Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
From Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Health News - Latest Stories:
Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Health News Original Stories
At Least 170 US Hospitals Face Major Flood Risk. Experts Say Trump Is Making It Worse.
As a warming climate intensifies storms, Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Health News has identified more than 170 U.S. hospitals at risk of significant and potentially dangerous flooding. Climate experts warn that the Trump administrationās cuts leave the nation less prepared.
Shutdown Halts Some Health Services as Political Risks Test Partiesā Resolve
Congressional Democrats and Republicans are at an impasse in negotiations. Which side will blink first?
Summon Your Spookiest Halloween Health Care Haikus
Submissions are open for Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Health Newsā seventh annual Halloween haiku competition. Conjure your most chilling verses ā if you dare.
An Arm and a Leg: The Struggle To Afford Insurance in 2026 Hits Home
The senior producer of āAn Arm and a Legā starts planning for health insurance in 2026, and ā like millions of others signing up during this yearās open enrollment ā faces a steep price increase.
Here's today's health policy haiku:
THE REAL HARM
Tylenol is not
ā Matthew Gale
the big problem in health care.
It's the cuts, stupid.
If you have a health policy haiku to share, please Contact Us and let us know if we can include your name. Haikus follow the format of 5-7-5 syllables. We give extra brownie points if you link back to an original story.
Opinions expressed in haikus and cartoons are solely the author's and do not reflect the opinions of Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Health News or KFF.
Note To Readers
It's time again for our annual Halloween haiku contest! Click here to see past winners and read the rules.
Summaries Of The News:
Spending And Fiscal Battles
Federal Health Workers Await Their Fates As Government Comes To A Halt
More than 32,000 Department of Health and Human Services employees are set to be furloughed, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention communications will be impeded, and no new patients will be admitted to the National Institutes of Healthās clinical center as the federal governmentās funding runs out. (Cirruzzo, 10/1)
As the federal government hurtled toward a shutdown Tuesday, two labor unions representing federal workers sued the Trump administration over its threats to conduct mass layoffs while the government is closed. The unions allege in the lawsuit that the Office of Management and Budget and its director, Russell Vought, broke the law by directing federal agencies to prepare āreduction in forceā plans for a potential shutdown. The lawsuit also names the Office of Personnel Management, along with its director, Scott Kupor, for issuing instructions that federal employees may work during the shutdown in order to carry out the mass layoffs. (Wardwell, 9/30)
Washington is waking up to its first government shutdown in nearly seven years. How many more days that will be the case, no one knows. With President Donald Trump and congressional leaders not actively negotiating, thereās no sign the shutdown will be over before the end of the day. And with Congress dormant for Thursdayās Yom Kippur holiday, that all but ensures it will go until at least Friday if not far beyond. Instead, Congress is poised to enact a reprise performance Wednesday: The Senate will vote on, and likely reject, dueling stopgap proposals for a third time, while House Democrats hold another closed-door meeting and House Republicans do not plan to return to the Capitol until next week at the earliest. (Carney and Wu, 10/1)
The healthcare sector generally does not have to worry too much about government shutdowns such as the one looming this week, beyond dealing with a less efficient bureaucracy and possible reimbursement delays. Healthcare providers and health insurance companies tend to mostly be insulated from the consequences of shutdowns because the key programs that pay them continue running even when other federal activities cease. Medicare, Medicaid and the Childrenās Health Insurance program operate with mandatory funding not subject to annual appropriations. And the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Monday that it would use fees collected from insurers to sustain the health insurance exchanges created under the Affordable Care Act of 2010 if thereās a shutdown. (McAuliff, 9/30)
Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Health News: Shutdown Halts Some Health Services As Political Risks Test Partiesā Resolve
Threats of a federal government shutdown have gone from being an October surprise to a recurring theme. This time around, though, the stakes are higher. Federal funding ran out at midnight on Oct. 1, after Congress failed to pass even a stopgap budget while negotiations continued. (Armour, Rovner, Seitz, Zionts and Pradhan, 10/1)
More on ACA subsidies and the struggle to afford insurance ā
Enhanced subsidies for Affordable Care Act health-insurance plans are set to expire at the end of the yearāand what Congress decides to do about them could be crucial to any deal to end a government shutdown. While Republicans had pushed to temporarily extend current government funding levels to buy time for negotiations, Democrats have said they wonāt vote for any bill that excludes an extension of the ACA subsidies. (Li and Mathews, 10/1)
Premiums will more than double for millions of Affordable Care Act enrollees next year if Congress does not renew enhanced marketplace subsidies by year's end, according to a new analysis. (Sullivan, 10/1)
One small think tank is driving health policy within the GOP. It has also created friction on Capitol Hill and in the White House as Republicans clash over the future of Obamacare. Paragon Health Institute was established in 2021 and has only 11 full-time staffers, but founder Brian Blase is credited with formulating many of the proposals that became the basis for nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts enacted as part of the GOP megabill. The groupās success is thanks in large part to its vast alumni network spread out across the highest levels of government, from the speakerās office to the Trump administration. (Guggenheim, King and Hill, 10/1)
Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Health News: Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Health Newsā āAn Arm and a Legā: The Struggle To Afford Insurance In 2026 Hits Home
āAn Arm and a Legā senior producer Emily Pisacreta recently lost a job that provided her with health insurance. So now, for the first time, she will be signing up for Obamacare. Her search is off to a rocky start. Pisacreta gives listeners a sobering look at how the high price of health insurance plans could change her life and those of millions of others looking for Affordable Care Act plans, as premiums, on average, are projected to increase by more than they have in recent years. (10/1)
How the shutdown will affect schools, the EPA, immigration, and more ā
Title I money, which goes to schools with high concentrations of students in poverty, plus funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act would continue during a shutdown. (Ma, 10/1)
The Environmental Protection Agency was already reeling from massive stuff cuts and dramatic shifts in priority and policy. A government shutdown raises new questions about how it can carry out its founding mission of protecting Americaās health and environment with little more than skeletal staff and funding. In President Donald Trumpās second term, the EPA has leaned hard into an agenda of deregulation and facilitating Trumpās boosting of fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal to meet what he has called an energy emergency. (Borenstein, 10/1)
A government shutdown is converging with key deadlines for funding of disaster preparedness and federal flood insurance, threatening to expose thousands of Americans to flood losses and stall thousands of real estate sales. The National Flood Insurance Program, the main source of coverage against flood damage for most Americans, lapsed just after midnight Wednesday, at the same time a funding gap shut down the federal government. (Dance, 9/30)
As Washington enters a government shutdown, the Trump administration has erected safeguards to ensure President Donald Trumpās most hardline priorities continue unscathed. ... That means offices tasked with immigration enforcement and tariff negotiations, two hallmarks of Trumpās presidency, will retain significantly more staff than they have in prior shutdowns, according to a POLITICO analysis of agency documents submitted to the White House in recent days and interviews with current and former administration officials. Thatās even as hundreds of thousands of federal workers are sent home, hampering a variety of government functions including some routine food safety inspections, Social Security benefit verifications and the publication of employment numbers by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Ward, Messerly and Cai, 10/1)
Pharmaceuticals
President Unveils 'TrumpRx' Site For Discounted Drugs And Deal With Pfizer
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that his administration has reached a deal with Pfizer for it to voluntarily sell its drugs at lower prices to Medicaid patients. As part of the deal, Trump said, Pfizer will sell some of its drugs on a new ādirect to consumerā website called āTrumpRx.ā Trump said the website would be operated by the federal government, but offered few details about how the program would work. (Lovelace Jr., 9/30)
Many details are still sparse, but the deal is likely to have little impact on what most Americans pay at the pharmacy counter, experts said. More than 300 million people in the U.S. are enrolled in health plans through their employers or government programs, most of whom will likely save more money using their insurance. Hereās what to know about TrumpRx. (Walker and Loftus, 10/1)
Mark Cuban is giving President Donald Trump's new direct-to-consumer online drug store venture a "B" ā for now. ... Cuban, the billionaire venture capitalist, commented on X that this would be good for patients and could actually boost business for his Cost Plus Drugs, which runs on a similar model. He said that the administration has "some great people working on this project," but he would "give the program, and what we know, as of today, a grade of B." (Li and Griffiths, 9/30)
In related news ā
President Trumpās strategy to lower prescription drug prices will be put to the test as drugmakers must now commit to the terms of his āMost Favored Nationā pricing planĀ or face unspecified actions from the federal government.Ā Trump gave drugmakers until Sept. 29 to respond to his Executive Order āReducing Drug Prices for Americans and Taxpayers.āĀ The order calls on manufacturers to provide preferential pricing to all Medicaid patients, requires that they not give better prices to other developed countries on new drugs, create a way to sell directly to consumers and use trade policy to raise prices internationally so that revenue is reinvested into lowering American prices. The Hill has reached out to all 17 companies named by the Trump administration for comment. (Choi, 9/30)
The prices of almost 700 prescription drugs have increased since President Donald Trump took office, according to a report released today by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont). Twenty-five drugs have more than doubled in price, according to the report. (Weill-Greenberg, 9/29)
More on the high cost of prescriptions ā
Cardinal Health is building a flagship pharmaceutical distribution center in Indianapolis to keep up with its growing customer base and the shifting needs of drug companies. The planned 230,000 square-foot plant is the healthcare companyās latest step in a 10-year plan to modernize and expand its distribution network. Pharmaceutical distribution remains Cardinalās most lucrative business, and it is continuing to gain customers. The Dublin, Ohio, company added more than $10 billion of new business in the last fiscal year, said Debbie Weitzman, chief executive of Cardinalās pharmaceutical and specialty solutions business. (Hamilton, 9/30)
If HHSā 340B rebate model pilot proceeds as planned, more than 2,700 U.S. hospitals will collectively be saddled with approximately $400 million in operational costs and 11.2 million labor burden hours, according to the American Hospital Association. The rebate model, slated to go into effect Jan. 1, will allow drug manufacturers that are part of CMSā first cycle of negotiated drug prices to provide rebates ā rather than upfront discounts ā for 340B entities. Congress established the 340B program in 1992 to require drugmakers to sell specific outpatient drugs to eligible providers at discounted prices. (Twenter, 9/30)
Health Industry
Hospital At Home Programs Grind To A Halt Amid Government Shutdown
On any given day, dozens of patients waiting for hospital rooms line the hallways of the emergency department at UMass Memorial Medical Centerās University Campus. Itās one reason the Worcester-based health system dove into delivering home hospital care four years ago. (Aguilar, 9/30)
Some health systems are keeping home health services in house to counter rising costs associated with patients staying hospitalized too long or bouncing back to acute care. Boston-based Mass General Brigham, Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health, Peoria, Illinois-based OSF Healthcare, Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida and Brewer, Maine-based Northern Light Health, are among the providers doubling down on home health, even as other health systems are shedding similar assets ahead of federal funding reductions in the new tax law. (Eastabrook, 9/30)
Insurers that own medical clinics may be able to use these relationships to game medical loss ratio requirements, according to a new analysis. The Health Affairs Forefront article, written by experts at consulting firm Bailit Health Purchasing, notes a recent study found that across several states in 2023 there was a significant increase in payments that were not related to specific claims, particularly in Medicare Advantage (MA). (Minemyer, 9/30)
And it's that time of year again ā
Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Health News: Summon Your Spookiest Halloween Health Care HaikusĀ
Sharpen your quills, brave souls. The spirits of health care bills past, present, and future are calling ⦠and they demand haikus. Submissions are now open for Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Health Newsā seventh annual Halloween haiku competition. Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Health News has been publishing reader-submitted health care haikus for years and is dying to read your frightful inspirations. We want your eeriest health care or health policy haiku. Submissions will be judged by a body of experts from our newsroom. (10/1)
On medical devices and tech ā
Healthcare is fast becoming a do-it-yourself project for patients. With a shortage of doctors, long wait times for appointments and an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes earlier in adulthood, patients are taking a more active role in managing their own health. (Landro, 9/30)
Medical technology companies are seeing a drop in merger and acquisition activity ā but the value of the deals has jumped. Accounting company EYās 2025 Pulse of the MedTech Industry Report analyzed financial trends in the sector from July 2024 to June 2025. It found larger companies have made several big-ticket acquisitions despite economic challenges plaguing the industry. (DeSilva, 9/30)
People with heart failure (HF) may have congestion events detected early using a speech processing app on their smartphone, according to preliminary training data from HearO technology. (Lou, 9/30)
The Food and Drug Administration has expanded its early alert recall communication programs to include all medical devices after a successful pilot. The pilot, which launched in November 2024, issued early alerts about potentially high-risk device recalls or corrections involving cardiovascular, gastrorenal, general hospital, obstetrics and gynecology and urology devices. (Dubinsky, 9/30)
Administration News
Trump Directs Use Of AI For Pioneering Pediatric Cancer Research
President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday aimed at using artificial intelligence to improve research and treatments for childhood cancer. The order builds on a 2019 database established by Trump that collects data on childhood cancer. That order directs agencies to use artificial intelligence to analyze information in that database to accelerate research and clinical trials. (Samuels, 9/30)
On federal funding and DEI ā
The Trump administration has restored almost all of the 500 National Institutes of Health grants it suspended at UCLA in July in response to a federal judgeās order last week. Attorneys in the U.S. Department of Justice submitted a court-mandated update on the status of the grant restorations Monday evening. They report that the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, has restored all but nine grants to UCLA health science researchers, though that figure may be even smaller. (Zinshteyn, 9/30)
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday his administration is close to finalizing a deal with Harvard University, in an agreement that would potentially defuse one of the highest-profile fights between his administration and US higher education. āTheyāll be paying about $500 million and theyāll be operating trade schools. Theyāre going to be teaching people how to do AI, and lots of other things,ā Trump said. (Lowenkron and Knox, 9/30)
On autism ā
Like with many niche treatments, the purported benefits of leucovorin began spreading in the autism community via word of mouth. For decades, some parents have sworn that folinic acid, a dietary supplement, improved their autistic childrenās ability to speak and communicate, and some doctors would prescribe leucovorin, a drug with the same key ingredient. (Broderick, 10/1)
Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has floated a seismic idea: adding autism to the list of conditions covered by the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. ... Kennedy has also suggested broadening the definitions of two serious brain conditions ā encephalopathy and encephalitis ā so that autism cases could qualify.Ā Either move, experts warn, would unleash a flood of claims, threatening the program's financial stability and handing vaccine opponents a powerful new talking point. (Gounder, 9/30)
More from the Trump administration ā
Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Health News: At Least 170 US Hospitals Face Major Flood Risk. Experts Say Trump Is Making It Worse.Ā
LOUISVILLE, Tenn. ā When a big storm hits, Peninsula Hospital could be underwater. At this decades-old psychiatric hospital on the edge of the Tennessee River, an intense storm could submerge the building in 11 feet of water, cutting off all roads around the facility, according to a sophisticated computer simulation of flood risk. Aurora, a young woman who was committed to Peninsula as a teenager, said the hospital sits so close to the river that it felt like a moat keeping her and dozens of other patients inside. Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Health News agreed not to publish her full name because she shared private medical history. (Hacker, Kelman and Chang, 10/1)
The White House withdrew the nomination of conservative economist E.J. Antoni to run the Bureau of Labor Statistics, according to people familiar with the decision. A White House official praised Antoni and said the president will soon nominate a new candidate to lead BLS. President Trump nominated Antoni, the former chief economist at the Heritage Foundation and a frequent critic of the BLS, in August. The nomination came shortly after Trump fired BLS chief Erika McEntarfer on Aug. 1, midway through her term, following a weak jobs report. Antoni had called for the removal of McEntarfer, echoing other Trump allies. (Kiernan, Leary and Schwartz, 9/30)
Reproductive Health
Louisiana Becomes Fourth State With No Planned Parenthood Locations
Planned Parenthood on Tuesday shuttered its two clinics in Louisiana over what the organization said were mounting financial and political challenges that made operating in the state no longer possible after more than 40 years. The closures make Louisiana the most populous of just four states with no Planned Parenthood locations. The exit underlines the pressures on Planned Parenthood as it warns of wider closures nationwide in the face of Medicaid funding cuts in President Donald Trumpās tax and spending bill. (Cline, 10/1)
The City of New Orleans Department of Health said it remains committed to protecting access to essential sexual and reproductive health care and has provided a list of available services. (Lowrey, 9/30)
By one early afternoon in late August, Dr. Colleen McNicholas had already inserted an IUD, seen a patient to provide gender-affirming care and helped a patient access HIV prevention medication. After the Idaho Legislatureās near-total abortion ban took effect three years ago, the state has lost more than a third of its OB-GYN doctors ā and new recruits arenāt making up for the losses, a peer-reviewed study recently found. Planned Parenthood has expanded services to fill in gaps left behind, said McNicholas, an OB-GYN at the clinic and the chief clinical transformation officer for the regional Planned Parenthood affiliate. (Pfannenstiel, 10/1)
In abortion news ā
Pope Leo XIV criticized supporters of the death penalty on Tuesday, saying they are ānot really pro-life.ā āSomeone who says, āIām against abortion,ā but says āIām in favor of the death penalty,ā is not really pro-life,ā the pope told reporters, via EWTN News. āSomeone who says that, āIām againstĀ abortion but Iām in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants who are in the United States,ā I donāt know if thatās pro-life.ā (Rego, 9/30)
Pope Leo XIV made a direct foray into U.S. politics Tuesday, offering measured support for the Chicago Archdioceseās plan to honor Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat who supports abortion rights, with a ālifetime achievement awardā for his work on immigration policy. The popeās comments to reporters come as anti-abortion advocates are condemning Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich and the archdioceseās immigration ministry for planning to give Durbin the award at a Nov. 3 event. (Kapos, 9/30)
Americans who call abortion their top voting issue are now more likely to support banning it, a reversal from the energized reproductive rights supporters who turned abortion into a key election issue after Roe v. Wade was overturned. (Luthra, 9/30)
On the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act ā
Federal officials have sued pro-Palestinian demonstrators involved in a heated protest outside a New Jersey synagogue last year, citing a law created to protect abortion clinics from obstruction and threats. Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the U.S. Justice Departmentās Civil Rights Division, said the lawsuit filed Monday against two pro-Palestinian groups and some demonstrators appears to be the first time the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act has been used against protesters outside a house of worship. (Shipkowski, 10/1)
In other reproductive health news ā
Scientists have created human eggs containing genes from adult skin cells, a step that someday could help women who are infertile or gay couples have babies with their own genes but would also raise difficult ethical, social and legal issues. "It's a significant step forward," says Shoukhrat Mitalipov of the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, who led the research published in the journal Nature Communications. (Stein, 9/30)
Outbreaks and Health Threats
Scientists Find Twofold Rise In Long Covid Risk In Kids After Reinfection
Children and teenagers are twice as likely to develop long Covid after a second coronavirus infection as after an initial infection, a large new study has found. The study, of nearly a half-million people under 21, published Tuesday in Lancet Infectious Diseases, provides evidence that Covid reinfections can increase the risk of long-term health consequences and contradicts the idea that being infected a second time might lead to a milder outcome, medical experts said. (Belluck, 9/30)
COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy conferred benefits for mother and baby without increased risk, according to an umbrella review of meta-analyses comprising more than 1.2 million women. Vaccination during pregnancy was associated with lowered maternal risks of COVID infection .... stillbirth ... and preterm birth ... reported Nikan Zargarzadeh, MD, of Harvard University in Boston. (Henderson, 9/30)
Two weeks after a federal committee of vaccine advisers approved new recommendations for who should get Covid-19 shots, neither Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. nor his deputy have signed off, leaving states unable to order updated shots for low-income children. (Oza and Cirruzzo, 9/30)
The Ohio Department of Health was justified in refusing to provide data on COVID-19 deaths and vaccinations in the state to a critic of Gov. Mike DeWineās coronavirus policies, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. (Pelzer, 9/30)
On norovirus, measles, HPV, and screwworm ā
A norovirus outbreak has sickened over 70 people aboard a 13-day Royal Caribbean Cruise, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Royal Caribbeanās Serenade of the Seas departed from San Diego on Sept. 19 and is scheduled to arrive in Miami on Thursday, Oct. 2. (Kaplan, 9/30)
Health departments in Minnesota and California have reported new measles cases, part of a record rise in cases since the United States achieved elimination status in 2000. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has recorded three new cases, pushing the stateās total to eight for the year. (Schnirring, 9/30)
In aĀ new study in JAMA Pediatrics, population-level effectiveness and herd immunity were robust 17 years after human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine introduction, even in sexually experienced adolescent girls and young women at relatively high risk for HPV who may not have received the full vaccination series. (Soucheray, 9/30)
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said today that it has conditionally approved a drug for the prevention and treatment of New World screwworm (NWS) larval infestations in cattle. The FDA said Dectomax-CA1 is eligible for conditional approval in cattle because it addresses an unmet animal health need, and demonstrating its effectiveness would require complex studies. (Dall, 9/30)
Also ā
In a progress report covering its activities in 2024, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, today reported that Gavi-supported vaccines saved a record 1.7 million lives, 400,000 more than in 2023. In a statement, the group also reported major progress in boosting vaccine campaigns in some of the countries experiencing some of the biggest humanitarian challenges.Ā Beyond just public health benefits, the group estimated that Gavi-supported countries gained nearly $20 billion in economic benefits from having healthier populations, reducing healthcare costs, and boosting productivity.Ā (Schnirring, 9/30)
State Watch
In Boon For Rural Health, Hospital In Rolla, Missouri, Will Double Size Of ER
The 240-bed hospital in Rolla is more than doubling the size of its emergency department. The $60 million expansion is expected to open in 2027 with more and bigger rooms, private spaces to treat sexual assault victims and mental health patients as well as labs and diagnostic facilities. Phelps Healthās investment comes as smaller rural hospitals face financial challenges. Twenty-one hospitals have closed in Missouri over the past decade, many of them in rural areas. (Ahl, 9/30)
More on rural health, hunger, and race ā
With food insecurity rising, Kentucky continues to aggressively investigate individuals on fraud allegations, with some legal experts claiming they rely too much on faulty evidence. (Goodman, 9/30)
From grocery stores to food distribution services, Black women are leading efforts to feed their communities. (Wright, 9/29)
Tribal nations in Oklahoma have historically been leaders in getting food to hungry people ā both native and non-native. But uncertainty created by federal funding changes is causing concern for leaders of the Osage Nation and other tribes. (Pope, 9/30)
New Mexicoās Democratic lawmakers were set to meet Wednesday to begin shoring up safety net spending in response to President Donald Trumpās recent cuts in a top state for participation in Medicaid and federal food assistance. Legislators are seeking new food assistance spending, while Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is calling for a quick response to federal Medicaid and tax cuts signed by Trump. She wants to provide state grants that can stabilize health care services in rural areas where clinics and hospitals often rely heavily on Medicaid. (Lee, 10/1)
Bobby Faithful V is dying. He doesnāt know what will kill him first: the tumor in his brain, his failing heart, the infection in his left ventricular assist device, or yet another Medicaid denial. The 38-year-old Silver Spring, Maryland, resident ā a musician and the fifth man in his family to bear his name āĀ lives on a monthly $1,400 state disability check. Unable to afford rent, he crashes in a friendās basement. āIām technically homeless with a mailing address,ā Faithful V says. His whole life, he always held two jobs at a time. He worked at the University of Richmond, was a full-time brewer, played in cover bands, and was married. And then he got sick and ālost everything.āĀ (Durham, 9/30)
More health news from across the U.S. ā
President Donald Trumpās administration said Tuesday that the state of Minnesota and its governing body for high school sports are violating a key federal law against sex discrimination by allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls sports. The ruling came from the civil rights offices at the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services. (Karnowski, 9/30)
Doctors and hospitals serving more than 30,000 Mainers, including many state government workers, will move outside Anthemās network effective Wednesday. (Rupertus and Burns, 9/30)
If youāre on Medicare, the owners of a Concord firm that specializes in the field have some advice: Open your mail. The reason? As of Oct. 1, insurance carriers in New Hampshire must notify Medicare Advantage customers if they will see a change in their coverage, including whether theyāre going to stop offering the service altogether. (Brooks, 9/30)
St. Louis Sheriff Alfred Montgomery will have to immediately begin transporting jail detainees to receive medical care, a circuit judge ordered on Tuesday. The ruling is in response to the sheriffās request last week for a temporary restraining order on Board Bill 33, a recently passed law that requires the Sheriffās Office to provide such transports and submit to yearlong financial monitoring. Montgomery said the legislation is unconstitutional and challenged the cityās ability to define the duties of an elected county office. (Davis and Munoz, 9/30)
Editorials And Opinions
Viewpoints: Can The Shutdown Save Affordable Health Care?; RFK Jr. Has Midcentury Soviet Ideas On Autism
Over the past nine months, Republicans have gone a long way toward dismantling key Obamacare provisions under the misleading guise of reforming or improving our health care system. As a result, more than 20 million Americans face higher insurance premiums next year. And almost 14 million Americans could lose their health insurance altogether over the next decade ā an estimated 3.3 million in 2026 alone. (Steven Rattner, 9/30)
As Republicans and Democrats trade blame for the government shutdown that began at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, and pundits opine about which side is winning, it is easy to lose sight of the real stakes. What the two parties are fighting about is whether Americans should have access to affordable health care. (10/1)
When it comes to developmental disability, the Kennedy legacy is as storied as anywhere else. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy appointed the Presidentās Panel on Mental Retardation (PPMR), a blue-ribbon initiative designed to put forward a national plan of action for what we today refer to as intellectual disability. Many of PPMRās recommendations were present in the last bill Kennedy would sign before his assassination in 1963. They would be further advanced by his brother, Sen. Ted Kennedy, who in 1970 would champion the Developmental Disabilities Act, broadening the law to encompass other diagnoses (including cerebral palsy and autism) while establishing an infrastructure for research, rights protection, and services-planning that would bring tens of thousands out of institutions and into community life. (Ari Ne'eman, 9/30)
One of the most contentious parts of President Trumpās recent tax bill is its requirement that āable-bodiedā Medicaid recipients ages 19 to 64 (with some exceptions) go to work. Proponents say the policy will slash federal Medicaid spending and promote self-sufficiency, both laudatory goals. There is one big issue though. These rules are unlikely to work, based on history and my independent analysis of census data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, or SIPP. (Mark V. Pauly, 10/1)
In July, the Trump administration unveiled two policies: the āMaking Health Technology Great Againā initiative and the executive order āEnding Crime and Disorder on Americaās Streets.ā At first glance, one seems aimed at health care modernization and the other at public safety. But beneath their branding lies a shared infrastructure (and agenda) that poses a profound threat to the civil rights, privacy and bodily autonomy of millions of Americans. (Kate Caldwell, 9/30)