Congressman Blames Trump for Ending Telehealth Medicare Benefit. That’s Not Quite Right.
By Suz Redfearn
Rep. Ro Khanna of California warned of Trump administration “cuts” to Medicare telehealth access hitting March 31. But if Medicare recipients lose telemedicine benefits that day, it will be because Congress failed to act.
Daily Edition for Monday, March 17, 2025
SF Launches One-Year Effort To Reform Homelessness And Mental Health Services: San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is expected to sign an executive directive today that lays out how he wants to make near- and long-term improvements to city systems that assist people who are unhoused or mentally ill. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle. Keep reading for more on the housing crisis.
Checking the Facts on Medicaid Use by Latinos
By Paula Andalo and Isabel Rubio, Factchequeado
Republicans’ moves to scale back Medicaid are leading to more misinformation about immigrants, especially Latinos, circulating on social media platforms. The misconceptions include the myths that Latinos covered by Medicaid don’t work and that they use Medicaid significantly more than others.
Watch: The Dr. Oz Show Comes to Congress
By Julie Rovner and Rachana Pradhan and Stephanie Armour
Video by Hannah Norman
The Senate Finance Committee questioned Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. KFF Health News reporters discussed the biggest takeaways from the hearing.
Verificando cinco mitos sobre los latinos y Medicaid
By Paula Andalo and Isabel Rubio, Factchequeado
Los recortes de gastos, la inmigración y Medicaid están bien arriba en la lista de prioridades en la agenda de Washington. Este clima politico ofrece un terreno fértil para que la desinformación y los mitos se multipliquen en las redes sociales.
Scientist Whose Work Led FDA To Ban Food Dye Says Agency Overstated Risk
By Phil Galewitz
Almost 40 years ago, Joseph Borzelleca published a study on red dye No. 3, a petroleum-based food coloring. The FDA cited his work to ban the additive in January. But Borzelleca says it’s safe.
Scientists Say NIH Officials Told Them To Scrub mRNA References on Grants
By Arthur Allen
Two senior scientists say National Institutes of Health officials advised them to remove references to mRNA vaccines in grant applications, and they fear the Trump administration will abandon a promising field of medical research.
Daily Edition for Friday, March 14, 2025
Medicaid Shortfall Raises Concerns: California lawmakers are calling for answers after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office floated a $3.44 billion loan to bail out the Medi-Cal program, bringing renewed scrutiny on the state’s coverage of undocumented immigrants. Lawmakers said they were caught off guard by the news and still don’t understand the extent of the shortfall. Read more from Politico. Scroll down for more about Medi-Cal costs and cuts.
Barbershop Killing Escalates Trauma for Boston Neighborhood Riven by Gun Violence
By Chaseedaw Giles
American communities plagued by gun violence, including Four Corners in Boston, honor pockets of safety as sacred spaces. A brazen barbershop killing was a new and traumatic violation.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The Cutting Continues
The Trump administration’s efforts to downsize the federal government continue, with both personnel and programs being cut at the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Social Security Administration. Meanwhile, the fight over cuts to the Medicaid program for those with low incomes heats up, as Republicans worry that more of their voters than ever before are Medicaid beneficiaries. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Jeff Grant, who recently retired from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services after 41 years in government service.
