‘Cancer Doesn’t Care’: Citizen Lobbyists Unite To Push Past Washington’s Ugly Politics
By Noam N. Levey
Despite a poisonous political climate, hundreds of volunteer advocates put partisan differences aside and pressed Congress to help people with cancer.
Daily Edition for Monday, October 20, 2025
3 Cases Of Severe Mpox Strain Cause Worry In California: The confirmed cases in Long Beach and Los Angeles County are not related to one another. “This is the first time clade I cases without a history of international travel have been reported in California or the United States,” the California Department of Public Health said. Read more from KQED and The Bay Area Reporter.
Private Medicare, Medicaid Plans Exaggerate In-Network Mental Health Options, Watchdogs Say
By Tony Leys
A federal probe of Medicare and Medicaid plans run by private insurance companies found that the plan operators often overstated how many mental health providers were available in their networks. In some cases, investigators found providers had never had contracts with plans they were listed on.
Daily Edition for Friday, October 17, 2025
Mpox Infections Reported In LA County: The first two cases in the U.S. of a more severe strain of mpox not linked to travel have been confirmed in L.A. County. Health officials on Thursday confirmed a case of clade I mpox in an adult. Long Beach health officials on Tuesday confirmed a separate case. Both patients were hospitalized and are now recovering at home. Read more from LAist and the Los Angeles Times.
States Jostle Over $50B Rural Health Fund as Trump’s Medicaid Cuts Trigger Scramble
By Sarah Jane Tribble
States are battling for their piece of $50 billion in federal rural health funding, but it’s not just hospitals vying for the money. Tech startups and policy demands are raising the stakes as Medicaid cuts loom.
After Chiding Democrats on Transgender Politics, Newsom Vetoes a Key Health Measure
By Christine Mai-Duc
California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have expanded access to hormone therapy, a top priority for the trans community. Advocates say it would have ensured continuity in gender-affirming care amid Trump administration attacks. Analysts say it’s another sign of the Democrat’s move to the center.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Schrödinger’s Government Shutdown
Democrats and Republicans remain stalled over funding the federal government as Republicans launch a new attack on the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is taking advantage of the shutdown to lay off workers from programs supported mostly by Democrats. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews health insurance analyst Louise Norris about Medicare open enrollment.
Daily Edition for Thursday, October 16, 2025
California To Offer $11 Insulin Pens: Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced a plan to offer $11 insulin pens through the state’s pharmaceutical venture. Beginning Jan. 1, consumers can purchase a five-pack for a suggested price of $55. Read more from the Los Angeles Times and CalMatters. Scroll down for more news from the governor's office.
An Age-Old Fear Grows More Common: ‘I’m Going To Die Alone’
By Judith Graham
Illustration by Oona Zenda
As families fracture, people are living longer and are more likely to find themselves without close relatives or friends at the end of their lives.
It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s a Chemtrail? New Conspiracy Theory Takes Wing at Kennedy’s HHS
By Stephanie Armour
The idea that airplane vapors are toxic to people or that there are ongoing efforts to intentionally change the climate made the social media rounds. Now, it has found advocates at the Department of Health and Human Services.
