Ballad Health’s Hospital Monopoly Underperformed. Then Tennessee Lowered the Bar.
By Brett Kelman
Ballad Health, a state-sanctioned hospital monopoly in Tennessee and Virginia, can now be deemed a “clear and convincing” benefit to the public with performance that would earn a “D” on most grading scales, according to Tennessee state documents.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Live From AHCJ: Shock and Awe in Federal Health Policy
This episode was taped live on Friday, May 30, at the annual conference of the Association of Health Care Journalists in Los Angeles. Host Julie Rovner moderated a panel featuring Rachel Nuzum, senior vice president for policy at The Commonwealth Fund; Berenice Núñez Constant, senior vice president of government relations and civic engagement at AltaMed Health Services; and Anish Mahajan, chief deputy director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The panelists discussed the national, state, and local implications of funding cuts made over the first 100 days of the second Trump administration and the potential fallout of reductions that have been proposed but not yet implemented. The panelists also took questions from health reporters in the audience.
Daily Edition for Monday, June 2, 2025
Medi-Cal eligibility; summer covid surge; vaccine access; HIV prevention funding; violence in hospitals; cancer research; and more.
RFK Jr. Says Healthy Pregnant Women Don’t Need Covid Boosters. What the Science Says.
By Jackie Fortiér
Despite opposition by the leader of the Department of Health and Human Services, existing evidence on the safety and efficacy of getting a covid vaccine during pregnancy all points the same way: The shots are important for maternal and fetal health.
Role Reversal: Millions of Kids Are Caregivers for Elders. Why Their Numbers Might Grow.
By Leah Fabel
Illustration by Oona Zenda
As state officials anticipate Medicaid funding cuts that could strip resources for those with disabilities and chronic health conditions, an army of unpaid caregivers waits in the wings: children. At least 5.4 million kids are estimated to be caring for family members at home, a number likely to rise if Medicaid cuts hit professional home-based services.
Daily Edition for Friday, May 30, 2025
Prison mental health; MAHA report errors; Medicaid and ACA; doctors moving to Canada; hospital watch; measles; covid; and more.
American Doctors Are Moving to Canada To Escape the Trump Administration
By Brett Kelman
Illustration by Oona Zenda
Canada has seen a surge of American doctors seeking to move north in the months since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.
$20K Bonuses Among Latest Moves To Improve California’s Prison Mental Health System
By Don Thompson
After decades of unsuccessful efforts to improve California prison conditions, advocates and a federal judge are betting that bonuses and better work accommodations will attract and keep the mental health professionals needed to better treat prisoners.
Médicos estadounidenses se mudan a Canadá para escapar de la administración Trump
By Brett Kelman
El Consejo Médico de Canadá afirmó que el número de médicos estadounidenses que han dado el primer paso para obtener la licencia en Canadá, ha aumentado más del 750%.
Daily Edition for Thursday, May 29, 2025
Air and food safety; Medicaid cuts; transgender care; biomedical research; vaccines; homelessness; and more.
