KFF Health News

Baltimore is expanding its mobile crisis teams, which send mental health professionals instead of police to non-violent 911 calls, using opioid settlement funds to provide 24/7 services. A woman with mental health struggles was initially arrested for erratic behavior but later received referrals to psychiatrists, therapists, and legal help through the program.

Pediatricians and health departments are avoiding the CDC's vaccine guidance due to changes under the Trump administration, including the replacement of the CDC's vaccine advisory board with anti-vaccine appointees. The CDC removed several vaccines from the recommended schedule, prompting legal challenges and confusion among healthcare providers and the public.

Kern Family Health Care in California uses an AI program named Angelica to assist Medi-Cal patients with enrollment renewals, reducing costs compared to hiring 40 full-time workers. The program, part of efforts to adapt to new Medicaid rules under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by President Donald Trump, facilitates multilingual outreach and appointment scheduling for 387,000 members.

Over 900 people in Washtenaw County, Michigan, have been sickened by cyclosporiasis since mid-June, with public health nurse Linda Kim conducting contact tracing. The outbreak follows a prior measles outbreak in the county, which ended in May, and health officials note cyclosporiasis is generally non-life-threatening in the U.S.

Sturgis Hospital, a rural hospital in Michigan that converted to a federal emergency-focused model to stay open, closed in 2026 after declining emergency department use. The closure highlights concerns about the effectiveness of the Rural Emergency Hospital model under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which is expected to reduce Medicaid funding and strain rural healthcare facilities.

The Trump administration attributes a 3 million drop in Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollment to fraud crackdowns, but experts argue rising premiums and deductibles are the primary cause. The Department of Health and Human Services claims 2.9 million fraudulent enrollments were removed, aligning with the enrollment decline, while critics dispute the report's assumptions and highlight unaffordable costs for consumers.

The Trump administration's Department of Justice has issued a legal opinion challenging the requirement for states to provide home-based services for people with disabilities, reversing a 1999 Supreme Court ruling. This shift has raised fears of reduced support and potential institutionalization among advocacy groups and families like Amanda DeSimone-Shabrack's, who rely on Medicaid-funded home care for her autistic son.

Journalists from KFF Health News discussed the Anthony Fauci Senate hearing, potential FDA changes to peptide drug restrictions, and the impact of children's caffeine consumption on health. Additional topics included the Affordable Care Act enrollment in New Mexico and the effects of losing EPA grant money.

The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, recently recognized as the 575th federally recognized tribe, faces significant healthcare challenges despite potential access to federal funding. The Indian Health Service (IHS), which could provide critical support, is chronically underfunded, and the nearest facility is over two hours away for most Lumbee citizens in Robeson County, an area with high poverty and poor health outcomes.

Former public health officials are running for statewide offices, leveraging their pandemic experience in a political climate marked by debates over health policies. The candidates face challenges as public opinion remains divided over pandemic measures, with some criticized for policies like mask mandates and vaccine rollout.

A 2024 Louisiana law reclassified misoprostol, a drug used to treat postpartum hemorrhages and in medical abortions, as a controlled substance, requiring hospitals to store it securely instead of in emergency carts. This change delays access to the drug during emergencies, increasing risks for patients with conditions like asthma or high blood pressure who rely on misoprostol as their primary hemorrhage treatment option.

The Iowa gubernatorial race centers on Medicaid privatization, with Republican Zach Lahn supporting private insurers and Democrat Rob Sand opposing it. The debate highlights complaints about service denials and efficiency claims.

California Governor Gavin Newsom reversed his stance to support a new paid pregnancy leave program for public school and community college employees, providing up to 14 weeks of paid leave. Previously, he vetoed similar proposals in 2019 and 2024, but lawmakers now approved the policy as part of the state budget, citing improved financial conditions.

Federal loan caps for graduate students, enacted in 2025, aim to reduce student debt and pressure schools to lower tuition but may force healthcare students to rely on private lenders with higher interest rates. Experts warn this could limit career options, exacerbate healthcare provider shortages, and reduce workforce diversity.

Federal cuts to public health funding and the curtailment of CDC's FoodNet program have reduced tracking of deadly pathogens like cyclospora and listeria, raising concerns about undetected foodborne outbreaks. Food safety leaders warn that weakened surveillance increases risks of more severe illnesses and deaths.

The $50 billion Rural Health Transformation program, part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, aims to expand rural healthcare access. States competed for first-year funding allocations, with New Jersey receiving $147 million and Texas $281 million. Public documents for each state are available for review.

The Trump Administration is pressuring hospitals to share detailed, personally identifiable emergency room records with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) via a private contractor, Konza Health. Concerns have been raised about the CPSC's authority, data security, and the mandatory nature of the data collection, which aims to gather information on millions of patients for injuries ranging from broken bones to suicide attempts.

Journalists from KFF Health News discussed health-related topics including tick bites, wildfire smoke, and rising health costs in recent media appearances. The coverage included discussions on the affordability of Affordable Care Act plans, effects of severe heat, and challenges in maintaining consistent health coverage.

Older adults like Shirley Jennett are using home-sharing arrangements with younger tenants to afford aging in place, with nonprofits like Sunshine Home Share Colorado facilitating such matches. These arrangements provide financial support for seniors while offering affordable housing to others, addressing rising housing costs and aging populations.

Sen. Bill Cassidy supports President Trump’s proposed tariffs on imported generic drugs, arguing the price increase could be justified to reduce reliance on China for drug production and protect the U.S. drug supply. Trump’s plan involves a two-year deadline for domestic production, followed by tariffs rising to 200%. Cassidy also mentioned concerns about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s HHS leadership and vaccine policy promises.