In This Edition:
- KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
- 1. To Knock Down Health-System Hurdles Between You and HIV Prevention, Try These 6 Things
- 2. Iowa Doesn’t Have Enough OB-GYNs. The State’s Abortion Ban Might Be Making It Worse.
- 3. Advertisements Promising Patients a ‘Dream Body’ With Minimal Risk Get Little Scrutiny
- 4. Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
- SCIENCE AND INNOVATIONS
- 10. Scientists Find Possible Biomarker That Could Help Diagnose Progressive MS
- EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS
- 11. Viewpoints: Americans Are Being Priced Out Of Health Care. Trump’s Cuts Will Make It So Much Worse.
From KFF Health News:
KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
1. To Knock Down Health-System Hurdles Between You and HIV Prevention, Try These 6 Things
It’s been more than 10 years since the FDA first approved an HIV prevention drug. Today, people who could benefit from preexposure prophylaxis often struggle to access the lifesaving medicine or run into doctors without the education or empathy to offer affirming care. And those lapses can produce billing headaches. (Zach Dyer and Oona Zenda, 1/5)
2. Iowa Doesn’t Have Enough OB-GYNs. The State’s Abortion Ban Might Be Making It Worse.
Abortion bans like Iowa’s have put OB-GYNs under increasing strain and surveillance, complicating the standard medical treatments for miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, premature membrane rupture, and other pregnancy problems. As many rural areas face worsening maternity care deserts, some physicians fear these laws could drive much-needed doctors out of state and dissuade others from moving in and establishing a practice. (Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio, 1/5)
3. Advertisements Promising Patients a ‘Dream Body’ With Minimal Risk Get Little Scrutiny
While federal officials say they are cracking down on misleading drug ads, cosmetic surgery remains a “buyer beware” market. (Fred Schulte, 12/31)
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. (12/23)
Here’s today’s health policy haiku:
BARRIERS TO CARE
Please let me breathe, live.
Ventilator not funded.
No air. My nightmare.
– Anonymous
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. All 50 States Receive Large Chunks Of $50B Rural Health Fund, With Caveats
Texas received the most ($2.8 million for fiscal year 2026), while New Jersey received the least ($1.5 million for 2026). Even so, the funds can be clawed back if states don’t implement changes according to Trump administration priorities. And some states, such as Vermont, worry that the funds won’t make up for what they’re losing in Medicaid funding cuts from the Big Beautiful Bill.
Fierce Healthcare: Rural Health Transformation Program Awards Announced—Here’s Who’s Getting The Most In FY2026
Texas and Alaska will receive the largest amount of funding from the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program in fiscal year 2026, while New Jersey and Connecticut will see the least, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced last Monday. (Muoio, 12/29)
CMS.gov: How Much Each State Received For Rural Health Care
See the complete list of 50 states. (12/29)
Talking Points Memo: Rural Health Fund Awarded To All 50 States, But Trump Admin Can Still ‘Claw Back’ Cash
Since the funding will be recalculated annually over the life of the five-year program, CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz reportedly said in a call with reporters that the administration could “claw back” funds if a state doesn’t enact policies it committed to in its application. Searing suggested that was a possibility in November, telling TPM that CMS “can do pretty much what they want and the states can’t complain about it.” (Jones, 1/3)
WCAX: Will Vermont’s $195M Rural Health Care Investment Offset Medicaid Cuts?
While many are cheering Monday’s funding announcement, other health organizations are worried about simultaneous federal Medicaid cuts. (Cutler, 12/30)
6. GOP To Face Expired ACA Subsidies Fallout On Return To Capitol Hill
Republican lawmakers are still split over whether to extend the subsidies as the Senate returns from the holiday break, while some Democrats are calling for another shutdown if no compromise can be settled on the Affordable Care Act issue. More news looks at issues central to the congressional midterm elections.
The Hill: GOP Faces Health Care Bind With Subsidies Expired
GOP lawmakers returning to Capitol Hill are facing a health care bind, with Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies having expired on Dec. 31, 2025, and no clear path forward for extending them. The GOP remains split over whether to extend the subsidies at all. But in December, four Republican centrists, frustrated with party leadership, joined Democrats in backing a discharge petition on legislation to extend the subsidies for three years. (Kochi, 1/5)
The Hill: Health Care, Funding And More: 5 Things To Watch When The Senate Returns
The Senate is staring down multiple flash points in the coming months as lawmakers head into a year colored by electoral politics but with plenty of policy fights on the horizon. Lawmakers wrapped up a grueling year by completing some of their pre-holiday agenda, including passing the annual National Defense Authorization Act and confirming scores of nominees. But they punted several key issues into January, including government funding bills to avert a shutdown and a potential deal to extend expiring enhanced ObamaCare subsidies. (Weaver, 1/4)
On the struggle to find affordable health insurance —
CNN: The ACA’s Enhanced Subsidies Have Expired. Here’s What You Need To Know
The leaders of state-based exchanges told CNN that they will be able to update their systems if Congress acts in January, though it may take time. A straightforward extension of the enhanced subsidies would be the quickest to implement. But if lawmakers make changes — such as setting an income limit or requiring minimum premium payments — it could take more time. (Luhby, 1/1)
The New York Times: With Obamacare’s Higher Premiums Come Difficult Decisions
Renee Rubin Ross is facing the stark reality of having to pay much more for her health insurance this year, now that Congress has ended 2025 without extending the enhanced federal tax credits that brought down the cost of her coverage under the Affordable Care Act. “I don’t even know how to get my mind around it. It’s the opposite of affordable,” said Dr. Ross, who relies on Obamacare to cover her family of four in California. Staying on the same plan for 2026 will cost about $4,000 a month, $2,700 more than the roughly $1,300 per month she had been paying. (Abelson, 1/2)
Axios: OpenAI’s ChatGPT Helps Users Navigate Health Care And Health Insurance
More than 40 million Americans turn to ChatGPT daily for health information, according to a report OpenAI has shared exclusively with Axios. Patients see ChatGPT as an “ally” in navigating their health care, according to analysis of anonymized interactions with ChatGPT and a survey of ChatGPT users by the AI-powered tool Knit. (Morrone, 1/5)
Related news on the 2026 midterm congressional elections —
Politico: ‘Mighty Mad’: Democrats Prepare To Harness Public Anger Over Expired Obamacare Subsidies
Obamacare subsidies used by more than 20 million expired Thursday. Now Democrats are ready to make them a centerpiece of their midterm campaigns. The lapse of enhanced premium tax credits, first passed as a pandemic-era relief measure under President Joe Biden in 2021, will immediately hit the pocketbooks of voters — some of whom will see their monthly insurance premiums rise by hundreds of dollars. (Wu, 1/2)
The Guardian: Abortion May No Longer Be A Top Priority For Democratic Voters Ahead Of 2026 Midterms, Polls Show
Up to seven states will vote on abortion rights this year. But recent polling indicates that Democrats may not be able to count on the issue in their efforts to drive votes in the 2026 midterms, after making abortion rights the centerpiece of their pitch to voters in the elections that followed the fall of Roe v Wade. In 2024, 55% of Democrats said abortion was important to their vote, according to polling from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). But in October of this year, just 36% of Democrats said the same. (Sherman, 1/1)
More news from Capitol Hill —
Politico: Trump’s Embrace Of Pot Has Republicans In Congress Fuming
President Donald Trump has a GOP revolt on his hands. It’s about weed. In announcing last month that he wants to reduce government regulations on marijuana that have kept taxes high for cannabis companies and made it difficult for researchers to study the drug’s health effects, the president got on the wrong side of the Republican House speaker and four of the party’s top leaders in the Senate. (Brensel and Friedman, 1/4)
7. CMS To States: You Don’t Have To Report Childhood Vax Levels Anymore
A Dec. 30 letter from CMS says states are no longer required to report the percentage of patients on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Plan who are immunized. Also: Canadian officials warn that American health and science institutions may no longer be dependable for accurate information, especially regarding vaccinations.
CIDRAP: CMS To Stop Requiring States To Report Childhood Vaccination Levels
States will no longer be required to report how many children they vaccinate to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), according to a December 30 letter to state health officials. As a measure of the quality of the care, states have been required to report the percentage of patients covered by Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Plan who are immunized. (Szabo, 1/2)
The Guardian: Canadian Officials Say US Health Institutions No Longer Dependable For Accurate Information
Canadian officials and public health experts are warning that US health and science institutions can no longer be depended upon for accurate information, particularly when it comes to vaccinations, amid fears that misinformation from the Trump administration could further erode Canadians’ confidence in healthcare. “I can’t imagine a world in which this misinformation doesn’t creep into Canadians’ consciousness and leads to doubt,” said Dawn Bowdish, an immunologist and professor at McMaster University in Ontario. (Bowden, 1/4)
Related news about measles vaccinations —
NBC News: Delaying Vaccines In Baby’s First Months Raises Likelihood Of Skipping Measles Shots
With the United States likely to lose its measles elimination status in the next few months and the possibility of looming changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, new research highlights the risk of delaying vaccination. (Fattah, 1/2)
CNN: More Than 2,000 Measles Cases Reported In The US In 2025 As Ongoing Outbreaks Threaten Elimination Status
The United States reported more than 2,000 measles cases in 2025, federal data shows, a higher annual total than the country has seen in decades. (McPhillips, 1/1)
In other outbreaks and health threats —
ABC News: New York Reports Record-Breaking Number Of Flu Hospitalizations In A Single Week
New York is reporting the highest number of flu hospitalizations recorded in a single week, the state’s health department said on Friday. During the week ending Dec. 27, 4,546 people were hospitalized with flu, a 24% increase from the 3,666 who were hospitalized the previous week, according to data from the New York State Department of Health (NYSOH). (Kekatos, 1/2)
CIDRAP: Rare Welder’s Anthrax Case In Louisiana Successfully Treated With Monoclonal Antibody
The ninth known case of welder’s anthrax, and the first clinical use of the monoclonal antibody medication obiltoxaximab to treat it, was recently documented in Louisiana. An account of the case, published in the most recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), marks a significant development in the treatment of an often-fatal condition that can afflict metalworkers in the southern United States. (Bergeson, 1/2)
WUSF: Why Florida Whooping Cough Cases Doubled In 2025 Compared To 2024
Florida cases of pertussis — also known as whooping cough — are at a five-year high. The Florida Department of Health reported 1,454 cases in 2025 through Dec. 6, compared to 715 in all of 2024, according to the state’s Reportable Diseases Frequency Report. 369 of those cases were reported in the Greater Tampa Bay region. Pediatricians say vaccine hesitancy is a big reason why, along with older adults who have compromised immune systems and haven’t had a booster shot in a while. (Miller, 1/5)
Newsweek: Superbug Fungus Candida Auris: What To Know As US Faces ‘Alarming’ Spread
A deadly fungus is spreading across the U.S., with researchers reporting that it carries a high level of resistance to convential treatments. Candida auris, a species of fungus first identified in Japan back in 2009, is being monitored in the U.S. as fears emerge that it could pose a deadly threat to people across the country. (Fleur Afshar, 1/1)
CIDRAP: Review Of 200 Novel Human Viruses Over A Century A Reminder That Pathogen Emergence Isn’t Rare
A systematic review of more than 200 studies published in BMC Infectious Diseases on human viruses over more than a century suggests that viral emergence peaked from 1950 to 1979 and again starting in 2000, with most initially detected in the United States, China, and Australia. For the study, researchers from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, conducted a systematic review of 212 human viruses reported from 1900 to 2024 to determine temporal trends, geographic origins, modes of transmission, and clinical syndromes. (Van Beusekom, 1/2)
Also —
NBC Chicago: Hundreds Of Grocery Items Recalled Due To ‘Unsanitary’ Facility
Hundreds of popular items sold under recognizable brand names in small grocery stores and markets across Indiana and Minnesota are being recalled after it was found they may be contaminated with Salmonella and “filth” like rodent, bird and insect droppings, according to a release from the Food and Drug Administration. The impacted products include everything from jars of JIF Peanut Butter, to cans of Pringles and boxes of Advil, Tylenol, Excedrin, Benadryl and Alka-Seltzer. (12/29)
8. Court-Restored NIH Research Grants Will Be Short-Lived, Director Says
Although the Trump administration will comply with directives to fund DEI-related grants that had already been awarded, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya says the U.S. does not intend to renew grants that “no longer meet NIH priorities.” Plus, news about drug smuggling, mifepristone, and more.
Stat: NIH Director Says DEI-Related Grants That Were Restored Under A Court Order Won’t Be Renewed
Throughout the year, researchers have been heartened by legal decisions pushing back on directives from the National Institutes of Health to halt and deprioritize work it deems related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. But in comments made on a podcast posted Wednesday, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya indicated the reprieve may be short-lived for the grants restored in June, and they could be terminated over the next year. (Oza, 12/31)
On drug smuggling —
The New York Times: The U.S. Indictment Of Maduro Cites Cocaine Smuggling. Venezuela’s Role In The Trade Is Believed To Be Modest.
President Trump has asserted that the campaign is targeting drugs killing Americans, but most U.S. overdoses involve fentanyl, which doesn’t come from South America, experts say. Fentanyl, which causes tens of thousands of overdoses per year, is almost entirely produced in Mexico using chemicals from China, according to U.S. authorities, and Venezuela plays no known role in its trade, nor does any other South American country. (Glatsky and Correal, 1/3)
Bloomberg: Trump Warns Colombia In Threat To Other Drug-Producing Countries
President Donald Trump warned other drug-producing nations in the Western Hemisphere that he wouldn’t long tolerate the flow of illegal substances to the US. A day after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro to stand trial in the US, Trump said several other nations need to change their ways. (Wallbank and Lucey, 1/5)
On reproductive health —
The Hill: Anti-Abortion Group Calls On EPA To Classify Abortion Drugs As Pollutants
Anti-abortion group Students for Life of America is urging the Environmental Protection Agency to add abortion drug mifepristone to its list of water contaminants. It follows 40 other anti-abortion groups and lawmakers previously calling for the EPA to assess the water pollution levels of the abortion drug. “The EPA has the regulatory authority and humane responsibility to determine the extent of abortion water pollution, caused by the reckless and negligent policies pushed by past administrations through the [Food and Drug Administration],” Kristan Hawkins, president of SFLA, said in a release. (Djordjevic, 1/2)
KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
Arielle Zionts reads the week’s news: Cuts to federal programs may limit the Trump administration’s plan to help Americans have more babies, and states face a challenge determining which Medicaid recipients are medically frail enough to keep their benefits without proving they are working, volunteering, or going to school. (12/23)
Concerns persist about President Trump’s health —
The Hill: Trump Denies Health Concerns After CT Scan At Walter Reed
President Trump disputed the idea that there was anything wrong with his health and clarified that he got a CT scan instead of an MRI scan when he visited Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a “secondary” physical. Trump, who is 79, told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Thursday it was “too bad” he had cardiovascular and abdominal imaging done, saying “it gave them a little ammunition.” “I would have been a lot better off if they didn’t, because the fact that I took it said, ‘Oh gee, is something wrong?’” Trump said. “Well, nothing’s wrong.” (Vakil, 1/1)
The Hill: Dick Cheney’s Former Doctor Questions Donald Trump’s Aspirin Regimen
Dr. Jonathan Reiner, cardiologist to the late former Vice President Dick Cheney, dismissed President Trump’s aspirin regimen Thursday. The president told the Wall Street Journal that he takes a larger dose of the pain reliever to thin his blood, despite recommendations from his doctors to reduce intake. “I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” added Trump, 79. “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?” But Reiner told host Phil Mattingly on CNN’s “The Lead” that it, in fact, “makes no sense.” (Rego, 1/2)