With Property Seized and Federal Funding Uncertain, Montana Asbestos Clinic Fights for Its Life
By Aaron Bolton, MTPR
The Center for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby, Montana, closed in May after a court judgment allowing BNSF Railway to seize its assets. Now, the clinic’s federal funding is in jeopardy, too.
Federal Proposals Threaten Provider Taxes, Key Source of Medicaid Funding for States
By Bernard J. Wolfson
Republican proposals to tighten the use of special taxes to fund Medicaid programs could deprive states of billions of dollars for safety net health care. In California, any such limit would come on top of Medicaid cuts proposed by California Democrats in response to a $12 billion state deficit.
Trump Team’s Reworking Delays Billions in Broadband Build-Out
By Sarah Jane Tribble
A Trump administration reworking of a $42 billion broadband expansion program will trigger delays as millions of rural Americans wait for promised connections and the telehealth services they bring.
Daily Edition for Wednesday, June 18, 2025
5-Day Strike Will Shutter Most Of Children’s Hospital Oakland: Health care workers at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland plan to begin a five-day strike today over what they say are cuts in take-home pay under new union contracts slated to take effect in July. The hospital system’s outpatient locations — in Walnut Creek, San Ramon, Brentwood, and Emeryville — will largely be closed to in-person activities such as appointments and procedures. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
An Arm and a Leg: The Prescription Drug Playbook, Part I
By Dan Weissmann
In Part 1 of a two-part series on dealing with the high price of prescription drugs, a father explains the strategies he used to get his daughter the medicine she needs to treat her epilepsy.
Have Job-Based Health Coverage at 65? You May Still Want To Sign Up for Medicare
By Michelle Andrews
Patient advocates say they frequently hear from people who thought they didn’t need to sign up for Medicare when they turned 65 because they had group health coverage. That delay sometimes forces people to cover medical expenses themselves.
Daily Edition for Tuesday, June 17, 2025
States Agree To New $7.4 Billion Purdue Pharma Opioid Settlement: California will receive up to $440 million to fund addiction treatment and other services under a nationwide settlement agreement announced Monday with Purdue Pharma, the company responsible for inventing, manufacturing and marketing the highly addictive opioid OxyContin. Read more from KQED.
‘MAGA’ Backers Like Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ — Until They Learn of Health Consequences
By Phil Galewitz
A new poll finds that most adults oppose the GOP bill that would extend many of President Donald Trump’s tax cuts while reducing spending on domestic programs including Medicaid. Most Trump backers support the plan until they learn that millions would lose health coverage and local hospitals would lose funding.
Nurse Practitioners Critical in Treating Older Adults as Ranks of Geriatricians Shrink
By Jariel Arvin
The number of nurse practitioners specializing in geriatrics has more than tripled since 2010.
The Price You Pay for an Obamacare Plan Could Surge Next Year
By Daniel Chang
An estimated 4 million Americans will lose health insurance over the next decade if Congress doesn’t extend enhanced subsidies for Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage, which expire at the end of the year. Florida and Texas would see the biggest losses, in part because they have not expanded Medicaid eligibility.
