Read what’s happening to healthcare in your state . We’re getting sicker with RFK, Jr in charge.
Do you want the Democrats to stand up for healthcare and reinstate the original budget for Medicaid, SNAP And Medicare permanently ?
Raise your voices now. Being silent is being compliant. Also, don’t let them defund Planned Parenthood, it serves 9 million men and women.
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
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Morning Briefing
In This Edition:
- KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
- 1. Team Trump’s Answer to Ballooning Obamacare Premiums: Less Generous Coverage
- 2. Projected Surge in Uninsured Will Strain Local Health Systems
- 3. Montana Advocates Worry About Federal Impacts on Support for Students With Disabilities
- 4. Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
- EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS
- 11. Viewpoints: Kids’ Health Has Worsened Under RFK Jr.; Pilots Deserve Mental Health Care Without Punishment
From KFF Health News:
KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
1. Team Trump’s Answer to Ballooning Obamacare Premiums: Less Generous Coverage
Tens of millions of people face sticker shock enrolling in Affordable Care Act insurance for 2026. To save money, the Trump administration wants them to consider less generous coverage. (Julie Appleby, 9/17)
2. Projected Surge in Uninsured Will Strain Local Health Systems
In South Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, many people go without health insurance, and the health system struggles as a result. Similar communities dot the nation, and more could face such difficulties under President Donald Trump’s tax-and-spending law. (Sam Whitehead and Renuka Rayasam, 9/17)
3. Montana Advocates Worry About Federal Impacts on Support for Students With Disabilities
Montana has a waitlist for people with disabilities who need vocational training, even as schools and disability advocates are concerned about how federal cuts will affect those programs. (Alex Sakariassen, 9/17)
4. Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
The “KFF Health News Minute” brings original health care and health policy reporting from our newsroom to the airwaves each week. (9/16)
Here’s today’s health policy haiku:
ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?
Cuts to aid programs.
Hospitals shift mounting costs
to the rest of us.
– Danny Gruber
If you have a health policy haiku to share, please Contact Usand let us know if we can include your name. Haikus follow the format of 5-7-5 syllables. We give extra brownie points if you link back to an original story.
Opinions expressed in haikus and cartoons are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions of KFF Health News or KFF.
Summaries Of The News:
5. House Spending Bill Offers Band-Aid But Doesn’t Extend ACA Subsidies
The GOP measure that was put forward funds key government health programs through Nov. 21. Republicans say the temporary fix allows them to shore up appropriations bills. Democrats, however, say the GOP is angling for a government shutdown if it won’t consider their health care concerns.
Modern Healthcare: House Spending Bill Sets Up Fight Over ACA Subsidies
House Republican leaders Tuesday unveiled a bill to keep government and key healthcare programs running through Nov. 21, but declined to heed calls to address expiring tax credits for federal marketplace insurance plans. The proposal emerged as Democrats complain Republicans have refused to negotiate with them at all. A growing number of Democrats have also said extending the enhanced tax credits under the Affordable Care Act of 2010 is a requirement for them to vote to keep government funded. (McAuliff, 9/16)
The Washington Post: The GOP Cut Parts Of Obamacare. Now It’s At The Center Of A Funding Fight.
Voters across the country are already beginning to feel the impact of the recent ACA rollbacks. They could also see their premiums rise when enhanced tax subsidies to purchase ACA marketplace insurance plans — which Democrats passed under President Joe Biden — expire at the end of the year. Insurers have already started sending notices to consumers that their premiums will rise significantly in 2026. Without the enhanced tax credits in place, ACA marketplace consumers’ out-of-pocket premium payments will rise by more than 75 percent on average, according to an analysis from KFF, a health policy research organization. (Abutaleb and Meyer, 9/17)
KFF Health News: Team Trump’s Answer To Ballooning Obamacare Premiums: Less Generous Coverage
Trump administration officials, looking at the possible impact of large insurance premium increases for millions of next year’s Obamacare customers, want more people to consider plans with less generous benefits and high deductibles. The agency that oversees the ACA announced early this month that it would expand eligibility for “catastrophic” plans sold in Affordable Care Act online marketplaces. The plans require people to spend more than $10,000 a year on deductibles before the policies pay most medical costs but carry lower monthly premiums than other Obamacare policies. (Appleby, 9/17)
In related news about federal funding cuts and the uninsured —
KFF Health News: Projected Surge In Uninsured Will Strain Local Health Systems
Jake Margo Jr. stood in the triage room at Starr County Memorial Hospital explaining why a person with persistent fever who could be treated with over-the-counter medication didn’t need to be admitted to the emergency room. “We’re going to take care of the sickest patients first,” Margo, a family medicine physician, said. (Whitehead and Rayasam, 9/17)
KFF Health News: Montana Advocates Worry About Federal Impacts On Support For Students With Disabilities
Tucker Jette lives for gaming, but like so many other recent high school graduates, he’s had to come to terms with the reality that he can’t make a living playing video games. And while he may not know yet exactly what he wants to do for a living, said Jette’s mother, Jessie Sather, he does know that earning money for a new computer to support his hobby is one of his top priorities as an 18-year-old preparing to step out on his own. (Sakariassen, 9/17)
KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
Jackie Fortiér reads the week’s news: Federal cuts to food assistance could make it harder for families to stay healthy, and some health insurers are planning to reduce coverage of popular but expensive weight loss drugs. (9/16)
More news from Capitol Hill —
Fierce Healthcare: Nonprofit Hospitals’ Community Benefits Face Lawmaker Scrutiny
Nonprofit hospitals weathered a broadside of criticism on their use of tax benefits and exploitation of “anticompetitive” regulations and policies during a Tuesday afternoon House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee hearing. Testimonies given to the Republican-led committee covered a broad swath of grievances with limited or conditional support for tax-exempt hospitals. (Muoio, 9/17)
MedPage Today: Prior Authorization Continues To Bedevil Congress
As congressional Democrats and Republicans battle over how to avert a potential government shutdown, another issue — reining in prior authorizations — remains on both parties’ radar screens, although it’s unclear whether anything will get done on the topic. The latest version of prior authorization legislation, known as the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, was introduced in the House in May by Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), and in the Senate by Sen. Roger Marshall, MD (R-Kansas). (Frieden, 9/16)
Politico: Trump Wants GOP Lawmakers To Embrace RFK Jr. They’re Having Trouble
President Donald Trump is betting that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s MAHA followers will matter more to Republicans in next year’s elections than people turned off by Kennedy’s vaccine policy moves. But not every Republican lawmaker who has to face the voters is so sure. (Levien and Paun, 9/16)
6. CDC Revokes Work-From-Home For Employees With Disabilities — For Now
HHS’ updated telework policy does not include long-term telework as an option for federal employees with disabilities. The CDC has paused all telework approvals while it awaits clarification from HHS. Also: How companies selling AI tools for patient management are pivoting; NIH funds a center to prevent drug-resistant infections; and more.
Stat: CDC Pauses Work-From-Home Permission For Those With Disabilities
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has revoked permission for employees with disabilities to work from home, at least temporarily, and paused approving reasonable accommodations for new applicants seeking to work from home, according to a Sept. 15 email obtained by STAT. The agency’s decision stems from the Trump administration’s January directive to mostly end remote work for federal employees and is tied to an August update to a broader Health and Human Services telework policy, which the CDC email said did not include long-term telework as an option for federal employees with disabilities. (Broderick, 9/16)
In other health industry news —
Modern Healthcare: Vital, Penguin Ai Offering Guaranteed ROI To Compete Against Epic
The landscape for companies selling artificial intelligence tools was already crowded before Epic bolstered its offerings. The electronic health record company made it clear last month that it wasn’t going to cede the market to other vendors when it announced new AI tools for patients, for providers and for revenue cycle management functions. For some startups, the competition from Epic and elsewhere has meant adjusting their strategies to attract potential customers. (Perna, 9/16)
The Boston Globe: Colon Cancer In Young People Is One Focus Of New Harvard Center
Is sleep loss contributing to the increasing rate of colon cancer in young people? Can nerve cells in our skin be manipulated to ease hyper-sensitivity to touch for patients with autism? And can the breathtakingly complex layer of protective cells around our brain be unlocked so cancer drugs might be more effectively delivered to tumors? Amid a chaotic and uncertain time for federal funding of scientific research, a $30 million gift to Harvard Medical School for a new Brain-Body Center will fuel cutting-edge research to help answer these and other pressing health questions scientists say. (Lazar, 9/17)
CIDRAP: NIH Funds New Center Focused On Preventing Drug-Resistant Infections
Boston Children’s Hospital and Tulane University have received a $25 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to establish a center that will focus on strategies to prevent infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria. The Center of Excellence for Translational Research, housed at Boston Children’s, will be called IMPACT (Immunization against Multidrug-resistant Pathogens: Activating T Cell Immunity) and will target Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae—three pathogens that are frequently resistant to broad-spectrum antibiotics. (Dall, 9/16)
Stat: Black In Neuro Conference Marks Growth Despite Difficult Times
Last year, when organizers were planning 2025’s Black in Neuro week, the conference was meant to be a celebration. Little did they know that hosting the event at the University of the District of Columbia would put attendees just up the road from an administration that has ordered a wholesale defunding of work to diversify the scientific workforce and terminated training grants that supported many of the group’s scientists. The conference, which took place over three days last week, ended up being something between a victory lap marking the organization’s growth and a sober assessment of the political landscape as the Trump administration works in opposition to Black in Neuro’s goal of creating better support systems for Black neuroscientists. (Oza, 9/17)
Also —
MedPage Today: Consider Anal Cancer Screening In Some Older Women, Study Says
The risk of anal cancer in older women with a history of cervical cancer exceeded a “critical threshold” indicated for screening, a large retrospective cohort study showed. The total number of cases of anal cancer after cervical cancer was small, 64 in 85,524 women, but the incidence increased with age, reaching 17.6 cases per 100,000 person-years in women ages 65 to 74, double the rate for similar-age women in the general population, reported Haluk Damgacioglu, PhD, of the Medical University of South Carolina Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston, and coauthors. (Bankhead, 9/16)
The New York Times: Pig Organ Transplants May Pose A Dilemma For Some Jews And Muslims
The sacred texts of Judaism and Islam are in absolute agreement when it comes to the pig: It is taboo, unclean and unfit for human consumption. For Jews, pork is “treyf,” the very opposite of kosher. Pigs have one of the characteristics needed to be kosher (split hooves) but lack the other (they don’t chew their cud). For Muslims, the pig is also forbidden, or “haram,” along with carrion and blood. The Quran mentions the proscription repeatedly. (Caryn Rabin, 9/16)
7. Judge Dismisses State Terrorism Charges Against Luigi Mangione
He is accused of the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year in New York City. Other news related to gun violence is on gun restrictions in the wake of the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting in Minnesota, a return to classes at Utah Valley University following Charlie Kirk’s killing, and more.
The New York Times: State Terrorism Charges Against Luigi Mangione Are Dismissed
Two state terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione, who is accused in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive last year, were dismissed on Tuesday, including one that charged him with first-degree murder. The judge overseeing the case, Gregory Carro, said he had found the evidence behind the charges “legally insufficient.” Mr. Mangione, 27, is still charged with second-degree murder. (Meko, 9/16)
MSNBC: Why A New York State Judge Dismissed Terrorism Charges Against Luigi Mangione
It’s a qualified win for Mangione, 27, that still has him facing the possibility of dying in prison if he is convicted, as he also faces separate federal charges in which prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Tuesday’s ruling nonetheless cuts against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case in the way that Bragg sought to shape it. (Rubin, 9/16)
More on the gun violence epidemic —
CBS News: Annunciation School Families Testify In Support Of Gun Restrictions At Minnesota Capitol 3 Weeks After Shooting
Parents of students who survived the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting late last month testified before a panel of state lawmakers on Monday, imploring them to take action on gun control measures in wake of the attack. It was the first meeting of a Minnesota Senate work group focused on addressing gun violence, which lawmakers established in the days after a gunman opened fire while students and teachers attended Mass to kick off the school year. (Cummings and Leone, 9/15)
CNN: Utah Valley University Students Return To Class One Week After Charlie Kirk Was Killed On Campus
Students are returning to class Wednesday at Utah Valley University just days after prominent conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at an event on campus, thrusting the community into the national spotlight. Nyasha Paradzai, a UVU junior, said he was lined up in front of Kirk, waiting to debate him at the campus event, when he was killed. Since that day, Paradzai said he’s been navigating “countless reminders of the event, countless things that have made me relive that.” “Right now, I’m working to get that horrific image out of my head, because, you know, it’s almost every time you close your eyes, you see it again,” he said. The somber task of returning to a campus that’s been host to deadly gun violence is an all-too-familiar experience for students in America. (Mascarenhas, 9/17)
The Guardian: Minneapolis Police Say More Than A Dozen Hurt In Homeless Encampment Shootings
Minneapolis police have said over a dozen people have been hurt in two separate shootings at homeless encampments across the city on the same day. The first shooting at a transit station wounded five people, and happened in an area that had seen two prior shootings in the past month. Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara rued the shootings as disturbingly commonplace. (Neff, 9/16)
8. Detainees’ Mental Health Declining Rapidly Inside ICE Centers, Lawyers Say
The New York Times reports that overcrowding, a lack of proper food, withheld medications, and no mental health treatment are all contributing factors. Since Jan. 1, at least 12 detainees have reportedly died, with at least two of those by suicide.
The New York Times: ‘People Are Losing Hope’: Suicide Risk Is Rife In ICE Detention Centers
Daniel Cortes De La Valle had been in immigration detention for more than seven months — sleeping in dirty cells, being mocked by guards for his weight and being denied his epilepsy medication — when, in July 2023, he tried to hang himself. “‘I can’t anymore,’” Mr. Cortes De La Valle, 35, recalls thinking. “‘I don’t want to do this anymore. It’s like a horror movie.’” (Goldberg, 9/16)
On youth mental health care —
Axios: Exclusive: Half Of Young People Plagued By Loneliness, Family Problems
Half of U.S. youth say that loneliness has a daily disruptive impact on their mental health, according to Hopelab and Data For Progress survey results shared exclusively with Axios. The big picture: The polls shows two different paths, with over half of respondents reporting good mental health, though that state of well-being strongly correlates with income and LGBTQ+ identity. (Rubin, 9/16)
NPR: RFK Jr. Panned Mental Health Screenings In Schools. Here Are 3 Things To Know
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and Education Secretary Linda McMahon want schools to do away with mental health screenings and therapy. Instead, they argue in a Washington Post opinion piece that schools “must return to the natural sources of mental well-being: strong families, nutrition and fitness, and hope for the future.” In the op-ed, the two secretaries mention a recent bill signed by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, which requires all schools in the state to offer mental health screening tests, starting with third graders. The screenings are standardized questionnaires that ask children about their feelings and well-being. (Chatterjee, 9/16)
WPR: Insurance Company’s School-Based Mental Health Initiative Reaches Students Across Wisconsin
The company that provides health insurance and retirement benefits for Wisconsin teachers has been quietly focusing its charitable efforts on student mental health. The philanthropic arm of WEA Member Benefits has helped facilitate and fund more than $1.6 million for 20 school districts across the state. The money has funded everything from teacher training to co-pays and deductibles for students and educators, said Steve Goldberg, executive director of the WEA Member Benefits Foundation. (Hess, 9/17)
On social media and chatbots —
AP: Parents Of Teens Who Died By Suicide After AI Chatbot Interactions Testify To Congress
Parents whose teenagers killed themselves after interactions with artificial intelligence chatbots testified to Congress on Tuesday about the dangers of the technology. “What began as a homework helper gradually turned itself into a confidant and then a suicide coach,” said Matthew Raine, whose 16-year-old son Adam died in April. “Within a few months, ChatGPT became Adam’s closest companion,” the father told senators. (O’Brien, 9/16)
CBS News: OpenAI Says It Is Rolling Out New Safety Measures For ChatGPT Users Under 18
OpenAI announced Tuesday that it is directing teens to an age-appropriate version of its ChatGPT technology as it seeks to bolster safeguards amid a period of heightened scrutiny over the chatbot’s safety. Users of the chatbot identified as under the age of 18 will automatically be directed to a version of ChatGPT governed by “age-appropriate” content rules, OpenAI said in a statement. This under-age edition includes protection policies such as blocking sexual content and — “in rare cases of acute distress” — law enforcement to ensure a user’s safety, according to the company. (Cunningham, 9/16)
9. Eli Lilly Names Richmond, Virginia, As First Of Four Upcoming Expansion Sites
The $5 billion manufacturing plant will be the company’s first fully integrated facility for active pharmaceutical ingredients, Becker’s Hospital Review reported. More news is on the FDA’s crackdown on drug ads; medical device recalls; and more.