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Some physician groups are unhappy with the proposed changes to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for 2026 that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Monday. The fee schedule update varies depending on whether physicians are participating in an alternative payment model (APM). Physicians who do participate in a qualifying APM receive an increase of $1.24, or 3.83% in the conversion factor used as a multiplier to calculate what Medicare will pay for physician services. Physicians who don't participate in an APM will receive an increase of $1.17, or 3.62%. (Frieden, 7/15)

Medicare is proposing across-the-board cuts to what Trump administration officials believe are overpriced medical procedures, scans, and tests — a consequential decision designed to even the score between highly paid specialists and primary care doctors. (Herman and Bannow, 7/16)

Medicare plans to slash payments for expensive and untested skin bandages that have cost the federal government billions of dollars, the Trump administration announced Monday. The new proposed limit is an about-face for the administration, which twice delayed Biden-era rules to reduce spending on the bandages, known as skin substitutes. President Trump, who previously defended the payments on social media, received a large campaign donation last year from a leading bandage seller. (Kliff and Thomas, 7/15)

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) wants to repeal parts of the “big, beautiful” law he just voted for. Hawley on Tuesday introduced new legislation to roll back some of the Medicaid cuts that were included in the massive tax cut law, which passed the Senate two weeks ago and was signed into law by President Trump on July 4. Hawley’s bill would repeal provisions that limit states’ ability to levy taxes on health providers to receive more money from the federal government. (Weixel, 7/15)

Providers face a widening gulf between Medicaid pay rates and those of other payers, and are scrambling to determine what it means for their bottom line. Steep Medicaid cuts in the law President Donald Trump signed July 4 have dominated conversations among providers and industry groups, particularly the fate of supplemental payment programs such as state-directed payments and provider taxes. Providers are getting a clearer look into what recent cuts in the funding they use to cover care costs means financially and operationally. (Hudson, 7/15)

Millions of Americans are expected to lose health care coverage through President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful” tax and spending law — and LGBTQ+ Americans, who rely heavily on social services due to high rates of poverty and disability, are among those who will be most impacted. Experts say that widespread loss of health care, coupled with rising discrimination and fewer workplace protections, will create a worst-case scenario for LGBTQ+ rights. (Rummler, 7/15)

On a call with fellow Democratic state treasurers, Connecticut Treasurer Erick Russell (D) said on Monday that his state will have to spend more to make up for federal budget cuts. It’s not clear how much “more” means. Connecticut passed its two-year budget in June, but lawmakers are expected back at the Capitol in September for a special session to determine what they plan to spend on Medicaid and food aid. (Ingram, 7/15)

While President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” did a whole lot the healthcare sector opposes, it also failed to deal with a plethora of more mundane health legislation lawmakers must finalize as soon as this fall. Authorizations or funding for matters such as community health centers, telehealth and hospital-at-home are due to expire when the fiscal year ends Sept. 30 or when the calendar year ends. The latter category includes enhanced subsidies for health insurance exchange plans. (McAuliff, 7/15)

One sector in healthcare is embracing the sweeping policy changes from President Donald Trump’s signature tax law. The legislation, which was signed into law earlier this month, delivers a series of potential wins for digital health companies. While hospitals and insurers are criticizing the cuts to Medicaid enrollment, telehealth companies are quietly celebrating its wins under the law. Plans and employers can offer patients with health savings accounts tied to high-deductible health plans discounted telehealth services. (Turner, 7/15)

In its first proposed physician fee schedule rule of the second Trump administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) indicated that digital health technology, like telehealth and remote monitoring, have a role to play in the administration’s push to treat chronic disease. CMS signaled its commitment to digital health and built upon recent positive indicators to the sector like the health tech request for information and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s pledge to advance the use of wearables in front of the Senate last month. (Beavins, 7/15)

The Trump administration has delayed and may cancel roughly $140 million in grants to fund fentanyl overdose response efforts, according to four staff members with close knowledge of the process at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The staffers shared detailed information with NPR about the funding disruption and potential cuts on the condition of anonymity, saying they don't have permission to speak publicly about their concerns and feared retribution from the Trump administration if identified. (Mann, 7/16)

The National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — 988 — launched on this day, three years ago. Millions of people have contacted 988 since the line was launched, through calls, texts and the 988 chat box. And a new study led by researchers at NYU and Johns Hopkins University estimates that 1.6% of the U.S. population used the line between July of 2022 and December of 2024 alone. People who call the line seeking support are connected to a local network of crisis centers and a trained crisis counselor. (Kwong, Carlson and Ramirez, 7/16)

Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought told reporters after meeting with Senate Republicans on Tuesday that the White House is on board with a substitute amendment to the rescissions package that would exempt PEPFAR, the global anti-AIDS initiative from cuts. Vought said that the president could accept the substitute amendment to exempt the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, an initiative George W. Bush launched in 2003, from rescissions. (Bolton, 7/15)

It was a startling, almost unbelievable, allegation. It turned out to be untrue. On June 25, Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, told a Senate committee that the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR, had spent $9.3 million “to advise Russian doctors on how to perform abortions and gender analysis.” His statements had immediate consequences for the committee’s vote and had the potential to create long-term damage to PEPFAR, a program that has long had bipartisan support and has been estimated to have saved 26 million lives since President George W. Bush started it in 2003. (Mandavilli, 7/15)

�������ýҕ�l Health News: Listen To The Latest '�������ýҕ�l Health News Minute'

Zach Dyer reads the week’s news: Federal funding cuts have left some of the nation’s most popular beaches without lifeguards this summer, and new research shows vaccines are good at keeping older adults out of the hospital. ... Katheryn Houghton reads the week’s news: The Trump administration is cutting some programs intended to prevent gun violence, and seniors who don’t sign up for Medicare at age 65 can be on the hook for medical bills, even if they still have health insurance through work. (Cook, 7/15)

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials who were laid off and subsequently reinstated have “no clue” why, said Paul Schramm, chief of the agency’s climate and health program. “I wish I knew,” he said Tuesday at the Bloomberg Green Festival in Seattle. “We don’t know. There doesn’t seem to be a rhyme or reason to it.” Schramm and climate and health program workers were among roughly 400 CDC employees who, after being fired in April, were subsequently brought back about a month ago. (Court, 7/15)

A senior National Institutes of Health leader was fired Monday amid an investigation into a contract on autism and other topics that could have benefited his spouse, according to three officials familiar with the incident who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. A $3.3 million NIH contract to a Louisiana company, Argo Chasing, named Trish Duffy Schnabel, the wife of the NIH’s chief operating officer on its list of staff, according to the officials. (Johnson, Natanson and Diamond, 7/15)

The fate of nearly 400 Canadian ostriches, which Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is trying to save, now rests with federal justices in Ottawa. As the controversial case makes its way through court, members of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, right-wing influencers and a Republican megadonor are urging the Liberal government to spare the ostriches that were exposed to bird flu. (Djuric, 7/15)

A new wave of teen influencers is gaining followers by touting ideas central to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s public health movement, adding a Gen Z edge to a following that's trended toward wellness entrepreneurs and so-called MAHA moms. (Reed, 7/16)

A former Pfizer Inc. scientist denied an allegation made by House Republicans that he conspired to delay the release of Covid shot data to hurt Donald Trump’s 2020 election prospects, the latest twist in a dispute that demonstrates how vaccines are increasingly becoming a political flashpoint. Philip Dormitzer, a former top official at Pfizer, said the idea that he and his colleagues sought to prevent Trump from winning reelection is a “false conspiracy theory,” according to a letter to the House Judiciary Committee obtained by Bloomberg. (Garde, 7/15)

A divided federal appeals court on Tuesday allowed West Virginia to restrict access to mifepristone, the pill used to end pregnancies that has emerged as a focal point of legal battles over abortion. The decision marks the first time a federal appeals court has allowed a state to strictly limit the drug, teeing up a key test of states’ powers to ban medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration. (Ovalle and Somasundaram, 7/15)

Jessica Anderson was a freshman in college juggling a full course load and two jobs when her birth control failed. Anderson talked about her options with her partner at the time, as well as her parents, and decided to terminate the pregnancy. Navigating the state’s mandatory waiting period was difficult, she recalled, but federal abortion rights ultimately protected her ability to choose an abortion. Anderson went on to have three daughters, and decades later, she credits access to the procedure with paving the way for her future family. (Barclay, 7/15)

Rush University Medical Center in Chicago is pausing providing gender-affirming care to new patients who are minors, a spokesperson said Tuesday. The spokesperson said Rush's decision was made in collaboration with clinical leaders. ... The hospital will continue to provide mental health, behavioral health and social services for gender care patients of every age, and said gender-affirming care – both hormonal and surgical – for patients over the age of 18 is not affected by the change. (Tenenbaum, 7/15)

St. Louis County announced Tuesday that it will place 44 free naloxone vending machines in high-need areas across the county through its new “I Carry for My Community” campaign. Naloxone, also known by its brand name Narcan, is a nasal spray that reverses opioid overdose. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 105,000 people died of an overdose in 2023. (Mizelle, 7/16)

St. Louis-based scientists who help test the domestic meat, poultry and egg supply are celebrating the opening of a new lab. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins joined Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe on Tuesday in promoting the Food Safety and Inspections Service regional lab in Normandy. (Lippmann, 7/15)

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe has signed legislation to promote hyperbaric oxygen therapy for veterans with a traumatic brain injury and facing post-traumatic stress disorder. Signed Monday by the governor, the legislation establishes a fund to pay for the therapy. (Rivas, 7/15)

Many Michigan residents who purchase health insurance directly or through small group plans will notice significant increases for 2026 if proposed rate requests hold up. A report by the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services shows that many of the individual plans that are available to Michigan residents will face potential rate hikes of 15% or more. (Wethington, 7/15)

For years, it has been one of the most tantalizing ideas in medicine: One day, a simple blood test will detect nascent cancers — allowing doctors to intervene when tumors may be easier to treat. A study published this month in Cancer Discovery found that three years before a handful of cancer patients were diagnosed, some promising tests could detect trace amounts of cancer genetic material floating in their blood, shed by tumors the people didn’t yet know existed. (Johnson, 7/15)

FDA staff noted that the benefit-risk profile of belantamab mafodotin (Blenrep) in relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma remains murky given its checkered history in a briefing document released ahead of a meeting of the agency's outside experts. On Thursday, the FDA will ask the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) to vote on whether the overall benefit-risk profile of belantamab in combination with two different regimens is favorable for this patient population. (Bassett, 7/15)

Psoriasis flares that came on as a result of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy for cancer were relieved in all cases treated with apremilast (Otezla), at least for a while, a small study found. Among patients with pre-existing psoriasis who had worsened disease after starting ICI treatment, every one saw partial or complete responses after starting apremilast, according to Nilasha Ghosh, MD, MS, of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, and colleagues. (Gever, 7/15)

Two early studies suggested that sebum may help identify Parkinson's disease. In the first paper, two dogs trained to distinguish sebum swabs from people with and without Parkinson's disease demonstrated sensitivity of up to 80% and specificity of up to 98%, reported Nicola Rooney, PhD, of the University of Bristol in England, and colleagues in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease. (George, 7/15)

From low-carb ice cream and keto protein bars to "sugar-free" soda, the artificial sweetener erythritol has become a staple for anyone trying to cut calories or carbs. However, new research suggests the popular sugar substitute may come with serious downsides—including changes in brain blood vessels that could increase the risk of stroke. (Notarantonio, 7/15)

In just 3 years, the Influenza Vaccines Research and Development (R&D) Roadmap Initiative has demonstrated important advancements in vaccine R&D, accomplishing 14% of its high-priority research goals and making progress on another 83%, the group reports in Vaccine. While noting barriers in areas such as immunology and vaccinology, the project team outlines achievements in the pursuit of better vaccines against both seasonal flu and strains with pandemic potential— both critical for protecting the nation and the world from flu-related death and disability. (Van Beusekom, 7/15)

�������ýҕ�l Health News: A Million Veterans Gave DNA To Aid Health Research. Scientists Worry The Data Will Be Wasted

One of the world’s biggest genetic databases comprises DNA data donated over the years by more than a million retired military service members. It’s part of a project run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The initiative, dubbed the Million Veteran Program, is a “crown jewel of the country,” said David Shulkin, a physician who served as VA secretary during the first Trump administration. Data from the project has contributed to research on the genetics of anxiety and peripheral artery disease, for instance, and has resulted in hundreds of published papers. (Tahir, 7/16)

A study conducted at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatient clinics found that antibiotic prescribing for asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) is prevalent, researchers reported yesterday in the American Journal of Infection Control. (Dall, 7/15)

An online trend is taking morning coffee to a whole new level, as some people on social media are conducting "coffee enemas." An enema is a medical procedure that involves injecting a solution into the rectum and lower part of the colon (the large intestine), according to Rosario Ligresti, M.D., chief of gastroenterology at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. (Quill, 7/15)

Americans could gain more than six years of healthy life if the US made better use of its world-leading health spending, according to a new global study. The research found that people around the world could live an average of 3.3 more years if countries got better returns on their health budgets. Global inefficiencies declined steadily from 1995 to 2019 — until Covid-19 disrupted progress, according to the study, published Tuesday in The Lancet Global Health. (Kan, 7/15)

With outbreaks of previously eradicated measles leading the news for months, more epidemics may be in store for the U.S. As vaccination rates among children continue to plummet, concerns are rising over the potential for infectious diseases to spread rampantly in the coming years and decades. Research published in the medical journal JAMA suggests a continued decline could lead to millions of infections from diseases currently considered under control or eradicated. (Kaplan, 7/15)

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services announced on July 11 that an independent testing program has detected measles in wastewater samples collected on July 7 from the Provo area, suggesting that at least one person in the area was recently was sick and serving as a warning that residents should take precautions. So far, the state’s number of measles cases remains at nine, which included seven from Utah County. (Schnirring, 7/15)

COVID-19 is again on the rise in California, likely marking the beginning of an anticipated summer wave, according to the latest public health data. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that infections are now increasing in about half of U.S. states. The agency’s latest update, released Friday, pointed to rising activity across more than two dozen states in the Southeast, South and along the West Coast — including California. (Vaziri, 7/15)

Four people in Florida have died this year from Vibrio vulnificus, a rare flesh-eating bacterium found in warm, brackish seawater, among 11 confirmed cases, according to state health officials. That number is down from 2024, when infections peaked with 82 cases and 19 deaths. Health officials linked that spike to Hurricane Helene. Since 2016, Florida has recorded 448 cases and 100 deaths tied to the bacteria. (Myers, 7/15)

Danone U.S., the maker of YoCrunch, is recalling the yogurt product due to the potential presence of plastic pieces in the packaging's dome topper, according to federal health officials. In an alert, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the plastic pieces, which were discovered after reported consumer complaints, could potentially cause a choking response if eaten. (Moniuszko, 7/15)

Take a walk down the supplement aisle of any local drugstore, and you will be confronted with a floor-to-ceiling wall of choices. Not just the usual suspects — vitamins and minerals — but also items as varied as turmeric, fish oil, probiotics and melatonin — as well as combinations that purport to burn fat (not muscle!), cure erectile dysfunction and boost memory. (Kane, 7/15)

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that makes it hard to fall asleep, stay asleep or get restful sleep. It affects nearly 15% of American adults each month, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine says the generally recommended insomnia treatments include medications, psychological therapy and behavioral modification. Until now, there was insufficient evidence to suggest that exercise and other healthy lifestyle habits might benefit sleep, according to researchers. (Chang, 7/15)

Thousands of nurses in the Twin Cities and Duluth area voted to ratify a new contract after months of bargaining. The Minnesota Nurses Association, which represents 15,000 nurses across 13 hospitals, says the new contract addresses staffing, workplace safety and fair wages. Twin Cities nurses will see a 10% raise over three years and Duluth-area nurses will see a 9.75% raise over three years. The ratification puts and end to four months of negotiations, during which time thousands of nurses worked without a contract and the union voted to authorize an unfair labor practices strike. (Nace, 7/15)

Registered nurses at Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital in Baltimore are preparing to strike for the first time in the form of a one-day walkout next week, they announced Monday. (Karpovich, 7/15)

Every year since 1999, the Rio Grande Valley has hosted a massive five-day event to offer free health services across several counties. More than 6,600 people received services from the event last year. People lined up as early as 4 a.m. to access physician check-ups, immunizations, sports physicals, screenings for diabetes, dental services, eye exams and prescription glasses. (Garcia, 7/16)

�������ýҕ�l Health News: Lost In Translation: Interpreter Cutbacks Could Put Patient Lives On The Line

Patients need to communicate clearly with their health care provider. But that’s getting more difficult for those in the U.S. who don’t speak English. Budget cuts by the Trump administration have left some providers scrambling to keep qualified medical interpreters. And an executive order designating English the official language of the United States has created confusion among providers about what services should be offered. (Sánchez, 7/16)

A Sun Pharmaceutical plant in India that has been repeatedly cited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for serious quality control issues failed another inspection last month over concerns the company was not doing enough to prevent medicines from becoming contaminated. (Silverman, 7/15)

Nationwide, nearly a quarter of emergency department visits among people 60 and older resulted in a hospital stay. That's according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which found the rate goes up the older you get. Marty Irons, a pharmacist in Rutland, has noticed his widowed father, who lives alone in Goshen, New York, has been visiting the hospital more frequently. So, he made an emergency go-bag for his dad. It's something health experts say more of us should have. (Keck, 7/15)

Amid concerns that the federal government is undermining science-based vaccine polices, Governor Maura Healey wants to give the state Department of Public Health more authority to recommend vaccines. It’s a shift worth pursuing, both to maintain public trust in vaccines and to ensure a consistent supply of childhood vaccines, should shifting federal government policies imperil the availability of some shots. (7/16)

As a medical oncologist, one of the first threats I inform new patients about during the informed consent process for cancer treatment is how vulnerable they now are to infections. Cancer weakens the immune system, and common therapies on which we rely, such as chemotherapy, further diminish the body’s ability to protect itself from infections. An upper respiratory infection might be an inconvenience for a healthy adult. For an immunocompromised person living with cancer, it could be fatal. (Yehoda Martei, 7/16)

When medical students are overwhelmed, frustrated, and questioning their ability to keep up, they come to one of us, C.A., a learning specialist. The first weeks of medical school are brutal — students struggling not just with their coursework but with the sheer adjustment to the relentless pace of their new reality. (C.A. Tolchinsky and Bryn Tolchinsky, 7/16)

Nicotine pouches offer a novel method to deliver the toxic drug. These small packets contain nicotine powder or salts, which users place between their lips and gums. Most contain 1.5 to 8 milligrams of nicotine, but some can have as much as 50 milligrams per pouch — the equivalent of smoking as many as eight cigarettes. Unlike traditional smokeless tobacco, they don’t require spitting, making them easy to use undetected. A survey of youths confirmed that the biggest advantages included concealability and use in places that prohibit vaping. (Leana S. Wen, 7/15)

Every time we turn on the water tap, we’re doing more than quenching thirst — we’re protecting smiles. For generations, community water fluoridation has quietly and powerfully helped Maryland children and families enjoy better oral health, regardless of income or access to care. It’s one of the greatest public health victories of our time — a simple, safe and effective way to prevent cavities and promote well-being. (Celeste Ziara, 7/15)