Listen: A Federal Agency Is After Workers’ Health Data, and Critics Are Alarmed
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has asked health insurers for unredacted medical records of federal employees, a move that would give the government detailed personal health information. The request, highlighted by KFF Health News, has sparked alarm among privacy lawyers, health policy experts, and lawmakers who fear it could breach HIPAA protections. Critics argue the effort represents an unprecedented intrusion into doctor‑patient confidentiality. The controversy underscores tension between federal data‑gathering ambitions and established privacy safeguards.
That Discount at the Pharmacy Counter May Pack Hidden Costs
Manufacturer‑sponsored prescription‑drug coupons promise immediate out‑of‑pocket savings but steer patients toward higher‑priced brand medicines. A JAMA study shows commercial users dropping coupon use on obesity drugs from 54.6% in 2017 to 2.5% in 2024, reflecting insurer pushback and shifting payment...
A New Medicare Option for Weight Loss Drugs: What Older Americans Should Know
Starting July 2026, Medicare will launch a short‑term GLP‑1 Bridge pilot that covers weight‑loss drugs such as Wegovy, Zepbound and Foundayo for a flat $50 monthly copayment. The benefit is limited to beneficiaries enrolled in a Part D plan who meet...
HHS’ Healthy Food Agenda Puts Hospitals on Notice About Patients’ Meals
The Health and Human Services Department, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is threatening to withhold Medicare and Medicaid payments from hospitals that serve sugary drinks or meals that fall short of the USDA’s 2025‑30 dietary guidelines. HHS issued a...
Journalists Share Latest on Baby Formula Safety, Estrogen Patches, and Postcancer Costs
KFF Health News journalists highlighted three pressing health issues on national TV. Céline Gounder discussed the FDA’s largest baby‑formula safety test on CBS’s The Daily Report and the nationwide estrogen‑patch shortage on CBS Mornings. Renuka Rayasam examined the soaring post‑cancer...
Prevention Efforts Increasingly See Suicide Through a Broader Lens
Suicide remains a pressing public‑health crisis, with a death occurring in the United States every 11 minutes. While traditional prevention has centered on crisis hotlines and immediate mental‑health treatment, a growing movement is urging policymakers to address the socioeconomic conditions...
Delays in Visa Program Threaten Placement of Hundreds of Doctors in Underserved Areas
The Department of Health and Human Services’ J‑1 visa waiver program has amassed a backlog of hundreds of applications, delaying the transition of foreign‑trained doctors to H‑1B status. Without rapid processing, these physicians must leave the U.S. by July 30,...
An Urgent Care Treated Her Allergic Reaction. An ER Monitored Her — For $6,700.
Silvana Toska suffered an anaphylactic reaction after a park sting, received epinephrine and IV fluids at an urgent‑care clinic, and was then transferred to Atrium Health Lake Norman ER for two hours of monitoring. The hospital billed her insurer $6,746.50, labeling...
Florida Delays Children’s Health Insurance Expansion as Uninsured Rate Rises
Florida lawmakers approved a KidCare expansion in 2023 that would extend coverage to more than 40,000 additional children by raising the income threshold to 300% of the federal poverty level. Despite federal approval, the DeSantis administration has not implemented the...
Gounder Culls the News, From Ticks and AI to Who Might Lead CDC
Editor-at-large Céline Gounder of KFF Health News appeared on CBS Mornings, CBS’s The Daily Report, and Scripps News to discuss three pressing health topics. She highlighted a surge in hospital visits during tick season, warned that AI‑generated health podcasts are...
Listen: What To Do When Health Insurance Slips Out of Reach
Health insurance coverage is slipping for many Americans as ACA marketplace sign‑ups fell by roughly one million this year and federal subsidies expired, driving premiums higher. Stricter Medicaid eligibility rules further limit options for low‑income households. KFF Health News correspondent...
Nevada Debuts Public Option Amid Tumultuous Federal Changes to Health Care
Nevada launched its Battle Born public option health plans last fall, aiming to lower premiums and expand coverage. Early enrollment reached just over 10,000 members, far short of the 35,000 target set by state officials. The program must cut premiums...
Listen: Why Do I Need Prior Authorization?
Prior authorization is a pre‑approval step insurers require before covering a prescription or treatment. The criteria triggering a request remain opaque, turning even routine care into a paperwork marathon for physicians. Patients often endure delays, risking condition worsening while providers...
Journalists Unpack Impact of ICE Arrests on Families and Caffeine’s Effect on Dementia Risk
KFF Health News experts appeared on multiple broadcast platforms in February, covering a range of pressing health topics. Elisabeth Rosenthal discussed soaring cancer‑care costs on ABC News Live, while Claudia Boyd‑Barrett highlighted families’ difficulty locating hospitalized ICE detainees on KQED’s...
ACA Subsidies Expired. Open Enrollment Ended. But It Will Still Take Awhile To Register the Results.
Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act closed in February, revealing the first impact of the December 31, 2025 expiration of enhanced premium subsidies. While total sign‑ups exceeded some analysts' forecasts, enrollment was still 1.2 million lower than the same period...
Health Care Heartaches: Your Winning Health Policy Valentines
KFF Health News published a Valentine‑themed roundup of reader‑submitted poems and cartoons that lampoon current health‑policy woes. Submissions spotlight upcoding scandals, soaring insurance premiums, the rise of AI‑driven telehealth, and gaps in menopause expertise. The piece blends humor with genuine...
Clinics Sour on CMS After Agency Scraps 10-Year Primary Care Program Only Months In
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services abruptly terminated the Making Care Primary initiative, a ten‑year federal program designed to bolster primary care in rural areas, after just one year of operation. The model had enrolled roughly 700 practices across...
Louisville Found PFAS in Drinking Water. The Trump Administration Wouldn’t Require Any Action.
Louisville Water discovered a sharp increase in the GenX PFAS variant in December 2024, with concentrations 15 times higher than the previous month, reaching 52 parts per trillion. The spike was traced upstream to Chemours' plant in West Virginia, but...
New Medicaid Work Rules Likely To Hit Middle-Aged Adults Hard
Starting in January, new Medicaid work requirements will compel about 20 million low‑income adults in 42 states to log at least 80 hours of work, volunteering, or schooling each month to retain coverage. The rules disproportionately affect middle‑aged adults, especially women...
End of Enhanced Obamacare Subsidies Puts Tribal Health Lifeline at Risk
Tribal health‑insurance programs that rely on ACA premium subsidies are facing a funding crisis after the enhanced tax credits expired at the end of 2025. Premiums have surged, forcing tribes like Fort Peck and Blackfeet to limit enrollment and risk...
Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
The KFF Health News Minute, a weekly health‑policy briefing, highlighted a range of pressing issues in February. It noted that the expiration of extra Affordable Care Act subsidies is leaving American farmers vulnerable, while hospitals are launching their own Medicare...