, and Cynthia Cox Twitter KFF

How do prescription drug costs in the United States compare to other countries? By Nisha Kurani, Dustin Cotliar, and Cynthia Cox Twitter KFF https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/how-do-prescription-drug-costs-in-the-united-states-compare-to-other-countries/#Prices%20of%20select%20prescription%20drugs%20in%20the%20United%20States%20and%20for%20comparable%20countries,%202017

KFF/AP Rural Voters Survey Authors: Alex Montero, Shannon Schumacher, Julian Montalvo III, Ashley Kirzinger, and Liz Hamel Published: Sep 23, 2026

https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/kff-ap-rural-voters-survey/?utm_campaign=KFF-This-Week&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8SdydteTbjayeqUW0WkVqTcyZZtRpzdALZ1WP9qX2-fgbf72cSmoPAFryhRqPdUWsmxBZW1hz9L9K_0JxC1ss8PrlbCg&_hsmi=440973649&utm_content=440973649&utm_source=hs_email KFF/AP Survey Probes Rural Voters’ Increasing Anxieties On Rising Cost of Living, Including Health Costs, Before Midterms Rural voters’ frustrations about the cost of living in their community are growing and appear to be chipping away at Republicans’ enthusiasm to vote as the midterm elections near, according to findings from a new KFF/AP survey.

Journalists Discuss What RFK Jr. Recently Told the Anti-Vaccine Group He Founded Sept. 26, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/on-air/on-air-september-26-2026-aca-fraud-claims-rfk-chd-california-heat-protections/

Eleven Minutes Someone in America dies by suicide every 11 minutes.

Eleven Minutes Someone in America dies by suicide every 11 minutes. It’s a tragic and entrenched problem. A new approach to prevention shifts the focus from stopping harm in moments of crisis to upstream policies that give people reasons to live. https://kffhealthnews.org/series/eleven-minutes/?utm_campaign=KHN%20-%20Weekly%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--4tnYkPDxLzyg0hbC3YrQjx6S_Sw8CXEuexhIDdPXar7slBDgZH-S3-ziF9W6Ntk-Bw9MAy2QA_ApAXr8o2GTJLr_DSw&_hsmi=440955276&utm_content=440955276&utm_source=hs_email It’s Hard To Predict Who Will Be Suicidal. It’s Easier To Ensure People Can’t Shoot Themselves. By Aneri Pattani Sept. 21, 2026 https://kffhealthnews.org/mental-health/suicide-prevention-guns-firearms-red-flag-laws-nra-maryland-eleven-minutes/?utm_campaign=KHN%20-%20Weekly%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_WlyRI6m_EWe5tjB3AeGcMix_t9qYezsqjLticOSdm8Z-L_vZpDrMr1wq6ucC0YaI6RJduvWPcnjm0HOjeMAcItE3vOw&_hsmi=440955276&utm_content=440955276&utm_source=hs_email

Economic Frustration Tests Trump’s Standing With Rural Voters, New KFF-AP Poll Finds By Sarah Jane Tribble, Ali Swenson, The Associated Press, and Linley Sanders, The Associated Press Sept. 23, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/rural-health/ap-kff-poll-rural-voters-economy-costs-trump-midterms-senate/?utm_campaign=KHN%20-%20Weekly%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--Ocyde2XzAwqk02-6-EOtBmEKfMM4RVcehPumcBKKTHVTGm5qnHf0j_SFjjKmcukKlf-MXr9CI5_C5k0sk_zgdVK44nA&_hsmi=440955276&utm_content=440955276&utm_source=hs_email About half of rural American voters believe the economy is worse off now than when President Donald Trump returned to office, according to a new survey that points to economic frustration among a key group that has backed Trump and other Republicans in recent elections.

As Health Insurance Costs Soar, Healthcare Workers Also Feel the Pinch By Hayat Norimine Sept. 22, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/health-care-costs/uninsured-doctors-obamacare-affordable-care-act-aca-rising-premiums-idaho/?utm_campaign=KHN%20-%20Weekly%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--PWetfbUh2DlRc4nVS8zmF5CHcVFO64rfvES6mcCo_pOOMBuNlYhm9mLteOH9EQrGB4u9StlwG8OsbgctGv2qgStuslA&_hsmi=440955276&utm_content=440955276&utm_source=hs_email I’m Hayat Norimine, a regional editor on the rural health team at KFF Health News. I’m based in Boise, Idaho. Got ideas for stories about rural communities? I’d love to hear them. Reach me at hayatn@kff.org. By Hayat Norimine It’s been a familiar story this year — the small-business workers weighing whether to drop health plans that are as costly as their mortgages. But you wouldn’t expect your doctor to lack health insurance. Joshua and Ashley Durham bought their health coverage on the Affordable Care Act marketplace for two years after they began their family medicine practice in Boise. He’s a primary care physician, and she’s a pharmacist who manages the office. This year, a similar health plan for their family of four would have cost them several hundred dollars more per month, with premium payments totaling $1,600. So they opted out of health insurance. Instead, the couple have been relying on $50,000 they had set aside over the years in a health savings account. “It’s nerve-racking,” Joshua Durham said. “It just takes, you know, one little accident, and then you got a big fat bill.” Nationwide, healthcare workers are less likely to go uninsured than employees in other fields. In 2024, just 7% of them went uninsured, compared with 11% of all adults under 65, according to a KFF analysis of the most recent American Community Survey data. Among doctors, the uninsured rate was even lower: 2%. But the Durhams’ story illustrates that as health insurance costs rise each year, even healthcare workers are feeling the pinch. The struggle to afford coverage is a universal experience, regardless of how familiar patients are with the industry, said Jill Kordick, a retired healthcare executive in Norwalk, Iowa. Congress opted last year not to renew expanded Obamacare marketplace credits enacted during the covid pandemic. Subsidies remained for people with low incomes, but the covid-era credits had helped reduce premium payments for many other Affordable Care Act marketplace enrollees. Roughly 15 million more people are expected to go uninsured over 10 years because of the expiration of the expanded ACA subsidies and cuts from President Donald Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Healthier people are the most likely to opt out of insurance. That leaves insurance covering a smaller pool of people who tend to be sicker and need more expensive care. Joshua Durham and his family are mostly healthy. He just worries about a worst-case scenario: a car crash, a sports injury, a serious diagnosis. But his family hasn’t faced any major medical issues — or huge bills — so far this year. The couple’s decision to opt out of insurance has paid off, Durham said. At least for now. Priced Out America’s Health Insurance Crisis Skyrocketing healthcare costs and insurance premiums combined with congressional inaction have forced a perilous decision upon many people: Pay higher prices for health insurance or go uncovered. KFF Health News is telling their stories. https://kffhealthnews.org/priced-out/?utm_campaign=KHN%20-%20Weekly%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--dXkmDOyuzIDZYCnMzftmCaAq289MYVdhqiDAfpeaOTX-aCsi72BtgAS29eCawww1VboB_fOPHCM8xjLSnNGQPFR4lEg&_hsmi=440955276&utm_content=440955276&utm_source=hs_email

KFF Women’s Health Survey Explores How Women Navigate Contraceptive Information Joel Luther , Hagere Yilma , and Irving Washington

https://www.kff.org/health-information-trust/kff-womens-health-survey-explores-how-women-navigate-contraceptive-information/?utm_campaign=22234741-KFF-Information-Trust&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_BwX0lKRFlwj_ICmlGPOzUTsHkbWO1vQjsxMFe75HHnmXw_sfhXMANnkHzyBlGASnwyq6aeI-i9ZEt4fFd8KIDcvLZfg&_hsmi=440685649&utm_content=440685649&utm_source=hs_email The 2026 KFF Women’s Health Survey finds that health care providers remain the most trusted source of reliable health information for reproductive-age women. Large shares, though, also report using online sources and social media, and many report being exposed to false or misleading information that can lead to changes in contraceptive use, like starting, changing, or stopping a birth control method. And as AI tools become more embedded in health care and government, some institutions are developing new AI governance policies around their use, but most government AI policies do not address health, and those that do are largely not public. One Ohio health department’s new AI policy offers a rare look at a health-specific policy, explicitly addressing accuracy and public trust.

Americans Navigate 'wild West' Of Health Insurance Options After Dropping Obamacare Plans Sriparna Roy

https://www.medscape.com/s/viewarticle/americans-navigate-wild-west-health-insurance-options-after-2026a1000zwn Sept 25 (Reuters) - When Stacy Cox, a self-employed photographer in Kanab, Utah, dropped her Obamacare health insurance plan this year, routine preventive care became a financial dilemma. Now she finds herself weighing $1,200 for a mammogram against survival of her business.

When discovery metabolomics becomes quantitative Webinar Date Tue November 3, 2026 1:00 PM 1 hour

https://www.news-medical.net/webinar/When-discovery-metabolomics-becomes-quantitative?referrer=AZoEmail1&erid=431151e591e84738813a53471b9a3fe3&utm_source=azonetwork_customized_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=_free_webinar_when_discovery_metabolomics_becomes_quantitative When discovery metabolomics becomes quantitative Tue November 3, 2026 11:00 AM EDT \ 10:00 AM CDT \ 4:00 PM BST \ 5:00 PM CEST \ 6:00 PM EEST \ 8:30 PM IST \ 11:00 PM SGT – or watch on demand for your convenience Traditional omics workflows often separate discovery and quantitation into distinct experiments. Researchers first perform untargeted analyses to identify molecules of interest, then develop targeted methods to accurately quantify those findings. But what if discovery data was already quantitative? In this webinar, Paul Baker will explore how ZT Scan DIA is helping bridge the gap between untargeted discovery and quantitative analysis. By improving precursor selectivity and reducing spectral interference, ZT Scan DIA enables more accurate MS/MS-level quantitation directly from untargeted datasets. Attendees will learn how retrospective quantitation can unlock additional value from discovery experiments, reducing the need for follow-up analyses while providing greater confidence in biological conclusions. Through real-world examples, discover how ZT Scan DIA is transforming discovery data into a long-term quantitative asset.

Proposed Changes to Demographic Data Collection in the Census Could Impact Efforts to Address Health and Health Care Disparities Authors: Drishti Pillai and Samantha Artiga Published: Sep 25, 2026

https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/proposed-changes-to-demographic-data-collection-in-the-census-could-impact-efforts-to-address-health-and-health-care-disparities/?utm_campaign=KFF-Racial-Equity-Health-Policy&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--m--NZLzMWemOiEQI1ovzrrspPYi1aSNw5zcZ59QnBzF4ageE_uQpC0d9bGhYa_ZwRbmjBFjTm0Y8-lNunby4H_ajrvA&_hsmi=440966185&utm_content=440966185&utm_source=hs_email KFF Examines Proposed Changes to the U.S. Census That Could Decrease Federal Funding and Reduce Representation in Congress for States with Large Immigrant Populations A new KFF issue brief explains how major changes to the U.S. Census proposed by the Trump administration would negatively affect states with large immigrant populations and undermine research on racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care. Contact: Chris Lee | 202.654.1403 | ChrisL@kff.org The proposed Census changes would effectively prohibit the counting of many noncitizen immigrants, including undocumented immigrants and some lawfully present immigrants, and ban the inclusion of questions on race and ethnicity from the decennial census. The potential exclusion of millions of noncitizen immigrants from apportionment counts could lead to the reallocation of congressional seats and reduce political representation for states with large immigrant populations, such as California, Texas, and Florida. It also could lead to decreased federal Medicaid funding for such states, since the federal government’s share of most Medicaid expenditures is based in part on a formula that takes into account a state’s per capita income -- and the noncitizens who would no longer be counted are disproportionately likely to have lower incomes. That could mean higher state expenditures for states such as Florida and Texas. California is less likely to be affected in this way because the federal government already covers the lowest share of costs allowed under the formula (50%). Banning questions about race and ethnicity would eliminate a key source of data researchers use to understand population demographics and to ensure surveys are nationally representative. It would also limit the ability to examine trends over time, since the data will not be comparable to earlier versions

Viewpoints: How Much AI Is Too Much For Med Students?; Change In Counting Method For Measles Deaths Creates Confusion

https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/viewpoints-how-much-ai-is-too-much-for-med-students-change-in-counting-method-for-measles-deaths-creates-confusion/

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 read. Today's selections are on 9/11, menthol cigarettes, C. diff, and more. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/longer-looks-interesting-reads-you-might-have-missed-275/

Maine Governor Criticizes Prime Healthcare's Nurse Firings Ahead Of Union Vote

Maine Governor Criticizes Prime Healthcare's Nurse Firings Ahead Of Union Vote Central Maine Medical Center, a Prime Healthcare hospital, is under fire for what is being seen as retaliatory firings and suspensions of 20 nurses in the run-up to an election around the formation of a nurses union, Fierce Healthcare reported. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills called the hospital's decision “unconscionable.” On Thursday night, nurses voted overwhelmingly to form a union, WMTW reported. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/health-industry-092526/

Man Shot During 2024 Trump Assassination Attempt In Pennsylvania Has Died

Man Shot During 2024 Trump Assassination Attempt In Pennsylvania Has Died A lawyer for James Copenhaver, 76, did not say whether the death was related to the gunshot wounds he suffered at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. More news is about H-1B visa petitions, separation pay for transgender service members, legal action over mifepristone, and a crackdown on compounded GLP-1s. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/administration-news-092526/

Anthropic's AI Just Made Its First Scientific Discovery: A New Enzyme System

Anthropic's AI Just Made Its First Scientific Discovery: A New Enzyme System Biologists at Anthropic said Wednesday that they used AI to uncover viral genes that produce enzymes that function in previously unknown ways. This discovery is the first for the lab, which opened in the spring. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/science-and-innovations-092526/

San Francisco's New HIV Cases Dropped 75% Over Past 20 Years, Reaching Record Low

San Francisco's New HIV Cases Dropped 75% Over Past 20 Years, Reaching Record Low While a report shows the lowest new infection rate of the past 20 years — a testament to the success of antiviral medications — the city's effort to end the AIDS epidemic is still challenging. Reaching its goal — no new infections — requires meeting the needs of the hardest-hit communities that struggle with access to health care, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/state-watch-092526/

Pennsylvania Doctors Face 'Very Steep' Learning Curve As Congenital Measles Emerges

Pennsylvania Doctors Face 'Very Steep' Learning Curve As Congenital Measles Emerges “None of us have any experience treating this disease, because up until a couple of months ago, it didn’t occur,” said Dr. John Goldman, an infectious-disease expert at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Doctors who treat the sick babies can offer only supportive care. “That means fluids. That means keeping them from having a fever. That means intubating them if necessary.” https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/outbreaks-and-health-threats-092526/

Abortion Is on the Ballot Again as Post-Roe Policies Continue To Evolve By Bram Sable-Smith and Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez Sept. 25, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/elections/abortion-state-referenda-2026-november-midterms-roe-dobbs-missouri-nevada/ Four states will vote on abortion-related ballot measures in November, marking the fourth time in five years that millions of Americans will weigh in on their states’ abortion rules. The measures follow the Supreme Court’s “Dobbs” decision, which upended federal abortion protections.

Key Facts on Abortion in the United States Authors: Usha Ranji, Karen Diep, Bryana Castillo Sanchez, and Alina Salganicoff Published: Sep 25, 2026

https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/key-facts-on-abortion-in-the-united-states/ The Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned the constitutional right to abortion that had been in place for nearly 50 years under Roe v. Wade. Prior to the Dobbs ruling, abortions were permitted up to fetal viability in all states. That federal standard was eliminated under Dobbs, allowing states to ban or restrict clinicians from providing abortion before viability. KFF is tracking and updating the status of abortion access and availability, with some states banning the provision of almost all abortions, and some states protecting abortion access.

Paid Family and Sick Leave in the U.S. Published: Sep 25, 2026

https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/paid-family-and-sick-leave-in-the-u-s/ Paid family and medical leave and sick leave can help workers meet their personal and family health care needs, while also fulfilling work responsibilities. Access to paid leave is a particularly salient concern for women, who comprise nearly half of the nation’s workforce and often take on the bulk of caregiving responsibilities. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires eligible employers to provide certain workers unpaid family leave; however, unlike nearly all other industrialized nations, the U.S. does not have a national requirement for paid family or sick leave, resulting in a patchwork of policies determined by state and local laws, employers, and/or labor contracts. While many have been advocating a national standard for paid leave for decades, there has been relatively little federal action.

Proposed Changes to Demographic Data Collection in the Census Could Impact Efforts to Address Health and Health Care Disparities Authors: Drishti Pillai and Samantha Artiga Published: Sep 25, 2026

https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/proposed-changes-to-demographic-data-collection-in-the-census-could-impact-efforts-to-address-health-and-health-care-disparities/ This issue brief provides an overview of the decennial census and discusses potential implications of the changes outlined in a September 2026 proposed rule to prohibit the collection of race and ethnicity data on the census and exclude many noncitizen immigrants from the apportionment count.

How much and why premiums are going up for small businesses in 2027

https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/

How TrumpRx brand-name drug prices compare to other countries By Matt McGough, Lynne Cotter, Justin Lo, Imani Telesford, Ashley Ferguson, Avni Gupta, and Juliette Cubanski KFF

How TrumpRx brand-name drug prices compare to other countries By Matt McGough, Lynne Cotter, Justin Lo, Imani Telesford, Ashley Ferguson, Avni Gupta, and Juliette Cubanski KFF https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/how-trumprx-brand-name-drug-prices-compare-to-other-countries/?_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_pAHAX71uQQzmFUhE_d_TpHyU9NFVNlkFoTvlZ2qFNtQQxJVkz1IyXe3gna_2dLRCxoDyFvw6A04y_aFAO3g06MG7zDQ&_hsmi=440684423&utm_campaign=KFF-Peterson&utm_medium=email&utm_content=440684423&utm_source=hs_email Analysis: Prices for Many Brand-Name TrumpRx Drugs Are Cheaper than the Average Price in Other Wealthy Countries, But Are Almost as Likely to Be More Expensive Consumers who buy brand-name prescription drugs without an available generic or biosimilar at the prices available through the new TrumpRx website are about as likely to pay more as pay less for those drugs relative to the publicly listed prices available in other comparatively wealthy countries, a new KFF analysis finds. Contact: Craig Palosky | 202.654.1369 | CraigP@kff.org The Trump administration has promoted the TrumpRx website as a way for consumers to get the lowest prices for prescription medications in the world, drawing on voluntary pricing agreements with drug manufacturers aimed at securing “Most Favored Nation” prices for American consumers. For many brand-name drugs listed on the website, TrumpRx directs consumers to manufacturers’ discount coupons to get the drugs at a pharmacy without using insurance. The analysis compares the prices of 32 brand-name drugs listed on the TrumpRx website with those in other countries. Key findings include: For 17 of the 32 drugs, the TrumpRx price is lower than the average price in comparable countries. This includes five drugs for which the TrumpRx price is lower than the prices available in any of the other countries. Eight drugs have a price that is $100 less than the average in other countries. For the other 15 drugs, the TrumpRx price is higher than the average price in comparable countries. This includes 13 drugs for which the TrumpRx price is higher than prices available in any of the other countries. There are wide variations in the price differences between TrumpRx and other countries. For nine of the drugs, the prices on TrumpRx are at least double the average across other countries. This includes Enbrel, a drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis; the TrumpRx price is $2,725 higher than the average across other countries ($3,354 versus $641). This analysis compares the TrumpRx drug prices with available prices in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom for the brand-name drugs listed on the TrumpRx site (as of August 25, 2026) that do not have generics or biosimilars available in the U.S. and that had publicly available prices in at least one of the other nations. It does not compare the prices available on TrumpRx now to the prices that may have been available to consumers in the U.S. prior to its launch. There is no one source of data for drug prices in other countries. In many cases, the publicly listed prices used in the analysis represent the price paid by the government’s national health system, or similar entity, and not necessarily what a consumer living in the country and covered by its health system would pay. The analysis also examines some of the factors that contribute to differences in prices across countries and through TrumpRx, including the role of government in setting drug prices. The analysis is available through the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, an online hub monitoring how well the U.S. health system is operating through cost and quality measures.

Robotic Medical Devices +++

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/products-and-medical-procedures/robotic-medical-devices?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery Public Workshop: Evaluating Benefit-Risk in Robotic Medical Devices with Autonomous or Remote Teleoperation Capabilities December 2 - 3, 2026 https://www.fda.gov/news-events/fda-meetings-conferences-and-workshops/public-workshop-evaluating-benefit-risk-robotic-medical-devices-autonomous-or-remote-teleoperation?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery Robotically-Assisted Surgical Devices - Premarket Submissions Draft Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff September 2026 https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/robotically-assisted-surgical-devices-premarket-submissions?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Science Literacy Project Daily Digest Science Controversies in the Media (++++ ++++)

Science Literacy Project Daily Digest Science Controversies in the Media Viewpoint: 4 very real AI doomsday scenarios Associated Press https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/25/viewpoint-4-very-real-ai-doomsday-scenarios/ After Idaho criminalized abortion providers in 2022, one-third of obstetricians fled. Health care advocates are making rural health the case for repealing the ban New York Times https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/25/after-idaho-criminalized-abortion-providers-in-2022-one-third-of-obstetricians-fled-health-care-advocates-are-making-rural-health-the-case-for-repealing-the-ban/ Anti-GMO activists in Pakistan rev up their campaign of dire warnings The News International https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/25/anti-gmo-activists-in-pakistan-rev-up-their-campaign-of-dire-warnings/ How can we know if social media bans actually help teens? STAT News https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/25/how-can-we-know-if-social-media-bans-actually-help-teens/ There has been a slew of recent reports of food recalls and foodborne outbreaks. Do we face an escalating problem? University of Florida https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/24/there-has-been-a-slew-of-recent-reports-of-food-recalls-and-foodborne-outbreaks-do-we-face-an-escalating-problem/ Facing pressure from Trump administration, fewer hospitals offer medical treatment for transgender minors Associated Press https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/24/facing-pressure-from-trump-administration-fewer-hospitals-offer-medical-treatment-for-transgender-minors/ Microsoft exec: AI is a ‘doom loop’ scraping the ‘largest theft of labor in human history’ Ars Technica https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/24/microsoft-exec-ai-is-a-doom-loop-scraping-the-largest-theft-of-labor-in-human-history/ Viewpoint: Does IQ really measure intelligence? BBC gets it wrong. Aporia https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/24/viewpoint-does-iq-really-measure-intelligence-bbc-gets-it-wrong/

Viewpoint: Why do online health lies outlive the evidence that debunks them? Read “Everyone Else Is Lying to You” Katie Suleta | September 25, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/25/viewpoint-why-do-online-health-lies-outlive-the-evidence-that-debunks-them-read-everyone-else-is-lying-to-you/ Medical misinformation has a peculiar advantage: it can outlive the evidence that disproves it, especially when yesterday’s contrarians become today’s policymakers. In Everyone Else Is Lying to You, physician Jonathan Howard keeps the receipts, documenting what prominent COVID dissenters actually said—and asking how being spectacularly wrong became, for some, a pathway to influence rather than irrelevance.

Navigating the Next Frontier: Medscape New Drugs in Primary Care Report 2026 Tony Stasiek

https://www.medscape.com/p11/navigating-next-frontier-medscape-new-drugs-primary-care-2026a1000xdt?src= Novel therapies and advances in conventional treatments have improved care for many patients in recent years. And they've also changed how some primary care physicians (PCPs) have approached certain medication types in their practice. Medscape surveyed internal and family medicine physicians across the United States to gauge how they're viewing new medications in their practice. From GLP-1s to antidepressants, they shared their prescription outlook for drugs across nine different treatment categories in the next 12 months, as well as their thoughts on the next frontier of treatments.

Business of Medicine +...

https://www.medscape.com/businessmedicine

Nothing to See Here: FDA Issues Interchangeable Biosimilars Strategy Document September 25, 2026 By Sara W. Koblitz —

https://www.thefdalawblog.com/2026/09/nothing-to-see-here-fda-issues-interchangeable-biosimilars-strategy-document/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=nothing-to-see-here-fda-issues-interchangeable-biosimilars-strategy-document One year after hosting a public workshop (“Advancing the Development of Interchangeable Products: Identifying Future Needs”), and as part of its BSUFA III commitments, FDA, on September 18, 2026, published for comment a strategy document entitled “BsUFA III Future Needs in the Development of Interchangeable Products Post-Workshop Strategy Document” (Strategy Document).

Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs (+...+...)

https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/research-roundup-the-latest-science-discoveries-and-breakthroughs-79/ Viewpoints: Politicians Rightly Oppose Trump's NIH Grantmaking Grab; Amid Shortage, California Stalls Hundreds Of Nurses https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/viewpoints-politicians-rightly-oppose-trumps-nih-funding-cuts-amid-shortage-california-stalls-hundreds-of-nurses/

Days After Being Shot In Austin, ICE Detainee Has Received His First Injection Of Pain Meds, Lawmaker Says (+...+...)

Days After Being Shot In Austin, ICE Detainee Has Received His First Injection Of Pain Meds, Lawmaker Says The detainee, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, has a bullet lodged near his spine. On Wednesday, Garces Perez also saw a specialist, who recommended surgery, said U.S. Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), who visited him at the Pearsall facility where he is being held. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/state-watch-092426/ Australia Says OpenAI Agents Breached Government-Run Healthcare Website The OpenAI agents accessed nonpublic information on a data portal for Australia’s public health insurance system in June, the Australian Prime Minister announced Wednesday. In other health industry news, the president and CEO of the Joint Commission is retiring at the end of 2026. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/artificial-intelligence-092426/

CMS May Quash Weekly Covid Reporting Rule For Nursing Homes

CMS May Quash Weekly Covid Reporting Rule For Nursing Homes The industry has long regarded infection reporting as time-consuming and duplicative, arguing that data is already reported to federal and state health officials in other ways, The New York Times reported. Plus: The CDC now lists one death on its measles outbreak page. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/covid-092426/

Young Adults' Stroke Rates Have Nearly Doubled Since 1993: Study

Young Adults' Stroke Rates Have Nearly Doubled Since 1993: Study The study also showed a slight increase in people surviving strokes, suggesting that more younger adults may be living with the long-term effects of a stroke, CNN reported. Researchers noted a rise in stroke risk factors, along with health issues such as obesity and high cholesterol, as possible contributors to these statistics. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/public-health-092426/

FDA Nominee Heads Before Senate Health Panel As Biotech Industry Watches For Hints

FDA Nominee Heads Before Senate Health Panel As Biotech Industry Watches For Hints Dr. Heidi Overton, a physician and top White House aide, is expected to face questions on her plans for vaccines and the abortion pill when she testifies today, AP reported. The biotech world will be looking for indications of how she'd lead the agency as advances in the industry present complex regulatory decisions, Axios reported. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/pharmaceuticals-092426/

White House Scraps Plan For Executive Order Aimed At More Control Over NIH Grantmaking: Sources

White House Scraps Plan For Executive Order Aimed At More Control Over NIH Grantmaking: Sources The plan, which would've given the Office of Management and Budget discretion over grantmaking at the National Institutes of Health, had drawn quick backlash from key Senate appropriators, The New York Times reported. Meanwhile, experts tell NPR that the administration has delayed funding and rerouted billions of dollars in research, resulting in chaos for researchers and patients alike. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/administration-news-092426/

19%: Plunging support for Trump-RFK, Jr. measles vaccine safety oversight Mary Van Beusekom | September 23, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/23/19-plunging-support-for-trump-rfk-jr-measles-vaccine-safety-oversight/ Two new polls reveal cracks in both US and global trust in medicine, with one showing erosion in Americans’ belief that the measles vaccine is safe for children and another finding that just over half of people in 13 countries say that, given conflicting information, they always follow their physician’s recommendations.

There has been a slew of recent reports of food recalls and foodborne outbreaks. Do we face an escalating problem? University of Florida | September 24, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/24/there-has-been-a-slew-of-recent-reports-of-food-recalls-and-foodborne-outbreaks-do-we-face-an-escalating-problem/ Egg recalls, salmonella-linked jalapeños and a spike in cyclospora cases have dominated headlines this year, but the U.S. food-safety system isn’t unraveling — it’s just louder, according to a University of Florida food scientist interviewed by UF/IFAS News writer Lourdes Mederos.

Investigative group ProPublica finds links between ectopic pregnancy deaths and abortion bans Agnel Philip, Andrea Suozzo | September 24, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/24/investigative-group-propublica-finds-links-between-ectopic-pregnancy-deaths-and-abortion-bans/ The number of women who died after an ectopic pregnancy has spiked in recent years, a ProPublica analysis found. The mounting deaths in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data have drawn little scrutiny or response.

Viewpoint: The fake controversy over whether combining childhood vaccines is dangerous— a debate science resolved 25 years ago Josh Bloom | September 24, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/24/viewpoint-the-fake-controversy-over-whether-combining-childhood-vaccines-is-dangerous-a-debate-science-resolved-25-years-ago/ For inexplicable reasons, the vaccine spacing debate has popped up yet again, courtesy of President Trump’s executive order revisiting childhood vaccine policy. But this isn’t a new question. It was addressed 25 years ago in a Pediatrics paper by Paul Offit and colleagues. Here we go again.

Implementation of Medicaid Immigrant Eligibility Restrictions Under the 2025 Reconciliation Law: Issues to Consider Authors: Akash Pillai, Alisha Rao, and Samantha Artiga Published: Sep 22, 2026

https://www.kff.org/immigrant-health/implementation-of-medicaid-immigrant-eligibility-restrictions-under-the-2025-reconciliation-law-issues-to-consider/?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_MxAZyLTTXepqdVRV6pmWl5Xpr3a-VlMxfDV5pI5BgdxRKixGaj1r2oapT0p2s42ZHo6D0w-T_Rq8ijuphvY4I_uxInQ&_hsmi=440229550&utm_content=440229550&utm_source=hs_email KFF Examines Implementation of New Medicaid Immigrant Eligibility Restrictions A new KFF brief examines how states will implement new Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) eligibility restrictions for lawfully present immigrants under the 2025 reconciliation law and based on CMS guidance. The changes take effect October 1. The law limits federally funded Medicaid and CHIP eligibility to certain groups of lawfully present immigrants, including lawful permanent residents (LPRs or green card holders), Cuban and Haitian entrants, people residing in the U.S. under Compacts of Free Association, and, in states that elect the option, lawfully residing children and pregnant immigrants. Many other lawfully present immigrants, including refugees and asylees without green cards, will lose eligibility. Undocumented immigrants are already ineligible for federally funded coverage in Medicaid and CHIP. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the changes will reduce federal spending by $6.2 billion and result in 100,000 more people becoming uninsured by 2034. States will face increased administrative burden to conduct outreach, reverify potentially affected enrollees, and update systems and other materials to reflect new immigrant eligibility rules starting October 1. While states first must attempt to verify immigration status through existing data, individuals may be asked to provide additional documentation. Even people still eligible for Medicaid or CHIP may experience procedural disenrollments or coverage disruptions due to fear, confusion, or challenges completing verification requirements, underlining the importance of adequate state outreach and assistance to enrollees, including linguistically accessible materials. A KFF review of 16 states’ notices to potentially affected enrollees finds considerable variation in the information they provide, including the extent to which they advise enrollees about other potential

KFF Women’s Health Survey Explores How Women Navigate Contraceptive Information Joel Luther , Hagere Yilma , and Irving Washington

https://www.kff.org/health-information-trust/kff-womens-health-survey-explores-how-women-navigate-contraceptive-information/ The 2026 KFF Women’s Health Survey finds that health care providers remain the most trusted source of reliable health information for reproductive-age women. Large shares, though, also report using online sources and social media, and many report being exposed to false or misleading information that can lead to changes in contraceptive use, like starting, changing, or stopping a birth control method. And as AI tools become more embedded in health care and government, some institutions are developing new AI governance policies around their use, but most government AI policies do not address health, and those that do are largely not public. One Ohio health department’s new AI policy offers a rare look at a health-specific policy, explicitly addressing accuracy and public trust.

Women’s Health Care Affordability Challenges Findings from the 2026 KFF Women's Health Survey Authors: Ivette Gomez, Alina Salganicoff, Brittni Frederiksen, Usha Ranji, and Karen Diep Published: Sep 23, 2026

https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/womens-health-care-affordability-challenges/?utm_campaign=KFF-Womens-Health-Policy&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9TFZf5PxC4FQs11l5xdOViaiJ_MINVCvdCFqN8YRNWHwVMFVzHRyX_C5OdUuAMcTxI7NMvo8WuNTU6qHZDuydvRZiKKw&_hsmi=440470382&utm_content=440470382&utm_source=hs_email Many Women With Insurance Are Skipping Care, Tests, and Prescriptions Because of Cost According to new findings from the 2026 Women’s Health Survey, health care costs remain a significant barrier for many women, with 4 in 10 women ages 18-64 (42%) reporting they delayed or postponed care they thought they needed in the past year because of cost. Thirty-four percent of women with Medicaid report delayed or postponed care in addition to 38% of those with employer-sponsored coverage and 50% of those in individually purchased plans (including Affordable Care Act Marketplace plans where enhanced premium subsidies expired this year). High costs lead many women to skip recommended tests and treatments altogether and ration their own prescription medications even when they have health coverage. Three in 10 (31%) women say they have skipped or postponed a recommended medical test or treatment in the past year because of cost, while 27% report they haven’t filled a prescription and almost one in five (17%) report they cut pills in half or skipped doses because of cost. Further, 1 in 4 (25%) women report spending less money on basic needs, such as food, clothes and electricity in the last year, so they could have enough money to pay for health care. About the 2026 Women’s Health Survey: The 2026 KFF Women’s Health Survey is a nationally representative survey of 4,688 women and 1,148 men, ages 18 to 64. The survey was fielded between March 11 and April 14, 2026, to better understand women’s experiences with accessing and using health care services, including barriers to care. Contact: Mikhaila Richards | 202.654.1328 | MRichards@kff.org

Viewpoints: RFK Jr.'s Anti-Vaccine Damage Will Outlast His Time In Office; People With Mental Illness Are Capable Of Being Good Parents

https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/viewpoints-nih-deserves-more-funding-not-less-rfk-jr-s-anti-vaccine-damage-will-outlast-his-time-in-office/

Federal Judge To Texas: Air Condition All State Prisons Before 2030

Federal Judge To Texas: Air Condition All State Prisons Before 2030 U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman found in his ruling that conditions in Texas prisons without air conditioning violate the Eighth Amendment, which protects against cruel and unusual punishment, the Texas Tribune reported. Also in news from across the states: a settlement in the toxic water case at Camp Lejeune, progress in greenhouse gas emissions in Illinois, and more. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/state-watch-092326/

Major Hospitals Make Deals With Administration To Stop Providing Gender-Affirming Care To Minors

Major Hospitals Make Deals With Administration To Stop Providing Gender-Affirming Care To Minors At least six major hospitals have made agreements to refuse care and pay the government. The New York University Langone Hospitals and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centers have agreed to stop providing puberty blockers, hormones, or gender-affirming surgery to those under age 19, AP reported. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/lgbtq-health-092326/

Cancer Mortality Rates For Americans Fell 35% Between 1991 And 2024, Report Shows

Cancer Mortality Rates For Americans Fell 35% Between 1991 And 2024, Report Shows This year's Cancer Progress Report from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) showed that decreased smoking rates and advances in early detection and treatment drove the decline in cancer deaths, MedPage Today reported. However, the AACR warned that proposed rules threaten advances in cancer research, and turmoil in federal health agencies endangers patients' continued progress. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/cancer-092326/

Epidemiologists, CDC Rethinking What Should Qualify As A Measles Death

Epidemiologists, CDC Rethinking What Should Qualify As A Measles Death The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started work this summer "to develop a standardized case definition related to measles deaths." The effort, coming amid prolonged measles outbreaks, has raised concerns. "It's almost like the CDC wants to make it more difficult to count confirmed deaths," one CDC source told MedPage Today. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/outbreaks-and-health-threats-092326/

ICE Detainee With Type 1 Diabetes Dies At Louisiana Facility; Family Alleges Neglect

ICE Detainee With Type 1 Diabetes Dies At Louisiana Facility; Family Alleges Neglect Three people close to Carlos Josue Marchena Marchena told AP that the Costa Rican man complained of missed meals, inadequate water access, and irregular insulin shots to control his Type 1 diabetes. Separately, in Texas, immigrant advocates are questioning whether Wilber Rafael Garces Perez has received proper medical treatment after he was shot during an ICE traffic stop. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/health-and-race-092326/

JD Vance's Fraud Task Force To Remove 760,000 ACA Enrollees

JD Vance's Fraud Task Force To Remove 760,000 ACA Enrollees The vice president said the cancellations are in part because the government was not checking whether people enrolled were eligible for subsidy payments. The Trump administration also announced a six-month suspension on new agents or brokers who sign up enrollees for healthcare coverage, AP reported https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/coverage-and-access-092326/

KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES

KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES KFF Health News: Black Lung Disease Remains A Threat, But Federal Officials Delay Effort To Address It https://kffhealthnews.org/rural-health/coal-miners-black-lung-disease-silicosis-silica-dust-pneumoconiosis-trump-west-virginia/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--n-16DttLMvi5R5le4zXUexkiK3zgw87KTLpPONxDFb2zDoM2aOy6tFEUQ74qT3a2SFKkKLLRi2N6wRlqDCFIZhJUqeg&_hsmi=440661916&utm_content=440661916&utm_source=hs_email Each day at New River Health in Oak Hill, Lisa Emery finds disheartening signs of what she describes as a slow-motion repeat of the Hawks Nest Tunnel disaster. Emery is director of New River’s Breathing Center and chair of the National Coalition of Black Lung and Respiratory Disease Clinics. (Sisk, 9/24) KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’ https://kffhealthnews.org/news/listen-kff-health-news-minute-2026/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz---Kvwbq9n7gXsaif2M8Hl8s0nFqjWBSTB5y2zS1S40ZcwafyOJTrrrpQoXp6FfZTt8ZveSX_pKsYb8xJ4KlccnA8hkww&_hsmi=440661916&utm_content=440661916&utm_source=hs_email Jackie Fortiér reads the week’s news: Many small businesses say they can no longer afford to offer their staff health insurance. Plus, when friends and neighbors act as informal caregivers, they’re unlikely to receive protection for time spent away from work. (9/24)

Medicaid: Spending Cuts, Work Requirements and What’s Next for States, Providers and Families

Consolidation and Integration in Health Care: What It Means for Patients, Payers, and Policy

How Unaffordable is Health Care and What Can We Do About It?

Overview of Health Coverage and Care for Individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Authors: Alisha Rao, Drishti Pillai, and Samantha Artiga Published: Sep 21, 2026

https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/overview-of-health-coverage-and-care-for-individuals-with-limited-english-proficiency/ As of 2024, approximately 28.5 million people in the United States ages five and older have limited English proficiency (LEP). The federal government defines people with LEP as those who do not speak English as their primary language and who have a limited ability to read, write, speak, or understand English (also described as speaking English “less than very well”). Individuals with LEP disproportionately experience gaps in health insurance coverage and poor health outcomes, in part, due to language access barriers. Because people of color are more likely than White people to have LEP, these barriers can also exacerbate racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care.

Implementation of 2025 Reconciliation Law: Medicaid Managed Care Rate Setting Uncertainty & Potential Plan Exits Authors: Jada Raphael and Elizabeth Hinton Published: Sep 21, 2026

https://www.kff.org/medicaid/implementation-of-2025-reconciliation-law-medicaid-managed-care-rate-setting-uncertainty-potential-plan-exits/ Managed care is the dominant delivery system for Medicaid enrollees with over three-quarters of Medicaid beneficiaries nationally enrolled in comprehensive managed care organizations (MCOs), accounting for half of total Medicaid spending in FY 2024. The 2025 federal budget reconciliation law is expected to create managed care rate setting challenges for states as the Medicaid provisions impacting enrollment and spending, including program financing changes, work requirements, and more frequent eligibility redeterminations for expansion adults, are rolled out. These changes can create uncertainty about enrollment and acuity as states and their actuaries develop capitation rates. Amid this uncertainty, executives from Elevance Health said during a July earnings call that they were exiting DC’s Medicaid market and expect to exit additional markets. Since then, Louisiana announced an Elevance Health plan will exit at the end of 2026. While MCO entries and exits in specific states or markets are not uncommon, decisions by Elevance Health and the other large, multi-state parent firms about overall participation in Medicaid markets could have broad implications for states, enrollees, and providers, given their large share of national MCO enrollment. This policy watch examines recent and anticipated managed care rate setting challenges and the potential implications of MCO exits.

What We Know from the Latest PEPFAR Data: Analysis of FY 2025 Quarter 4 Results Authors: Jennifer Kates, Anna Rouw, and Allyala Nandakumar Published: Sep 21, 2026

https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/what-we-know-from-the-latest-pepfar-data-analysis-of-fy-2025-quarter-4-results/ Since the start of the second Trump administration, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the U.S. global HIV/AIDS program credited with saving 26 million lives, has undergone significant changes and disruptions as part of a broader foreign aid review. Recent changes include: a temporary stop work order and eventual limits to what services could be continued; the cancellation of numerous PEPFAR awards; and a reorganization of U.S. global health programs, including the launch of a new “America First Global Health Strategy” which is anchored to bilateral agreements with countries, a focus on frontline commodities and services, and a shift from disease-specific programming to a more integrated approach. While modeling estimates and field surveys have provided some information about the potential impact of these changes and disruptions, there has been limited data available for such assessments. PEPFAR’s flagship data platform has historically posted financial and program level results, including from PEPFAR’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting (MER) system (MER was launched more than a decade ago). However, the data platform was temporarily removed in early 2025 and, when restored, it did not include any program data from FY 2025.

AI: To Regulate, or Not to Regulate? September 22, 2026

https://www.kff.org/other-health/ai-to-regulate-or-not-to-regulate/

Implementation of Medicaid Immigrant Eligibility Restrictions Under the 2025 Reconciliation Law: Issues to Consider Authors: Akash Pillai, Alisha Rao, and Samantha Artiga Published: Sep 22, 2026

https://www.kff.org/immigrant-health/implementation-of-medicaid-immigrant-eligibility-restrictions-under-the-2025-reconciliation-law-issues-to-consider/ The 2025 reconciliation law includes new eligibility restrictions for many lawfully present immigrants for federally-funded health programs, including Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), subsidized Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace, and Medicare coverage. The eligibility restrictions for Medicaid and CHIP become effective October 1, 2026. These restrictions will eliminate eligibility for many groups of lawfully present immigrants, including refugees and asylees without a green card, among others. Under longstanding federal policy, undocumented immigrants already are ineligible for federally funded health coverage. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that eligibility restrictions in Medicaid or CHIP will reduce federal spending by $6.2 billion and lead to an additional 100,000 individuals becoming uninsured by 2034.

The Trump Administration’s Foreign Aid Review: Status of U.S. Global Maternal and Child Health Efforts Published: Sep 22, 2026

https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/the-trump-administrations-foreign-aid-review-status-of-u-s-global-maternal-and-child-health-efforts/

The Trump Administration’s Foreign Aid Review: Status of the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) Published: Sep 22, 2026

https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/the-trump-administrations-foreign-aid-review-status-of-the-presidents-malaria-initiative-pmi/

KFF/AP Survey Probes Rural Voters’ Increasing Anxieties About the Rising Cost of Living, Including Health Costs, Heading into the Midterm Elections Rural Voters are More Likely to Trust Republicans than Democrats to Tackle These Issues, But Economic Dissatisfaction May Dampen Turnout among Rural Republicans, and Trump’s Health Policies Are Viewed Negatively Published: Sep 23, 2026

KFF/AP Survey Probes Rural Voters’ Increasing Anxieties About the Rising Cost of Living, Including Health Costs, Heading into the Midterm Elections Rural Voters are More Likely to Trust Republicans than Democrats to Tackle These Issues, But Economic Dissatisfaction May Dampen Turnout among Rural Republicans, and Trump’s Health Policies Are Viewed Negatively Published: Sep 23, 2026 https://www.kff.org/elections/kff-ap-survey-probes-rural-voters-increasing-anxieties-about-the-rising-cost-of-living-including-health-costs-heading-into-the-midterm-elections/ Rural voters’ frustrations about the cost of living in their community are growing and appear to be chipping away at Republicans’ enthusiasm to vote as the midterm elections near, a new KFF/AP Survey of Rural Voters finds.

Women’s Health Care Affordability Challenges Findings from the 2026 KFF Women's Health Survey Authors: Ivette Gomez, Alina Salganicoff, Brittni Frederiksen, Usha Ranji, and Karen Diep Published: Sep 23, 2026

https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/womens-health-care-affordability-challenges/ As health care costs dominate the national political conversation, our 2026 KFF Women’s Health Survey shows the toll those costs are taking on women. Our new nationally representative survey of women and men ages 18–64 finds costs remain a major barrier for women, specifically — causing everything from delayed care to rationed medications to cuts in spending on basic needs.

KFF/AP Rural Voters Survey Authors: Alex Montero, Shannon Schumacher, Julian Montalvo III, Ashley Kirzinger, and Liz Hamel Published: Sep 23, 2026

https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/kff-ap-rural-voters-survey/?utm_campaign=KFF-Polling-Surveys&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_kFL0quCq1C7wVfEgfQKqWDptrSu-_4mLMOVB1iWy8QorIFlZMZqNjJq7_nsy0Lo5hVc9a78QgC_nSxWEfJYy1fToxdg&_hsmi=440464404&utm_content=440464404&utm_source=hs_email KFF/AP Survey Probes Rural Voters’ Increasing Anxieties About the Rising Cost of Living, Including Health Costs, Heading into the Midterm Elections Rural Voters are More Likely to Trust Republicans than Democrats to Tackle These Issues, But Economic Dissatisfaction May Dampen Turnout among Rural Republicans, and Trump’s Health Policies Are Viewed Negatively Rural voters’ frustrations about the cost of living in their community are growing and appear to be chipping away at Republicans’ enthusiasm to vote as the midterm elections near, a new KFF/Associated Press (AP) Survey of Rural Voters finds. The survey of more than 2,000 rural voters probes the views and experiences of a group who have been strong supporters of President Trump and Republicans but are feeling economically stressed and facing higher health care costs. The project includes a polling analysis from KFF, which often partners with media organizations on surveys, and reporting from journalists at the AP and KFF Health News. Additional stories drawing on the poll findings and rural voters’ perspectives will come out in the coming weeks. The survey’s key takeaways include: Cost of living concerns are increasing, and Republicans maintain an edge with rural voters. Rural voters overwhelmingly name the cost of living as the top issue they want candidates to talk about, and three quarters now rate the cost of living in their area as either “fair” or “poor,” a 25-percentage point increase from 2017. When it comes to household expenses, rural voters worry most about health costs and gas prices. More rural voters prefer the Republican Party than the Democratic Party to best address the cost of living (40% v. 25%), though a quarter (27%), including most independents, trust neither party. Economic frustration may hurt turnout among Republicans. Eight in ten rural Democrats say they’re “absolutely certain” to vote in the upcoming midterm, somewhat higher than the 74% of rural Republican voters who say so. This disparity appears to be at least partly a result of dissatisfaction with President Trump’s economic policies. Among the 27% of rural Republican voters who disapprove of President Trump’s handling of the economy, a smaller share (59%) say they are “absolutely certain” to vote. Views of President Trump’s health care policies skew negative. Slightly more than half (54%) of rural voters disapprove of President Trump’s handling of health care and largely view his health care policies as having negatively rather than positively impacted their health care costs, Medicaid, and the availability of care where they live. Still, the Republican Party has a narrow advantage over the Democratic Party in rural voters’ trust to handle the cost of health care (33% vs. 28%), though three in ten (29%) trust neither party to deal with the issue. Medicaid viewed as important, but messaging about fraud resonates with Republicans. The overwhelming majority (92%) of rural voters say Medicaid is important for people in their local community, and about half (49%) have had a personal or family connection to the program at some point in their lives. But messaging about fraud may appeal to rural Republican voters, as fraud in government programs is their top issue for candidates to talk about. The survey also examines rural voters’ views about job opportunities and safety in their community, who they trust to handle key economic and health care issues, and health care access issues in their communities, including provider and hospital shortages.

Nvidia launches Israel AI lab to develop drugs and drive medical breakthroughs Sophie Shulman, Calcalist|01:56

Nvidia launches Israel AI lab to develop drugs and drive medical breakthroughs New team under CTO Michael Kagan will recruit dozens of researchers and work with Sheba, Mount Sinai and global partners on genomics, drug discovery and advanced materials Sophie Shulman, Calcalist|01:56 https://www.ynetnews.com/tech-and-digital/article/bjfsyrl9fx Soviet doctors helped save Israel's health system. Now that lifeline is running out Waves of physicians from the Soviet Union in the 1970s and former Soviet Union in the 1990s reinforced hospitals and clinics for decades; now many are reaching retirement as Israel struggles to train enough replacements and https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science

UK Doctors Pay Report 2026 Peter Russell September 22, 2026

https://www.medscape.com/p11/uk-doctors-pay-report-2026-2026a1000xjw How much are doctors in the UK paid, and do they believe it is enough? Medscape surveyed 525 practising UK physicians between 6 March and 1 July 2026. Findings were unweighted and based on a random sampling of Medscape members, so they were not necessarily projectable to a wider population.

US Halts Obamacare Enrollment for Over 760,000 Enrollees, Claiming Fraud Bo Erickson And Christy Santhosh

https://www.medscape.com/s/viewarticle/trump-administration-halts-obamacare-enrollment-over-760-000-2026a1000zbp WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The Trump administration is halting enrollment in Obamacare health plans for more than 760,000 enrollees it believes were fraudulently signed up, Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday, part of an ⁠anti-fraud effort he estimated would save $2.2 billion in taxpayer money. https://www.medscape.com/businessmedicine

OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS MedPage Today: CDC, Epidemiologists Work On Definition For Measles Deaths (+++++)

OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS MedPage Today: CDC, Epidemiologists Work On Definition For Measles Deaths https://www.medpagetoday.com/washington-watch/washington-watch/123108?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9kzERyP7fLHKd--HhIrk2d8O-UvmrG1wL2TNmgDTP2wHb-Q9P3Nxwwa8_wodd3xqjr_q13kdaCw-a_KeDbb9MyZULijw&_hsmi=440453853&utm_content=440453853&utm_source=hs_email The CDC is indeed working with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) on a definition for measles deaths, but the initiative was launched earlier this year and it was not at the request of the CDC. That's according to CSTE spokesperson Amy Heldman, MPH, who explained that a CSTE workgroup was launched earlier this summer "to develop future guidance to inform measles epidemiology case investigations associated with deaths." (Fiore, 9/22) San Francisco Chronicle: Amtrak Passenger With Measles Traveled On These California Trains https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/amtrak-measles-exposure-travel-itinerary-22444170.php?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_L2q33YnCSF3iuMIuKx8PSZWX-Sq5jlgz3xFvD6U8l48T-Jfbx3-vIn4_1799Svjn5ovdlObD9cCCl6kNOH3i4RbzGHw&_hsmi=440453853&utm_content=440453853&utm_source=hs_email A detailed California itinerary of the person who may have exposed other Amtrak passengers to measles this month included train travel from Sacramento to Emeryville on Sept. 13, and a departure from Emeryville on Sept. 14, Alameda County health officials said Tuesday. The passenger, who was unvaccinated and later hospitalized with measles, had been traveling through six California counties on their way to Colorado, state health officials said last week. They originally arrived in Los Angeles on Sept. 10, by train from Chicago. (Ho, 9/22) ABC News: LA County Sees Highest Number Of West Nile Virus Cases In Nearly A Decade https://abcnews.com/Health/la-county-sees-highest-number-west-nile-virus/story?id=136645469&utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--RS-zyjrRsLQGiL2W0gE3kg9Of48BGmSophE0B4gplWudSI0hcLSesnxamUu6FunFmmz5xiPH9w1hTYXcIdiJ0OlkUBQ&_hsmi=440453853&utm_content=440453853&utm_source=hs_email Los Angeles County is seeing the highest number of West Nile virus cases in nearly a decade, health officials said Monday. The county has reported 100 cases so far this year. This is the highest figure since 2017 when 268 cases were recorded for the entire season. The number of current cases is also greater than the five-year average during the same period, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LA County DPH). (Benadjaoud and Kekatos, 9/22) CIDRAP: CDC Confirms 37-Case Multistate Hepatitis A Outbreak Linked To Frozen Clams https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/hepatitis/cdc-confirms-37-case-multistate-hepatitis-outbreak-linked-frozen-clams?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--3yEj6WcgTExzolggd880fB97MVlyKvW3EEYHedBQHEiL5zyzHxfM4JIqf-kuBmjNTzkArMWbZ2pjVpBIAkQMw2ysybQ&_hsmi=440453853&utm_content=440453853&utm_source=hs_email The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced late last week that a multistate hepatitis A outbreak linked to frozen clams has sickened at least 37 people. So far cases have been identified in four states, Massachusetts (three cases), Minnesota (three), New York (27), and Pennsylvania (four). No deaths have been reported but 30 people have required hospitalization. Illness-onset dates range from July 30, 2025, to June 23, 2026. (Soucheray, 9/22) The Hill: Walmart Recalls Pasta Due To Listeria Concerns https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/6104240-walmart-gias-foods-pasta-recall-listeria-fda/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_BicyeoHzGOoGe4FmfaV9CHIUTjt7uh-ztsskcARt20AqcmCiVNBPgyrfCVomNMpPaOBINGDcRgikGR6fP4-S5g7Nsig&_hsmi=440453853&utm_content=440453853&utm_source=hs_email Pasta sold at Walmart locations nationwide is being recalled over possible listeria contamination, according to a notice posted by the Food and Drug Administration. New York-based Gias Foods said it is recalling two lots of bettergoods brand Authentic Italian Lemon Alfredo Fettuccine, distributed nationwide at Walmart Inc. stores. The product, which is frozen in 22-ounce packages with the UPC number 194346442706, has lot numbers L6079C or L6080C and expiration dates of Sept. 19, 2027, or Sept. 20, 2027. (Swaim, 9/22)

CANCER MedPage Today: U.S. Cancer Mortality Declined 35% Since 1991, AACR Report Shows (+++)

CANCER MedPage Today: U.S. Cancer Mortality Declined 35% Since 1991, AACR Report Shows https://www.medpagetoday.com/hematologyoncology/othercancers/123111?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_7QLXVM0XJAMHGubsZp_dwOWYCeateluaYaU5TSZd48_8h4rbcku719KyH6Yis5Y3NxtXlTYEhQFbJQeJxN7G77PehAw&_hsmi=440453853&utm_content=440453853&utm_source=hs_email The overall cancer mortality rate in the U.S. declined by 35% between 1991 and 2024, resulting in almost 5 million cancer deaths averted, according to the 2026 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Cancer Progress Report. That decline was largely driven by decreased smoking rates and an ensuing decline in lung cancer deaths, a trend that accelerated due to advances in early detection and treatment. (Bassett, 9/22) CIDRAP: Drug Shortages Disrupt Care At Leading US Cancer Centers https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/resilient-drug-supply/drug-shortages-disrupt-care-leading-us-cancer-centers?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9ZeLpeWIIX6RXeyCbZAcbpA0RrKUrHrjkJQI9v_3xnMJ8h4U2aQ0_zQGgrCrFGBZUNmQbjevhZI54Ho4J4qME3ijdl8Q&_hsmi=440453853&utm_content=440453853&utm_source=hs_email All 31 leading cancer centers responding to a new survey reported shortages of at least one cancer drug, and nearly two-thirds said they resorted to mitigation strategies to keep patients on their recommended treatments. But in many cases, those mitigation strategies weren’t enough. Ninety percent of centers reported that treatment plans had to be modified because of drug shortages, creating additional insurance hurdles that may have delayed care. (Bergeson, 9/22) Modern Healthcare: Health Systems Expand Theranostics Programs For Cancer Treatment https://www.modernhealthcare.com/medical-devices/mh-theranostics-cancer-mayo-clinic-md-anderson/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_KLn9rovIN5cPG_vGOIRXJoDMFwgtES5uPmllzovScPlDD_0LVESi94PxQ9US2Lvvauid4aQXsYak8Cl8uQ1rOr6YKkQ&_hsmi=440453853&utm_content=440453853&utm_source=hs_email Medicine typically offers surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy to treat cancer. Now, more providers are offering theranostics, an emerging targeted treatment approach. Major academic medical centers like Mayo Clinic, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and UChicago Medicine have established theranostics programs, and community hospitals and outpatient cancer clinics are getting on board too. (Dubinsky, 9/22)

Economic Frustration Tests Trump’s Standing With Rural Voters, New KFF-AP Poll Finds By Sarah Jane Tribble, Ali Swenson, The Associated Press, and Linley Sanders, The Associated Press Sept. 23, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/rural-health/ap-kff-poll-rural-voters-economy-costs-trump-midterms-senate/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9muidK97lOUoHPKMYHGmu832N6cZWPvjEmg_srxa4GKG8AoG2r_iT51CtfMVYmTdkV-sLtkcR4FBkqjz2TuNPzrr7V3Q&_hsmi=440453853&utm_content=440453853&utm_source=hs_email KFF Health News: Economic Frustration Tests Trump’s Standing With Rural Voters, New KFF-AP Poll Finds About half of rural American voters believe the economy is worse off now than when President Donald Trump returned to office, according to a new survey that points to economic frustration among a key group that has backed Trump and other Republicans in recent elections. The poll of more than 2,000 rural registered voters by The Associated Press in partnership with KFF found broadly negative views on the national and local economies, including from many Republicans. The costs of groceries, gas, and healthcare rank as top pain points for the rural voters, who were surveyed over two weeks starting in mid-August. (Tribble, Swenson and Sanders, 9/23)

Nursing Home Beds Are Becoming More Scarce By Paula Span Sept. 23, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/aging/new-old-age-nursing-home-beds-scarce-capacity-baby-boomers-workforce/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_6b-FD2Ig-9vD0sm9BsX4cTQvkQuxMUZT4X44-cGJ_qAHgpo9NjkySGSF-ff309JjBzxYVVAzzPEyWD44HtfhBr_WkGQ&_hsmi=440453853&utm_content=440453853&utm_source=hs_email KFF Health News: Nursing Home Beds Are Becoming More Scarce The San Vicente de Paúl Nursing Home in the South Bronx hasn’t admitted a patient since December 2024. ArchCare, which operates the facility, has reduced its capacity from 120 available beds to 53 and plans to shrink it further. About “The New Old Age”“The New Old Age” is produced through a partnership with The New York Times.Read More ColumnsAnother ArchCare nursing home, on Staten Island, has shut down a full floor. North of the city, in Dutchess County, its Ferncliff Nursing Home has contracted from 309 available beds to 196. (Span, 9/23)

T Time: Women Were First to Put Testosterone Back on FDA’s Agenda. Now It’s Industry’s Turn September 23, 2026 By Sarah Wicks —

https://www.thefdalawblog.com/2026/09/t-time-women-were-first-to-put-testosterone-back-on-fdas-agenda-now-its-industrys-turn/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=t-time-women-were-first-to-put-testosterone-back-on-fdas-agenda-now-its-industrys-turn More than two decades after FDA last publicly grappled with the development of testosterone for women, the Agency is asking industry to take another look. On September 17, 2026, FDA’s Office of Women’s Health (OWH) and the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) convened a public workshop on testosterone use in menopausal women. The day-long meeting brought together clinicians, researchers, patients, and FDA officials to discuss what is known, what remains unknown, and, importantly for drug developers, what it may take to develop an FDA-approved testosterone product for women.

Viewpoint: Is corporate embrace of regenerative agriculture greenwashing? Civil Eats | September 22, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/22/viewpoint-is-corporate-embrace-of-regenerative-agriculture-greenwashing/ Major food companies are racing to tout “regenerative agriculture,” but the term has no legal definition — and that vagueness is letting some companies claim environmental credit without necessarily cutting pesticide use, as Civil Eats senior staff reporter Lisa Held reports.

AI data centers and water usage: It’s a genuine and growing problem Katarina Zimmer | September 22, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/22/ai-data-centers-and-water-usage-its-a-genuine-and-growing-problem/ “Protect our water,” “Water for people not AI,” “Don’t mess with our water,” declare protest signs from Texas to New Mexico to Arizona. Angered by water use, energy consumption and pollution, locals are increasingly protesting the rapid expansion of data centers in the United States as tech companies work to rapidly expand capacity for AI.

‘Symptom borrowing’: Young people are copying health problems they see on TikTok Daily Mail | September 21, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/21/symptom-borrowing-young-people-are-copying-health-problems-they-see-on-tiktok/ Young people are increasingly copying health symptoms they see in TikTok videos, a phenomenon one mental health app founder has dubbed “symptom borrowing,” as the Daily Mail’s Ciaran Foreman reports.

Should doctors engage in social media to counter misinformation? Guardian Media | September 21, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/21/should-doctors-engage-in-social-media-to-counter-misinformation/ Doctors shouldn’t retreat from social media just because their words carry extra weight there — they should use that weight responsibly, argues oncologist Dr. Vanessa Harry in an opinion piece for the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian. Harry notes that “when a doctor speaks publicly about a medical issue, their words carry weight,” pointing to viral, oversimplified claims about hormonal contraception, fertility, and “trendy” late-in-life pregnancy that gloss over real, individual risk factors.

RFK Jr.’s latest crank obsession: Protecting Americans from perfectly safe electromagnetic radiation Washington Examiner | September 22, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/22/rfk-jr-s-latest-crank-obsession-protecting-americans-from-perfectly-safe-electromagnetic-radiation/ Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has taken a first formal step toward possible new rules—or at least new warning labels—on the electromagnetic radiation emitted by cellphones, WiFi routers, and other wireless devices, as the Washington Examiner’s Gabrielle M. Etzel reports. The agency is now soliciting public comment on the health effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) and radiofrequency (RF) radiation, with a report on the findings expected to follow.

Slowdown AI development? China acknowledges serious risks but sees warnings as U.S. ploy to control the technology Wired | September 22, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/22/slowdown-ai-development-china-acknowledges-serious-risks-but-sees-warnings-as-u-s-ploy-to-control-the-technology/ For years, Silicon Valley’s most powerful voices insisted the US was locked in an unwinnable AI arms race with China. Now, as Louise Matsakis for Wired reports, those same executives are warning AI has grown dangerous enough that Washington and Beijing need to cooperate and slow the race down — a message China’s government and AI industry are treating with deep suspicion.

Trump says he’ll require drugmakers to end multiple vaccine doses, reviving discredited autism claims Washington Post | September 22, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/22/trump-says-hell-require-drugmakers-to-end-multiple-vaccine-doses-reviving-discredited-autism-claims/ President Trump said that he’ll “demand” drugmakers break vaccines into five smaller doses spaced six months apart, claiming the change would produce a “massive reduction in autism,” as the Washington Post’s Rachel Roubein reports. It wasn’t immediately clear which vaccines he had in mind.

FDA Grand Rounds – CURE ID and FDA’s Drug Repurposing Efforts September 24, 2026

https://www.fda.gov/science-research/fda-grand-rounds/fda-grand-rounds-cure-id-and-fdas-drug-repurposing-efforts-09242026 Date: Thursday, September 24, 2026 Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm ET Via webcast About the Presentation: This lecture will discuss the CURE ID website and mobile app, and how it can serve as an important real-world data tool to help identify treatments for diseases that don’t have good, approved treatment options. The speakers will situate CURE ID in the context of the broader FDA repurposing initiatives that are ongoing. CME credit will be offered. For more event information: https://www.fda.gov/grandrounds

Viewpoints: How Will We Know If Social Media Bans Work?; Anti-Vaccine Conference Showed Need For Conversation

https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/viewpoints-how-will-we-know-if-social-media-bans-work-anti-vaccine-conference-showed-need-for-conversation/

No Major Concerns Raised By FDA Staff On Grail's Galleri Multicancer Blood Test

No Major Concerns Raised By FDA Staff On Grail's Galleri Multicancer Blood Test Shares of Grail surged as FDA briefing documents were released ahead of an advisers' meeting Wednesday on the Galleri multicancer early detection blood test, MedPage Today and Stat reported. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/pharma-and-tech-092226/

Attorney Says Man Allegedly Shot And Detained By ICE With Bullet Left In His Back Has Returned To Hospital

Attorney Says Man Allegedly Shot And Detained By ICE With Bullet Left In His Back Has Returned To Hospital The man, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, was shot by ICE on Sunday while making a DoorDash delivery, immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch said. Perez told AP that he initially received no pain medication or treatment when he was taken to a hospital. “I am not doing well," he said. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/immigration-092226/

North Carolina County Green-Lights Hospital Merger That Residents Say They Don't Want

North Carolina County Green-Lights Hospital Merger That Residents Say They Don't Want North Carolina Health News reported that after the public outcry, amendments were added that call for Atrium Health to pay Wake County $150 million over 10 years for public health initiatives, that raise WakeMed’s indigent care commitment from 4.8% to 8% of adjusted annual revenue, and that add county protections over certain governance changes. The proposed merger still must be reviewed by state and federal officials. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/health-industry-092226/

First Death Reported In Dengue Outbreak Spread By Mosquitoes In Florida

First Death Reported In Dengue Outbreak Spread By Mosquitoes In Florida An elderly Tampa woman has died and more than 130 people have been sickened in Hillsborough County amid one of Florida's worst outbreaks in decades, HealthDay reported. Other state news is on abortion pills in California, Minnesota's universal school meals program, and more. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/state-watch-092226/

Physician Groups Join Lawsuit Against CMS Over Medicaid Work Requirements

Physician Groups Join Lawsuit Against CMS Over Medicaid Work Requirements The restrictions on who qualifies for an exemption due to "medical frailty" are arbitrary and capricious, the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics argue. Per the new Medicaid rules, which take effect Jan. 1, most adult enrollees must prove they are meeting an 80-hour-per-week target for work, school, or volunteering to secure and keep coverage. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/administration-news-092226/

Pandemic Recovery Continues: Teen Mental Health Is Improving, And Some Americans Are Drinking Less

Pandemic Recovery Continues: Teen Mental Health Is Improving, And Some Americans Are Drinking Less However, a new study found that public health officials are still facing backlash, with 76% of those surveyed experiencing threats or harassment. Meanwhile, in Ohio, covid is front and center in the race for governor. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/pandemic-recovery-continues-teen-mental-health-is-improving-and-some-americans-are-drinking-less/

Pressure to Publish? Medscape Medical School Students & Research Report 2026 Tony Stasiek

https://www.medscape.com/p11/pressure-publish-medscape-medical-school-students-research-2026a1000x1t?ecd=WNL_physrep_260921_MSCPEDIT_research-opportunities_etid8714141&uac=148436CN&impID=8714141 Medical school enrollment topped 100,000 for the first time in the 2025-2026 school year, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. That could mean a whole lot of doctors, with medical-degree graduation rates exceeding 96%. It also means a whole lot of research. Medscape's latest survey of medical school students in the United States and Caribbean islands found that nearly 9 in 10 med school students will have taken part in some kind of medical research by their fourth year. And about 6 in 10 did so before med school.

OBBBA by Any Other Name: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly for Patient Care Madelaine (Mattie) A. Feldman, MD

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/obbba-any-other-name-good-bad-and-ugly-patient-care-2026a1000y9u The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (OBBBA) was the name originally given to the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Act. While the Senate ultimately struck down the controversial title given to the law that President Trump signed on July 4, 2025, as Public Law 119-21, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), healthcare providers, and the press still call it OBBBA, so for clarity, I will do so, too.

Waning Risks, Higher Stakes: Medscape Physicians and Malpractice Report 2026 Tony Stasiek

https://www.medscape.com/p11/medscape-physicians-and-malpractice-report-2026-2026a1000xvs One third of all US physicians have been a sole or co-defendant in a malpractice lawsuit, according to Medscape's latest survey of physicians across more than 29 specialties. But you might not always know it. "Historically, we've never talked about these things," says Gita Pensa, MD, an emergency medicine specialist and adjunct associate professor and clinician educator with the Brown University Emergency Medicine Residency in Providence, Rhode Island. "We all feel a lot of shame and isolation around it, we don't have the support of our colleagues in many instances."

PAs Chase Work-Life Integration — and Sometimes Win Kayt Sukel September 22, 2026

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/pas-chase-work-life-integration-and-sometimes-win-2026a1000z6w Healthcare, as a profession, is not known for promoting a strong work-life balance for its workforce. Thanks to long hours, unpredictable schedules, staffing shortages, onerous administrative work, and complex cases, several studies have noted that physicians and nurses have difficulty drawing a hard and fast line between their work and personal lives, which has led to high levels of burnout. Physician associates (PAs) are not immune to these systemic factors — yet, historically, PAs have reported higher job satisfaction and work-life integration than doctors. Thanks to characteristics inherent to the job, PAs may be better positioned to find some balance — with shorter workweeks, opportunities to work part-time, and greater control over when and where they practice. But only, the experts say, if they are willing to look inward and speak out.

Insurance Coverage Lags as Cancer Science, Treatment Move Forward By Arthur Allen Sept. 22, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/health-industry/rare-brain-cancer-tumors-genetics-drug-coverage-astrazeneca-lynparza-texas/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_CfRAhKJ5i35Sm-z7F8nZgdv1hXHYQrD9yuKQNe54KoivxYMMybUN1dpcaYYeD-hgOwrwe9boYJsnDxhN8pIbIPKtTaQ&_hsmi=440121350&utm_content=440121350&utm_source=hs_email KFF Health News: Insurance Coverage Lags As Cancer Science, Treatment Move Forward Eighteen months after his initial diagnosis, chemotherapy hadn’t slowed 21-year-old Mason Henderson’s rare brain tumor, which had spread to his spinal fluid. So he left his home in southeastern Texas to spend three weeks in a clinical trial in New York City. But that failed, too, leaving a murky path for Henderson, whose cancer was so rare the World Health Organization had only given it a name in 2021. So early this year, Henderson’s doctors, evaluating his tumor’s deep genetic language, turned to a drug made by Merck and AstraZeneca called Lynparza. (Allen, 9/22)

As Health Insurance Costs Soar, Healthcare Workers Also Feel the Pinch By Hayat Norimine Sept. 22, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/health-care-costs/uninsured-doctors-obamacare-affordable-care-act-aca-rising-premiums-idaho/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_r82Ulbw9iXBlzdW0oP-CjFRM19AP6qUt8tpocRDwQ_qvVAmob4Pv1ZcYuxmtRVcJauOfghn2l1EYibYmVL5G4xeAOiQ&_hsmi=440121350&utm_content=440121350&utm_source=hs_email KFF Health News: As Health Insurance Costs Soar, Healthcare Workers Also Feel The Pinch Joshua and Ashley Durham run a family medicine practice, and for the first time in their lives, they have no health insurance. When the Durhams began their practice at the end of 2023 — he as a primary care physician and she as a pharmacist who handles the billing — the couple bought coverage for themselves and their two kids on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. But they said their monthly premiums for a similar health plan for this year rose several hundred dollars to nearly $1,600. (Norimine, 9/22)

Why is trust in science important?

https://www.statnews.com/2026/09/21/trust-in-science-reporter-nick-florko-interview-status-report-alex-hogan/ By Alex HoganSept. 21, 2026 Senior Multimedia Producer