Gavin Newsom, Early Champion of Single-Payer, Moderates in the Face of Fiscal Limits
Governor Gavin Newsom entered office championing a California single‑payer system, but the $500 billion annual cost and lack of federal support forced a pivot to incremental reforms. He expanded Medi‑Cal to cover low‑income immigrants and incarcerated people, launched the CalRx generic‑drug label, and poured $37 billion into homelessness and housing services. While Medicaid spending more than doubled to $222.4 billion, critics argue coverage gaps persist and health‑care access remains uneven. As his approval slips, Newsom’s health‑care record will shape his potential 2028 presidential bid.
Big Companies Position Themselves for Payday From $50B Federal Rural Health Fund
Congress earmarked a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program to modernize technology in America’s underserved areas, even as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act slashed Medicaid funding by nearly $1 trillion over ten years. Large coalitions led by firms such as SAIC...
The Help That Many Older Americans Need Most
Community health workers (CHWs) are increasingly deployed in rural Oregon and Washington to address non‑medical needs of frail older adults, from transportation to housing assistance. A 90‑day pilot program, Connected Care for Older Adults, costs $1,500 per patient and has...
‘What the Health?’ Podcast: RFK Jr. Vs. Congress
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrapped a House and Senate committee tour aimed at selling President Donald Trump’s health‑budget proposal while fielding questions on his outspoken vaccine views. The same week, Trump signed an executive order to streamline the use of hallucinogenic...
Readers Chime In on Reproductive Rights, Therapy Chatbots, Medical Debt, and More
The letters to the editor published by KFF Health News raise a spectrum of pressing health policy concerns. In Michigan, urgent‑care clinics are stepping in to provide abortion services, exposing the strain on rural health systems already facing a projected...
Watch: Acknowledging Health Care’s Great Divide
In a recent KFF Health News interview, former Obama adviser and health‑policy scholar David Blumenthal explained why fixing America’s health‑care system is so difficult. He highlighted the president’s outsized, often overlooked, authority to shape health policy and the entrenched partisan...
Medigap Premiums Leap, and Consumers Have Few Alternatives
Medigap premiums are surging nationwide, with Chubb abruptly raising rates 45% for a group of Illinois clients in August. Early‑2026 filings show Plan G premiums climbing 12%‑26% among major carriers such as Aetna, UnitedHealthcare and Humana. Approximately 12 million Americans—about 43% of...
California Lawmakers Seek Protections for Patients in ICE Custody
California senators introduced two bills to shield patients in ICE custody from isolation and interference at hospitals. SB 915 would largely prohibit "blackout" policies, require notification of families, limit ICE agents in patient rooms, and mandate documentation of officer IDs....
They’re in Remission, but Their Medical Bills Aren’t: Cancer Survivors Navigate Soaring Costs
Cancer survivors in the United States are confronting soaring out‑of‑pocket expenses even after remission. The article follows Marielle Santos McLeod, who continues to pay thousands in chemotherapy and follow‑up bills, and cites a 2024 survey showing 47 % of survivors carry medical...
Montana Moves Ahead With Doula Pay but Warns Medicaid Cuts Still May Come
Montana officials reversed a pause and are moving ahead with a plan to reimburse doulas through Medicaid, estimating a first‑year cost of about $118,000. The initiative, approved by lawmakers last year, still requires federal approval before payments can start. State...
In Connecticut, Doctors Now Sue Patients Most Over Medical Bills, Surpassing Hospitals
In Connecticut, lawsuits over unpaid medical bills have shifted from hospitals to non‑hospital providers. In 2024, doctors, dentists, and ambulance companies accounted for more than 80% of health‑care collection cases, up from a minority five years earlier. These suits typically...
Journalists Talk Hot Health Topics: Urgent Care Clinics Performing Abortions and Doulas’ Pay
KFF Health News featured three journalists discussing pressing health policy issues: urgent‑care clinics expanding abortion services in rural Michigan, Medicaid cuts jeopardizing doula reimbursement for Indigenous communities in Montana, and Farm Bureau health plans lowering premiums by excluding high‑risk members....
What the Health? From KFF Health News: A New CDC Nominee, Again
President Donald Trump nominated former deputy surgeon general Erica Schwartz, a Navy physician who publicly supports vaccines, to lead the CDC. If confirmed, Schwartz would become the agency’s fourth director in roughly a year, underscoring the turmoil at the nation’s...
Listen: With Little Federal Regulation, States Are Left To Shape the Rules on AI in Health Care
The White House and several states are at odds over how to regulate artificial intelligence in health care, leaving states to fill the regulatory vacuum. Maryland and Virginia illustrate the split, with each adopting distinct rules for AI use in...
New Federal Medicaid Rules Require One Month of Work. Some States Demand More.
Under the federal Medicaid work‑requirement law signed by President Trump, most states must verify that applicants have worked, studied, or volunteered for at least one month. Republican‑led states such as Indiana and Idaho have pushed the bar to three consecutive...
As US Birth Rate Falls, Feds’ Response May Make Pregnancy More Dangerous
U.S. births slipped to 3.6 million in 2025, a 1% drop from the previous year, pushing the fertility rate to 53.1 per 1,000 women – the lowest since 2007. The Trump administration is repurposing Title X, the nation’s sole federal family‑planning program,...
Medi-Cal Immigrant Enrollment Is Dropping. Researchers Point to Trump’s Policies.
Medi-Cal enrollment among undocumented immigrants in California has sharply declined, with roughly 100,000 leaving the program between June and December, accounting for a quarter of all disenrollments. Overall Medi-Cal enrollment fell about 1.6 million since its May 2023 peak, a reversal of...
Rovner Recaps Medicaid Cuts’ Impact on Hospitals and Fields Caller Questions on Affordability
Julie Rovner, KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent, recapped the impact of recent Medicaid cuts on American hospitals during WAMU’s 1A interview on April 7. She highlighted how reduced Medicaid reimbursements strain hospital cash flow and could force cuts to uncompensated...
Watch: As AI Makes More Health Coverage Decisions, the Risks to Patients Grow
Health insurers are touting artificial intelligence as a cost‑saving tool for coverage decisions, a claim echoed in recent earnings calls. The Trump administration has launched a pilot using AI to streamline Medicare prior‑authorization, signaling federal support for algorithmic triage. However,...
For Many Patients Leaving the ICU, the Struggle Has Only Just Begun
The article highlights post‑intensive care syndrome (PICS), a cluster of lasting physical, cognitive, and mental health problems that affect more than half of the roughly 5 million Americans admitted to ICUs each year. It follows the recovery of Joseph Masterson, who...
What the Health? From KFF Health News: Abortion Pills, the Budget, and RFK Jr.
A federal judge in Louisiana delayed a ruling on the abortion drug mifepristone after a request from the Trump administration, sparking anger from anti‑abortion groups. The administration’s FY2027 budget proposes more than $15 billion in cuts to HHS programs, a smaller...
Farm Bureau Plans Are a Less Pricey Alternative to ACA Coverage — With Trade-Offs
Rising ACA premiums are pushing consumers toward lower‑cost alternatives, such as farm bureau health plans now available in Missouri and 13 other states. Membership in a state farm bureau costs $30‑$50 annually and grants access to plans that can be...
States Face Another Challenge With Medicaid Work Rules: Staffing Shortages
Congressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed by President Trump, will impose new Medicaid work requirements that take effect for most states on Jan. 1, 2027. The rule shifts eligibility verification from annual to semi‑annual checks and adds a workload...
Urgent Care Clinics Move To Fill Abortion Care Gaps in Rural Areas
After the Planned Parenthood clinic in Marquette, Michigan shut down, urgent‑care physician Shawn Brown began offering medication abortions at her Marquette Medical Urgent Care. The clinic now provides up to four abortions per week, serving patients from a 500‑mile stretch...
Trump’s Personnel Agency Is Asking for Federal Workers’ Medical Records
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has issued a notice demanding that 65 insurers provide monthly, personally identifiable health data for more than 8 million federal employees, retirees and their families. The request covers medical, pharmacy, encounter and provider information without...
Can I Opt Out of Having My Doctor Take Notes With AI?
Family physicians are increasingly adopting AI-powered notetaking tools that listen to patient conversations and generate visit summaries within seconds. Cleveland Clinic doctor Eric Boose reports that the technology lets him focus on face‑to‑face interaction, reduces charting time, and lets him...
These Women Had Their Breasts Removed To Thwart Cancer. Then Came the Pain.
Post‑mastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS) afflicts a substantial share of women after breast‑removal surgery, with prevalence estimates ranging from 10% to over 50%. The condition often goes undiagnosed and untreated, leaving patients like Sophia Bassan in chronic, disabling pain despite successful...
Journalists Capsulize Weight Loss News and ACA Premium Pressures
KFF Health News spotlighted two pressing health issues this spring. On April 2, editor‑at‑large Céline Gounder discussed the FDA’s approval of a new weight‑loss pill during a CBS Mornings interview, outlining its clinical promise and market potential. A week earlier, Southern correspondent...
Tax Time Brings Surprises for Some Who Receive ACA Subsidies
Tax season is exposing ACA enrollees to surprise repayment bills as they must reconcile premium subsidies with actual income. In 2025, most recipients faced a capped repayment of up to $1,625 for individuals, but a new law eliminates those caps...
Listen: What the Vaccine Schedule Whiplash Means for Your Kids
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s effort to adopt a shortened childhood vaccine schedule championed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The decision, likely to be appealed, leaves the nation in a policy limbo...
US Scientists Sequence 1,000 Genomes From Measles, a Disease Long Eliminated With Vaccines
The CDC has posted its first batch of whole‑genome sequences from roughly 1,000 measles viruses collected in 2025‑2026, marking the United States' inaugural use of large‑scale genomic surveillance for the disease. The data will allow researchers to trace transmission pathways...
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...
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...