Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act Darkens Outlook for Government-Backed Clinics
Nebraska will become the first state to implement the work‑requirement provisions of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, forcing certain Medicaid expansion enrollees to prove 80 hours of work or volunteer each month. Bluestem Health, a safety‑net clinic in Lincoln serving 21,000 low‑income patients, estimates that up to 15% of its Medicaid population could be disenrolled, threatening roughly $600,000 in annual revenue. Nationwide, the Commonwealth Fund projects the law could strip $32 billion from community health centers over five years, affecting 5.6 million patients. The financial hit may compel clinics to cut staff and services just as uninsured demand is expected to rise.
Trump’s Hunt for Undocumented Medicaid Enrollees Yields Few Violators
In August, the Trump administration ordered states to re‑verify Medicaid enrollment for individuals whose immigration status was unclear. Five states that reported back found only a handful of undocumented enrollees were removed, with Pennsylvania and Colorado terminating none, Texas 77,...
Trump Team Claims Successes Against ACA Fraud While Pushing for More Controls
The Trump administration touts recent reductions in Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollment fraud while unveiling a sweeping set of 2027 regulations aimed at tightening eligibility verification and curbing broker misconduct. Complaints about unauthorized enrollments climbed to 341,906 in 2025, prompting...
Even With Dental Insurance, You Still Could Face a Large Bill
Even with dental insurance, many Americans still face sizable out‑of‑pocket bills. The article follows 65‑year‑old Russell Anthony, who expects to spend about $2,000 on dental care despite having coverage, illustrating the common "100/80/50" rule and annual benefit caps of $1,000‑$2,000....
Journalists Shine Light on Out-of-Reach Insurance Prices, AI’s Role in Claims Disputes, and Susie Wiles
KFF Health News senior correspondent Renuka Rayasam highlighted the "Priced Out" series on health‑insurance affordability, while rural health reporter Andrew Jones warned of a widening measles outbreak across North and South Carolina. Editor‑at‑large Céline Gounder explained how hospitals and insurers...
Listen: Trump’s NIH ‘Reset’ Is Driving Away Scientists
The National Institutes of Health has seen roughly 20% of its workforce depart during President Trump’s second term, driven by budget cuts and a politically charged environment. Former NIH scientists warn that this exodus—often called a brain drain—could curtail breakthrough...
Many ACA Customers Are Paying Higher Premiums. Most Blame Trump and Republicans, Poll Finds.
A new KFF poll finds that 80% of ACA marketplace enrollees face higher premiums this year, with half describing the increase as "a lot higher." More than half say they will have to cut other household expenses, and 17% fear...
Oz Says California’s Not Fighting Health Care Fraud, but Data Shows It’s Part of a Larger Battle
CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz has publicly accused California of rampant hospice and home‑health fraud, claiming up to $3.5 billion in Los Angeles County alone and threatening to withhold Medicaid payments. Federal data, however, shows California recovers more than half of...
Evidence Shows ACA’s Mandated Benefits Alone Don’t Drive Up Costs. The Debate Continues.
President Donald Trump has again blamed the Affordable Care Act for rising health‑care costs, citing premium spikes since the law’s rollout. Data show ACA individual premiums have risen 129% since 2014, outpacing the 68% increase in employer‑based plans, while deductibles...
Maker of Device To Treat Addiction Withdrawal Seeks Counties’ Opioid Settlement Cash
Kentucky counties are using opioid settlement money to purchase the NET device, a FDA‑cleared neuromodulation tool that eases withdrawal symptoms, at roughly $5,500 per patient. The company behind NET, NET Recovery, has secured about $1.2 million in contracts across more than...
Lost in Transmission: Changes in Organ Donor Status Can Fall Through Cracks in the System
The article highlights a systemic gap in U.S. organ donation where a donor’s later “no” can be overridden by an earlier “yes” from another state, as illustrated by the case of Raven Kinser. State‑based donor registries and the private, federally...
Birth Control Skepticism, Teen Fertility Education Center Stage at Trump’s Women’s Health Summit
The Trump administration’s inaugural National Conference on Women’s Health brought together philanthropists, health‑tech executives, and fringe medical voices to discuss women’s health issues. A central theme was early fertility conversations with girls, promoted by anti‑abortion doctors who also questioned the...
Reckoning With State and Federal Cuts, Los Angeles Safety-Net Clinics Push for a New Tax
Los Angeles safety‑net providers, led by St. John’s Community Health, face a potential one‑third drop in their $240 million annual budget as federal Medicaid cuts and state budget tightening bite. To plug the shortfall, a coalition of clinics and advocates is...
Is It Worth Your Time and Money To Set Up an HSA?
Health savings accounts (HSAs) let users contribute pre‑tax dollars for qualified medical expenses and offer a triple tax advantage—tax‑free contributions, earnings, and withdrawals. Recent legislation expanded eligibility to include ACA bronze and catastrophic plans, increasing the pool of potential users....
In Switching to Original Medicare, Beware of Medigap Plan Refusals
During the Medicare Advantage open enrollment period, beneficiaries can switch to Original Medicare, but obtaining a Medigap supplement may be blocked by medical underwriting. While federal law offers a six‑month guaranteed‑issue window for new Medicare Part B enrollees, most retirees lose...
Journalists Talk Medicaid Work Mandate in Georgia and Wage Garnishment Bill in Colorado
KFF Health News correspondents highlighted two state‑level policy debates: Georgia's proposed Medicaid work mandate targeting adults 50‑64, and Colorado's bill to limit wage garnishment for medical debt. In Georgia, the rule would require 20 hours of work or community service...
Families Scramble To Pay Five-Figure Bills as Clock Ticks on Promised Preauthorization Reforms
Patients like Sheldon Ekirch have spent nearly $90,000 fighting insurer denials for costly IVIG therapy, only to receive coverage after a Virginia external review overturned Anthem's decision. The case highlights ongoing frustrations with prior‑authorization processes despite industry pledges, made last...
Republicans Fret Over RFK Jr.’s Anti-Vaccine Policies While MAHA Moms Stew
Republican leaders are uneasy as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushes an aggressive anti‑vaccine and pesticide‑reduction agenda under the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) banner. While the White House cools on his vaccine stance, Kennedy’s supporters demand stricter COVID‑19 vaccine...
Cosmetic Surgery Investigation Prompts Warnings for Patients, and a Push for Tighter Safety Standards
An investigation by KFF Health News and NBC News into cosmetic‑surgery chains has triggered warnings from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and calls for greater transparency on physician discipline in California. The series uncovered multiple deaths and severe complications...
More Kids Are in ERs for Tooth Pain. Trump Cuts and RFK Jr.’s Anti-Fluoride Fight Aren’t Helping.
Eight‑year‑old Jonah’s severe tooth infection forced his family into two emergency‑room visits, highlighting a national surge in pediatric dental emergencies. ER visits for non‑traumatic dental issues among children rose roughly 60% from 2019 to 2022, with some hospitals reporting increases...
Banks Are Becoming Bulwarks Against Scams for Vulnerable Seniors
Elder financial exploitation continues to surge, with the FTC reporting $2.4 billion in losses in 2024 and AARP estimating $28 billion annually. A 76‑year‑old Rhode Island retiree narrowly avoided a $250,000 fraud after a bank teller escalated the case to police. In...
Newsom Picks a Dogfight With Trump and RFK Jr. On Public Health
California Governor Gavin Newsom is positioning the state as a national public‑health bulwark by hiring former CDC officials, forming the West Coast Health Alliance with Oregon, Washington and Hawaii, and becoming the first state to join a WHO‑coordinated outbreak network....
Red and Blue States Alike Want To Limit AI in Insurance. Trump Wants To Limit the States.
A bipartisan wave of state legislation is targeting the use of artificial intelligence in health‑insurance decisions, with at least nine states passing or proposing limits on AI‑driven claim denials and prior authorizations. President Trump’s December executive order seeks to preempt...
