- KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
- 1. States Race To Launch Rural Health Transformation Plans
- 2. Vaccines Are Helping Older People More Than We Knew
- 3. Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
- EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS
- 10. Viewpoints: Congress, Get Moving And Save The ACA; Bird Flu Vaccines Exist, So Why Aren’t We Using Them?
From KFF Health News:
KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
1. States Race To Launch Rural Health Transformation Plans
Every state will receive at least $100 million annually from the federal Rural Health Transformation fund, but some scored millions more based on how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services judged the “quality” of their plans and willingness to pass policies embracing “Make America Healthy Again” initiatives. (Sarah Jane Tribble and Arielle Zionts and Maia Rosenfeld, 1/14)
2. Vaccines Are Helping Older People More Than We Knew
Many shots seem to have “off-target” benefits, such as lowering the risk of dementia, studies have found. (Paula Span, 1/14)
3. 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. (1/13)
Here’s today’s health policy haiku:
DIGESTING MEDICARE ADVANTAGE
Plans shift, shrink, expand.
Choices dance on shifting ground,
Care and change entwined.
– Lindsay Goldfarb
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. On Eve Of Sign-Up Deadline, Deal To Extend ACA Subsidies Looks Unlikely
In most states, tomorrow is the deadline to enroll in an Obamacare plan, although a handful of states have delayed it until later in January. Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio told The Hill that the issue of abortion funding remains the main sticking point.
Axios: Health Package Might Move Ahead Without ACA Deal
Congressional negotiators are working to revive the health care deal that was dropped from a government spending package in late 2024 — but the odds of resurrecting enhanced Obamacare subsidies as part of the effort appear dire. (Sullivan, 1/14)
The Hill: Bipartisan Senators Struggle With ObamaCare Subsidies Compromise
The timeline is slipping for a bipartisan group of senators to release a compromise to revive the expired enhanced ObamaCare subsidies, according to one of the lead negotiators. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) told reporters Tuesday that lawmakers are looking at a deadline of the end of January to have a legislative framework ready. Moreno had previously said lawmakers would have text of a bipartisan deal as early as this week. Moreno said abortion remains the main holdup, a sign that negotiators have not been able to agree on what has been the thorniest issue in the entire process. (Weixel, 1/13)
MedPage Today: Experts Alarmed By USPSTF Work Slowdown
Public health advocates are expressing alarm at the work slowdown happening at the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). “I’m deeply concerned about the hobbling of the USPSTF,” Miranda Yaver, PhD, coordinating committee member at Defend Public Health, said in a phone interview. “The Affordable Care Act [ACA] requires … that private health insurers cover with no cost-sharing preventive services that are recommended by this body, and if they’re not meeting and they’re not producing clinical recommendations, which they do on an annual basis, then that’s going to mean that there are fundamental issues of access to care in this country.” (Frieden, 1/13)
KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
Zach Dyer reads the week’s news: Instead of extending extra Affordable Care Act subsidies that would keep monthly premiums more affordable, some Republicans are pushing health savings accounts. Plus, people seeking cheaper health insurance options outside the ACA marketplaces may find some, but they come with downsides. (1/13)
On ACA enrollment —
The Texas Tribune: Texas Breaks ACA Health Insurance Open Enrollment Record
More Texans have signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace compared to last year — despite the expiration of federal subsidies to lower the costs of premiums. (Birenbaum and Keemahill, 1/13)
Modern Healthcare: States Extend ACA Deadlines As Enrollment Lags
Health insurance exchange users in a handful of states will have a little more time to choose plans this open enrollment period. The state-based Affordable Care Act of 2010 marketplaces in Connecticut, Illinois and Pennsylvania have extended their deadlines so far. The final day to sign up remains Jan. 15 in the vast majority of states. A few state exchanges were already scheduled to remain open until later in the month, while enrollments closed on Your Health Idaho Dec. 15. (Tepper, 1/13)
Also —
Axios: Working Families Spend Nearly $4,000 Annually On Health Care
The typical U.S. working family spends nearly $4,000 per year on health care, including their share of insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs, according to a new analysis by the Center for Economic and Policy Research. (Owens, 1/14)
5. RFK Jr. Adds, Removes Vaccine Advisers
The Health and Human Services secretary has appointed to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices two doctors with histories of publicly questioning the safety of vaccines. HHS also told a member of the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccinations that her term is ending early.
CIDRAP: RFK Jr. Appoints 2 Vocal Opponents Of Vaccine Use In Pregnancy To Federal Advisory Board
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. today appointed two obstetricians-gynecologists to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Both appointees have a history of questioning vaccine safety in pregnancy, and one has erroneously claimed COVID-19 vaccines caused miscarriages. (Soucheray, 1/13)
Stat: Veronica McNally Dismissed From Federal Vaccine Injury Panel
At least one member of a committee that advises the federal government on its vaccine injury compensation program has had her term prematurely ended, potentially foreshadowing further changes to the federal apparatus that reviews vaccine injuries and compensates patients. (Cirruzzo, 1/13)
The New York Times: Medical Groups Will Try To Block Childhood Vaccine Recommendations
Six leading medical organizations plan to ask the courts to throw out revisions to the childhood vaccination schedule announced last week by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other federal officials. … The medical groups say those changes are not based on scientific evidence and will be harmful to the public. (Mandavilli, 1/13)
Also —
CPR News: Polio Survivor Joins Colorado’s New Pro-Vaccine Group, Created As Federal Guidelines Upended
To really understand how immunization can change your life, Carol Boigon is a good person to talk to. “Every summer everybody got sick,” said Boigon, a Denver resident. “One summer it was my turn, not just to get sick but to get disabled from it.” It is polio, a highly contagious viral disease that attacks the nervous system, often causing partial or full paralysis. Boigon, a former Denver city council member, grew up in the 50s in Detroit, where polio was spreading in her neighborhood. “The whole block was sick and some of us got crippled. And that was just the way it was,” she said. (Daley, 1/14)
Health Policy Watch: Most Vaccine Hesitancy Can Be Successfully Overcome, New Lancet Study Finds
Fears over side effects of COVID-19 jabs leading to initial vaccine hesitancy mostly gave way to acceptance in the course of the pandemic, with only a small minority remaining unvaccinated due to deep-seated mistrust, a new major study published in The Lancet finds. (Sassmannshausen, 1/14)
KFF Health News: Vaccines Are Helping Older People More Than We Knew
Let’s be clear: The primary reason to be vaccinated against shingles is that two shots provide at least 90% protection against a painful, blistering disease that a third of Americans will suffer in their lifetimes, one that can cause lingering nerve pain and other nasty long-term consequences. The most important reason for older adults to be vaccinated against the respiratory infection RSV is that their risk of being hospitalized with it declines by almost 70% in the year they get the shot, and by nearly 60% over two years. (Span, 1/14)
On flu, measles, and norovirus outbreaks —
San Francisco Chronicle: Flu Hospitalizations Rising In California, Officials Warn
Flu hospitalizations are increasing across California, with projections showing further rises in the coming weeks, state officials warned Tuesday — though forecasts indicate this flu season may not be as bad as last year’s, which was one of the worst in at least a decade. “We are seeing increasing flu cases and (hospital) admissions in California,” State Public Health Officer Dr. Erica Pan said Tuesday during a briefing with medical professionals. “It is not too late to recommend and administer flu vaccines for this season for anyone 6 months and older.” (Ho, 1/13)
ABC News: South Carolina Reports 124 New Measles Cases As Outbreak Grows
At least 124 new measles cases have been reported in South Carolina since last Friday, health officials said. This brings the total number of cases in the outbreak to 434. There are currently over 400 people in quarantine. South Carolina has been facing a measles outbreak since early October, with the majority of cases in Spartanburg County, which borders North Carolina. (Kekatos, 1/13)
The Hill: Norovirus Outbreak Hits Cruise Ship In Florida, CDC Reports
A cruise ship that departed Florida has been hit by a norovirus outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC reported that 94 people fell ill on the Holland America Line cruise ship Rotterdam during its voyage between Dec. 28, 2025, and Jan. 9. Those affected by the norovirus outbreak showed the typical symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. (Rodriguez, 1/13)
6. Trump Administration Reinstates Hundreds Of NIOSH Employees
Bloomberg reports that employees of the agency — which conducts and supports research on workplace safety and health — were informed that their layoff notices were “hereby revoked.” Other administration news is on Planned Parenthood funding, the continuing wake of USAID, and more.
Bloomberg: US HHS Reverses Deep Cuts To CDC Safety Research Agency Niosh
The Trump Administration is reversing its deep staffing cuts to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, reinstating hundreds of employees. Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon confirmed the reversal in an email Tuesday. Niosh conducts or funds most research into US workplace health and safety. (Eidelson, 1/13)
Politico: Lawsuit Dismissed After Trump Admin Quietly Restored Tens Of Millions To Planned Parenthood
The American Civil Liberties Union on Monday dropped its lawsuit against the Trump administration over tens of millions in Title X family planning funds that federal officials had withheld from Planned Parenthood and some other health clinics since last spring, after HHS quietly released the money in December. Though the Trump administration is still defending in court far bigger federal cuts to Planned Parenthood that Congress approved last summer, the release of the Title X funds gives the clinics a crucial lifeline. It is also likely to inflame existing tensions between the administration and anti-abortion conservatives who will rally in Washington later this month for the annual March for Life. (Ollstein, 1/13)
Axios: Inside Trump’s $11 Billion Health Plan To Replace “Neo-Colonial” USAID
The Trump administration is launching an unprecedented, $11 billion soft-power effort to remake foreign health assistance after its controversial decision to gut USAID. (Caputo, 1/14)
AP: EPA Proposes Limits For States And Tribes To Block Major Infrastructure Projects
The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed limiting states’ and Native American tribes’ power to wield the Clean Water Act to block major projects like natural gas pipelines, advancing the Trump administration’s goal of accelerating the construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure and data centers. The agency said new constraints on local water quality reviews for federally regulated projects will still allow states to protect their environment while preventing unnecessary delays. Successive administrations have seesawed on the scope of states’ power. (Phillis, 1/13)
On ‘Havana Syndrome’ —
CNN: Havana Syndrome: Pentagon Bought Device Through Undercover Operation Some Investigators Suspect Is Linked To A Series Of Mysterious Ailments
The Defense Department has spent more than a year testing a device purchased in an undercover operation that some investigators think could be the cause of a series of mysterious ailments impacting US spies, diplomats and troops that are colloquially known as Havana Syndrome, according to four sources briefed on the matter. (Lillis, Bertrand, Alvarez, Sclutto and Cohen, 1/13)
‘Dilbert’ cartoonist dies after asking President Trump to help him get a cancer medication —
The New York Times: Scott Adams, Creator Of The Satirical ‘Dilbert’ Comic Strip, Dies At 68
In November, he wrote on the social media platform X that his health was “declining fast,” and that his insurer had not scheduled a time to administer a cancer drug, Pluvicto, which it had approved. He asked for help from President Trump. “On it!” the president responded on his social media outlet, Truth Social. Mr. Adams later confirmed on social media that he would be getting the drug but that its use had to be postponed because of scheduled radiation treatment. (Sandomir, 1/13)
7. Missouri Supreme Court Permits Ban On Gender-Affirming Care For Minors
Parents do not have a right to secure treatment for a child that “the state legislature deems inappropriate for minors,” the court ruled. The ban, known as the SAFE Act, is set to expire in 2027. Also in the news: New York, West Virginia, Idaho, Minnesota, Louisiana, and Connecticut.
St. Louis Public Radio: Missouri Supreme Court Upholds Ban On Minor Transgender Care
The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday unanimously upheld a ban on gender transition surgeries, cross-sex hormones and other gender-affirming care for minors. (Fentem, 1/13)
Fox News: New York Sues HHS Over Tying Federal Funds To Transgender Policy
New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of state attorneys general sued the federal government Tuesday, claiming a new Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) policy illegally pressures states to discriminate against transgender people or risk losing critical funding. (Sorace, 1/13)
The Washington Post: Supreme Court Appears Skeptical Of Arguments Against Bans Of Trans Athletes
The justices heard arguments on whether bans in two states on trans athletes competing in women’s sports violate the Constitution’s equal protection clause. (Mark, 1/13)
More health news from across the U.S. —
Minnesota Public Radio: ICE Agents At Twin Cities Hospitals Alarm Medical Staff
Health care workers in the Twin Cities report that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are entering hospitals with detained individuals, sometimes with warrants and sometimes without, and they are frequently present during patient care. (Zurek, 1/14)
AP: Louisiana Seeks To Extradite A California Abortion Doctor
Louisiana pushed Tuesday to extradite a California doctor accused of mailing abortion pills, setting up a likely test of laws designed to protect telehealth providers who ship abortion pills nationwide. This is the second time Louisiana has pursued an out-of-state doctor under its abortion restrictions, with Republican Gov. Jeff Landry saying on social media that he wants to bring the abortion provider “to justice.” The two criminal cases pit Louisiana, which has some of the strictest abortion laws in the country, against jurisdictions that have enacted what are known as shield laws for providers who facilitate abortions from afar in states with bans. (Cline, 1/13)
The New York Times: New York Punishes 12-Year-Olds With Solitary Confinement, Lawsuit Claims
The lawsuit, filed last week in federal court in Manhattan, claims that state officials use solitary confinement for minor misbehavior and as a way to mitigate low staffing. (Meko, 1/13)
The CT Mirror: Errors Led To Deaths Of Two Men Prescribed Methadone In Prison
An investigation by the Connecticut Office of the Inspector General released Monday found that “significant medical errors” were made when prescribing methadone to Ronald Johnson and Tyler Cole, two young men who died from the combined effects of methadone and other prescribed medications while incarcerated at Garner Correctional Institution. (Otte, 1/13)
KFF Health News: States Race To Launch Rural Health Transformation Plans
Imagine starting the new year with the promise of at least a $147 million payout from the federal government. But there are strings attached. In late December, President Donald Trump’s administration announced how much all 50 states would get under its new Rural Health Transformation Program, assigning them to use the money to fix systemic problems that leave rural Americans without access to good health care. Now, the clock is ticking. (Tribble, Zionts and Rosenfeld, 1/14)
8. Thanks To New Treatments, 7 In 10 Cancer Patients Survive Over 5 Years
The milestone was reported Tuesday in a report from the American Cancer Society. The report estimated 4.8 million cancer deaths were prevented from 1991 to 2023, and many cancers have gone from death sentences to chronic diseases.