Monday, October 27, 2025
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Morning Briefing
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In This Edition:
- KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
- 1. Doctors Muffled as Florida Moves To End Decades of Childhood Vaccination Mandates
- 2. As Sports Betting Explodes, States Try To Set Limits To Stop Gambling Addiction
- 3. Reporters Cover the Shutdown and the Use of AI in Health Care
- EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS
- 10. Viewpoints: Annual Open Enrollment Is About Making More Money; New Meds Make Dementia Less Scary
From KFF Health News:
KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
1. Doctors Muffled as Florida Moves To End Decades of Childhood Vaccination Mandates
Florida has announced plans to end mandatory vaccination. Now scientists are assessing which of several diseases deadly to children — whooping cough, measles, polio, rubella, mumps, diphtheria, and tetanus — are likely to make a resurgence and when. (Arthur Allen, 10/27)
2. As Sports Betting Explodes, States Try To Set Limits To Stop Gambling Addiction
Some advocates and lawmakers want to impose national regulations on the gambling industry but would settle for reining in excessive betting at the state level. (Karen Brown, New England Public Media, 10/27)
3. Reporters Cover the Shutdown and the Use of AI in Health Care
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national or local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances. (10/25)
Here’s today’s health policy haiku:
A LITTLE RELIEF
AI scribes are here!
They’ll draft your note; start your bill.
Pricey burnout cure…
– Hannah Neprash
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:
4. Obamacare Premiums Will Climb 30% On Average Next Year
The news of premium spikes arrives during the prolonged federal government shutdown, which was prompted in part by a fight over the extension of Obamacare subsidies. Higher premiums and a loss of subsidies could mean skyrocketing health care costs for millions. More coverage is on SNAP, WIC, and other impacts of the shutdown.
The Washington Post: Average Obamacare Premiums Set To Increase By 30 Percent
Premiums for the most popular types of plans sold on the federal health insurance marketplace Healthcare.gov will spike on average by 30 percent next year, according to final rates approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and shown in documents reviewed by The Washington Post. The rise in prices — affecting up to 17 million Americans who buy coverage on the federal marketplace — are by far the largest annual premium increases in recent years. The higher premiums, along with the likely expiration of pandemic-era subsidies, mean millions of people will see their health insurance payments double or even triple in 2026. (Winfield Cunningham, 10/24)
NPR: A Health Insurance ‘Death Spiral’ Looms If Young People Drop Out As Prices Spike
Chloe Chalakani has a lot at stake in the health care fight at the heart of the government shutdown. Chalakani runs a small culinary business with her partner in the coastal town of Thomaston, Maine. As temperatures drop and the height of her busy tourist season winds down, she’s hitting her list of fall administrative tasks, including health insurance enrollment. She uses CoverME.gov, the Affordable Care Act marketplace in Maine, also known as Obamacare. (Simmons-Duffin, 10/26)
NBC News: Is It Cheaper To Pay For Medical Care Without Health Insurance?
With the cost of health insurance set to rise, some Americans are asking a surprising question: Is it actually cheaper to get medical care without it? The short answer: Sometimes. But not often. And it may require a little — or a lot — of homework. Some hospitals and clinics offer self-pay or cash only discounts for patients who pay without insurance, skipping the paperwork and administrative fees that come with having coverage. Hospitals are required by federal law to make their discounted cash prices publicly available online. (Lovelace Jr., 10/26)
More on the federal shutdown —
Roll Call: USDA Says It Can’t Use Contingency Fund For Food Stamps
The Agriculture Department said Friday it can’t use a special reserve fund to pay food stamp benefits during the partial government shutdown because the money is meant to be used when appropriations fall short, not when the funding doesn’t exist. (Bridges, 10/24)
The 74 Million: Parents Worry As WIC Funding Dwindles During The Government Shutdown
April Perez was 22 years old when she had her first daughter. Enrolling in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, commonly known as WIC, was a lifesaver. “With her being my first child,” she said, “I was still finding my way through motherhood.” The program helped her access healthy foods for her family, get formula when she wasn’t able to produce enough breastmilk to breastfeed her daughter, and even get a referral to sign up her daughter, now 4 years old, for health insurance. (Covert, 10/25)
New Hampshire Public Radio: NH To Help SNAP Recipients If Government Shutdown Halts November Benefits
With a resolution to the government shutdown seemingly not coming any time soon, the state is planning on providing support to the more than 75,000 state residents who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, in the likely event November benefits are impacted. (Dario, 10/23)
The New York Times: ‘No Idea How Long People Can Hold Out’: Federal Workers Feel Brunt Of Shutdown
As the shutdown stretches toward its fifth week, those government employees are confronting an increasingly acute and stressful scenario. Their bills are mounting, and there is no clear resolution in sight. Some are turning to side hustles like delivering food, walking dogs and selling personal items to bring in a bit of income. Others are relying on food banks that have been hastily organized to provide federal workers and contractors with free groceries — efforts that community service providers say reflect a broadening food insecurity caused by the shutdown. (Sullivan and Atkins, 10/26)
Politico: Republicans Are Barreling Toward An Obamacare Subsidy Cliff — With No Unified Plan
Republicans are barreling toward the upcoming Obamacare enrollment period without a unified plan to address the sticker shock that millions of Americans are likely to experience due to the expiration of key federal subsidies. The lack of direction comes from the top, with President Donald Trump not providing clear guidance to his party on how he wants to deal with the expiring subsidies that could result in dramatic out-of-pocket price hikes for enrollees. (Gangitano, Lee Hill, McCarthy and Ward, 10/24)
The Hill: Rand Paul Suggests Bipartisan Panel To Tackle Health Subsidies Amid Shutdown
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) called on President Trump to appoint a select group of bipartisan senators to a commission tasked with addressing the expiring health care subsidies — the issue at the core of the ongoing shutdown standoff. In an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” the libertarian senator suggested Democrats could agree to reopen the government for a one-month period, during which the commission would formulate proposals to address the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits set to expire at the end of the year and raise health insurance premiums for millions of Americans. (Fortinsky, 10/26)
KFF Health News: Reporters Cover The Shutdown And The Use Of AI In Health Care
KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner discussed the Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire this year and the ongoing federal shutdown on MSNBC’s “The 11th Hour With Stephanie Ruhle” on Oct. 18. … Rovner also discussed the shutdown and health care costs on WYPR’s “Midday” on Oct. 20. (10/25)
5. NIH Installation Of Vance Pal To Lead Environmental Health Sciences Panned
Some fear the elevation of Kyle Walsh to a director’s role — a promotion that didn’t abide by standard procedures — will pave the way for future political appointments. Plus, President Trump issues an all-caps missive about Tylenol, touts his “perfect” MRI findings, and more.
MedPage Today: NIH Institute Director Abruptly Replaced
Researchers are raising concerns that an institute director at the NIH was abruptly replaced with a friend of Vice President JD Vance. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, sent an email to staff late last Friday announcing that Kyle Walsh, PhD, a neuroepidemiologist, became director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) the Friday prior, ScienceInsider reported. (Fiore, 10/24)
More from the Trump administration —
The Hill: Trump Offers New Warning On Tylenol For Pregnant Women
President Trump on Sunday once again urged pregnant women not to take Tylenol unless “absolutely necessary,” to avoid giving the over-the-counter drug to children “for virtually any reason” and to break up certain vaccine dosages. Trump’s renewed call comes a month after he and top health officials said pregnant women should not take acetaminophen — one of the most widely used medications in the world — for pain relief because of a potential risk of autism, despite no new evidence proving the drug directly causes it. (Limon, 10/26)
CIDRAP: Quality Of Decisions Made By CDC Vaccine Advisers Has Nose-Dived, Former Voting Members Say
An independent review of recent decisions made by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices reveals that its policymaking maturity rating fell from an overall score of 100% to 58% from April to September this year. “Since 1964, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has shaped US vaccine policy but recently underwent significant structural and procedural changes affecting recommendation quality,” the authors wrote. (Van Beusekom, 10/24)
The 19th: Domestic Violence Nonprofits Are Winning Against The Trump Administration In Court
Nonprofits working to combat domestic violence and sexual assault have notched a string of legal wins as they push back against efforts by the Trump administration to put restrictions on work that goes against the administration’s views. (Barclay and Mithani, 10/24)
Bloomberg: Trump Says He Received ‘Perfect’ MRI During Walter Reed Visit
President Donald Trump said he got a MRI during his October visit to Walter Reed Medical Center, without sharing more details on what prompted the imaging test. “I got an MRI; it was perfect,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One Monday. “I gave you the full results.” (Dlouhy and Wingrove, 10/27)
On tariffs, the FDA, and drug ads —
Stat: Chinese Biotech Industry Shows No Signs Of Slowing As Threat Of U.S. Restrictions Loom
As the U.S. government moves to guard against an increasingly competitive Chinese biotech industry, Chinese drugmakers are striking major deals with their global counterparts — including some in the U.S. (Yang, 10/27)
Stat: Pharma Companies Reveal How They Won FDA Priority Review Vouchers
Commissioner Marty Makary wants the Food and Drug Administration to move more quickly. The launch of a new priority review voucher program in June was no exception. (Lawrence, 10/24)
Undark: What Will The Trump-Era Crackdown On Drug Ads Accomplish?
Late last month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which is overseen by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., drew a line in the sand over direct-to-consumer advertising by pharmaceutical companies: In a post on X, the agency declared that drug ads “can push people to take drugs they don’t actually need. Americans often end up harmed instead of helped. ”That’s why, the post continued, President Donald Trump and Kennedy “are taking action.” (Cohen, 10/27)
6. California Ponies Up $140 Million To Preserve Planned Parenthood Clinics
The Golden State is tapping local funds to ensure the organization can maintain reproductive health services after the federal government cut funding. Plus, as Wyoming moves to prevent regulation of crisis pregnancy centers that counsel against abortion, some centers across the states expand medical services.
CalMatters: CA Gives Planned Parenthood $140 Million To Keep Clinics Open
After months of financial strain, Planned Parenthood will get a $140 million lifeline to offset losses it sustained after Congress in July cut funding for the health system, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday. The money will help Planned Parenthood keep 109 California clinics open. In a statement, Newsom said the move reflects the state’s continued commitment to abortion and reproductive health care. “Trump’s efforts to defund Planned Parenthood put all our communities at risk as people seek basic health care from these community providers,” Newsom said. (Hwang, 10/24)
ABC News: Wyoming Bill Preventing Regulation Of Crisis Pregnancy Centers Advances
A bill in Wyoming that would essentially prevent regulation of crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs), which sometimes counsel patients against receiving abortion care, is slowly making its way through the state legislature. HB0273, also known as the Wyoming Pregnancy Center Autonomy and Rights of Expression (CARE) Act, would prohibit “the state and specified governmental entities from adopting any law, rule or policy that targets pregnancy centers for oversight or regulation based on the centers’ stance against abortion.” (Kekatos, 10/25)
AP: More Anti-Abortion Pregnancy Centers Offer Medical Services As Clinics Close
Pregnancy centers in the U.S. that discourage women from getting abortions have been adding more medical services — and could be poised to expand further. The expansion — ranging from testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections to even providing primary medical care — has been unfolding for years. It gained steam after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade three years ago, clearing the way for states to ban abortion. (Mulvihill and Kruesi, 10/25)
New Jersey Monitor: People Seeking Abortions Later In Pregnancy Could Soon Get Them In NJ
Abortion foes often criticize New Jersey for allowing abortion “up until the moment of birth,” because the state is one of just nine nationally that sets no limit on when someone can end their pregnancy. But clinics here don’t provide abortions past the second trimester, which means people who seek abortions after then must head to other states. That’s expected to change next year, when a nonprofit aims to open an all-trimester clinic in Hudson County that will provide abortion up to 34 weeks, as well as gender-affirming care for all ages, HIV care, and other services. (DiFilippo, 10/24)
On IVF and menopause —
Politico: ‘The Pro-Life Movement Still Has Some Real Juice’: How Trump’s Promise Of Free IVF Fizzled
Social and religious conservatives spent more than a year lobbying first the Trump campaign and then the administration against mandating or subsidizing insurance coverage of in vitro fertilization, which they consider akin to abortion. Last week, their work paid off. (Ollstein and Messerly, 10/25)
CNN: New Menopause Drug To Target Hot Flashes Without Hormones Gets FDA Approval
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved another once-a-day pill that works without hormones to treat moderate to severe hot flashes in menopausal women, drugmaker Bayer said Friday. The drug, elinzanetant, is expected to be available in the United States beginning in November under the brand name Lynkuet, Bayer said. (Howard, 10/24)
MedPage Today: Tirzepatide-Hormone Therapy Combo Tied To Weight Loss In Postmenopausal Women
Postmenopausal women using hormone therapy (HT) saw significantly greater weight loss while taking the dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist tirzepatide than their counterparts not using HT, according to a retrospective study. (Henderson, 10/26)
7. Texas Doctor Gives Up License After Being Sued For Providing Gender Care
Pediatrician May Lau has decided to move her practice from Dallas to Oregon after being sued last year by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and accused of prescribing testosterone to at least 21 patients, which she denies. More news is from Virginia, California, New Mexico, Maryland, Arizona, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Utah, and Florida.
The Texas Tribune: Dallas Doctor Sued Over Transgender Care Surrenders License
A Dallas pediatrician has surrendered her medical license, a year after becoming the first target of a law that banned providing gender-transitioning hormones to minors. Last October, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against adolescent medicine physician May Lau for prescribing testosterone to at least 21 patients. Her license was cancelled by her request early this month, according to the Texas Medical Board. (Byman, 10/24)
AP: Trans Rights Are Flashpoint In Virginia Gubernatorial Election
René Harvey and her wife arrived at a Roanoke Valley pride celebration in October carrying deep-seated worries about all that could go wrong. The couple had been to the region’s annual pride festival before, but this year felt different. Harvey keeps up with the news, and the headlines describing political violence and LGBTQ+ hate linger with her. She’s been following Virginia’s statewide elections, including a race for governor that has heavily focused on trans youth. “It’s scary, the way things are heading,” said Harvey, sitting at a booth for her LGBTQ-friendly parish. “We had a fear coming here today.” (Diaz, 10/26)
More health news from across the U.S. —
San Francisco Chronicle: Medicaid Cuts Put California Disability Care At Risk
Luca-Amine Hadir was 4 days old when his parents raced h