Delivery of Wednesday’s Morning Briefing might be delayed as KFF Health News undergoes internal development. We’ll be back at our usual time on Thursday, April 23.
In This Edition:
- KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
- 1. Real Estate Investors Profit From Long-Term Care While Residents Languish
- 2. Democrats Demand Trump Administration Halt Plan To Collect Federal Workers’ Health Data
- 3. Listen: Cheap Health Insurance Isn’t Always Cheap
- 4. Political Cartoon: ‘Where’s…?’
- CANCER RESEARCH
- 7. Diets High In Fruits, Veggies May Raise Risk Of Lung Cancer In Younger People; Exposure To Pesticides Questioned
- OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS
- 9. Supreme Court Rejects Lawsuit Over Covid-Era Nursing Home Policy In NY
- EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS
- 11. Viewpoints: FDA’s Peptide Plan Fails On Consumer Safety; Health Care Is Hindered By Constant Second-Guessing
From KFF Health News:
KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
1. Real Estate Investors Profit From Long-Term Care While Residents Languish
Real estate investment trusts are landlords for thousands of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospitals. Some select the managers and keep close watch over their performance but deny responsibility for bad care. (Jordan Rau, 4/21)
2. Democrats Demand Trump Administration Halt Plan To Collect Federal Workers’ Health Data
After KFF Health News reported that the Trump administration is seeking federal workers’ medical records, Democratic lawmakers are insisting that the Office of Personnel Management drop its request. (Amanda Seitz and Maia Rosenfeld, 4/21)
3. Listen: Cheap Health Insurance Isn’t Always Cheap
Across the country, people are choosing lower monthly premiums in exchange for higher out-of-pocket risk. Reporter Jackie Fortiér explains what the shift means for Americans’ health and wallets. (Jackie Fortiér, 4/21)
4. Political Cartoon: ‘Where’s…?’
KFF Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with “Political Cartoon: ‘Where’s…?'” by Chuck Legge.
Here’s today’s health policy haiku:
SHUFFLING RESPONSIBILITY
Shelters for health care.
What a sterling idea.
Ignore the homeless.
– Catherine DeLorey
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. To Better Prevent Cyberattacks, FBI Asks Hospitals To Step Up Info-Sharing
In an attempt to forge a more coordinated offense, FBI deputy director Andrew Bailey has asked hospital executives to share what they know, when they know it. More health industry news is about assault reports, a nursing home workers strike, donations to children’s hospitals, and more.
Axios: FBI’s No. 2 Calls On Hospitals To Share Cyberthreat Info
The FBI’s No. 2 official told hospital executives Tuesday they need to step up information-sharing on cyberthreats as the agency works to disrupt attacks earlier. (Reed, 4/21)
More health care industry news —
The Boston Globe: Tewksbury State Hospital Reports Fourth Assault In 3 Weeks
In the fourth violent incident in three weeks at Tewksbury State Hospital, a patient on Monday was arrested after allegedly assaulting another patient with a sharp object, police said. Tewksbury police were called to the state-run hospital at 2:05 p.m. The two men had been separated by the time officers arrived, police said. The altercation happened in the Nichols Building where Beth Israel Lahey Health runs and houses a second step detox program. One patient accused another of stealing and assaulted him with a sharp object, Tewksbury police Chief Ryan M. Columbus said in a statement. (Alanez, 4/20)
Minnesota Public Radio: Nursing Home Workers Launch Strike Across Twin Cities Facilities
Nursing home workers at five metro-area facilities began a three-day strike on Monday in response to what they say are unfair labor practices. The strike involves nursing homes, Cerenity Care at Humboldt and four affiliated Monarch Healthcare Management facilities, the company that operates The Estates. (Zurek, 4/20)
KBIA: Grad School Loan Limits May Worsen Medical Shortages
Kansas City University is home to the fourth largest medical school in the U.S. by class size. However, president and CEO Marc Hahn is worried about students being able to afford classes after July. (Ramkumar, 4/21)
Fierce Healthcare: CVS, MGB’s Primary Care Deal Would Fuel $40M Extra Spending
A planned primary care partnership between CVS’ MinuteClinics and major nonprofit system Mass General Brigham will likely add tens of millions in additional annual commercial healthcare spending per year, according to a “conservative” preliminary estimate shared by a Massachusetts agency late last week. The organizations shared plans last summer for a proposed affiliation in which 37 MinuteClinic sites in the state that currently provided limited convenience care services would expand to offer primary care services. (Muoio, 4/20)
Modern Healthcare: Akron Children’s, Dayton Children’s And Avera Get $125M Donation
Akron Children’s Hospital, Dayton Children’s Hospital and Avera Health will receive $125 million from Tom Golisano. Golisano, who founded the human resources software company Paychex, will give $50 million to Akron Children’s Hospital and $40 million to Dayton Children’s Hospital, both in Ohio, along with $35 million to Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based Avera Health, the philanthropist’s foundation announced Monday. (Kacik, 4/20)
Modern Healthcare: Medicaid Work Requirements Spur Aetna, Centene Marketing Efforts
Medicaid managed care carriers facing shrinking membership rolls are launching campaigns to keep people covered as massive program cuts are about to kick in. Insurers such as Centene, CVS Health subsidiary Aetna and LA Care Health Plan are investing in job training programs and marketing campaigns in preparation for tighter eligibility rules and work requirements that must be in force no later than Jan. 1 under the tax law President Donald Trump enacted last year, known as HR 1. (Tepper, 4/20)
KFF Health News: Real Estate Investors Profit From Long-Term Care While Residents Languish
By the time she was hospitalized in 2020, Pearlene Darby, a retired teacher, had suffered open sores on both legs, both hips, and both heels, as well as a five-inch-long gash on her tailbone. She died two weeks later at age 81 from infections and bedsores, according to her death certificate. Her daughter sued the nursing home, alleging it had left Darby sitting in her own feces and urine time and again. The lawsuit, settled on confidential terms last year, blamed not only the managers of City Creek Post-Acute and Assisted Living but also the building’s owner, a real estate investment trust, or REIT. (Rau, 4/21)
KFF Health News: Listen: Cheap Health Insurance Isn’t Always Cheap
High-deductible plans can look like a deal, until the bills start rolling in. On this episode of the NPR podcast Life Kit, reporter Jackie Fortiér breaks down what to expect and how to prepare. (Fortiér, 4/21)
Also —
MedicalXpress: A New Skin-Hugging Heart Monitor Material Could Make Long-Term ECG Tracking Far More Comfortable
Researchers have created heart monitoring sensors that conform to the skin, are comfortable, and can be worn while people are moving. With performance comparable to sensors already on the market, the new technology can be made using existing manufacturing processes. (Lock, 4/20)
6. Autism Risk Linked To Common Drugs Taken During Pregnancy, Study Finds
The authors stress that no pregnant patient should discontinue or alter medication without medical supervision, as many SBIMs (sterol biosynthesis–inhibiting medications) are essential, often lifesaving treatments. But safer alternatives for use during pregnancy should be developed, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln reports.
MedicalXpress: Millions Of US Birth Records Uncover An Autism Risk Surge Tied To Common Drugs Taken During Pregnancy
A landmark study led by researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and published in Molecular Psychiatry has identified a significant association between prenatal prescription of commonly utilized medications and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. Analyzing 6.14 million maternal-child health records from the Epic Cosmos database—representing nearly one-third of all U.S. births between 2014 and 2023—the team found that prescription of medications known to inhibit the cholesterol synthesis pathway were consistently associated with higher rates of ASD in offspring. These are the generic names of the 14 medications studied: aripiprazole, atorvastatin, bupropion, buspirone, fluoxetine, haloperidol, metoprolol, nebivolol, pravastatin, propranolol, rosuvastatin, sertraline, simvastatin and trazodone. (Clark, 4/20)
More research on pregnancy and birth —
CIDRAP: Antibiotic-Resistance Genes Detected In Babies Within First 3 Days Of Life
New research presented at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Global 2026 conference in Munich suggests antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) are present in newborns shortly after birth. (Dall, 4/20)
MedicalXpress: Having More Kids Associated With Reduced Risk Of Stroke And Brain Damage
While some say having lots of kids can make you lose your faculties, a new study suggests otherwise. Research co-led by UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio, associates a greater number of live births with a reduced risk of stroke or brain damage for mothers. As more women than men have strokes, the finding is seen as significant in helping determine risk. (Clark, 4/20)
On food preservatives, sunshine, and asthma —
MedicalXpress: Widely Used Food Preservative Implicated In Recent Uptick In UK Suicide Deaths
A chemical widely used in food preservation is implicated in an uptick in recent UK deaths by suicide, with a disproportionately high number of cases among young people and boys/men, finds a comprehensive analysis of available data for the period 2019–24, published in the open access journal BMJ Public Health. (Harley, 4/20)
MedicalXpress: Physicists Refute Famous 2025 Study Claiming Daylight Saving Time Poses Severe Health Risks
In 2025, Lara Weed and Jamie M. Zeitzer of Stanford University published an article linking the practice of seasonal time changes (Daylight Saving Time) to negative health outcomes, ranging from acute symptoms (heart attacks and strokes) to chronic conditions (obesity). Now, Professors José María Martín-Olalla (University of Seville) and Jorge Mira Pérez (University of Santiago de Compostela), after analyzing the methodology applied in that study, have concluded that “what the world read as scientific evidence against time change has turned out to be a mathematical illusion.” (Clark, 4/20)
HealthDay: Young Adults Who Smoke Or Vape Cannabis Face Higher Asthma Attack Risk
Weed might increase a young person’s risk of an asthma attack, whether or not they are smoking or vaping it, a new study says. Young adults had 57% to 81% higher odds of an asthma attack if they smoked or vaped cannabis, researchers recently reported in the journal Chest. (Thompson, 4/21)
On aging and dementia —
MedPage Today: Midlife Migraines Tied To Higher Dementia Risk, 40-Year Study Suggests
A large study spanning more than 40 years suggested that migraines in midlife were associated with a modest increase in the long-term risk of dementia. Adults with migraines in midlife were slightly more likely to experience dementia later in life compared with those without migraine (HR 1.07, 95% CI 1.02-1.13), reported Pamela Rist, PhD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and colleagues in a poster session at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting. (George, 4/20)
MedicalXpress: Daytime Napping Patterns May Reveal Hidden Health Decline In Older Adults
New research reveals that as people age, naps may be an easily trackable warning sign of underlying conditions or declining health. A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham and Rush University Medical Center followed 1,338 older adults for up to 19 years to track napping habits and associated mortality rates. They found longer, more frequent, and morning naps were associated with higher mortality rates. (Harley, 4/20)
MedPage Today: New Kink In The Link Between GLP-1 Drugs And Cognition
Adults whose type 2 diabetes was treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists were more than likely to develop cognitive impairment over 10 years than their counterparts not treated with GLP-1 agents, a propensity-matched retrospective study of nearly 65,000 patients suggested. (George, 4/20)
On HIV —
Medical Xpress: Scientists Map How HIV Hijacks Human Cells—And How Cells Can Fight Back
Scientists at Gladstone Institutes and UC San Francisco (UCSF) have opened a new door to understanding HIV by creating the first comprehensive genetic roadmap of how the virus interacts with real human cells. (Harley, 4/20)
CIDRAP: People Living With HIV Age Faster, But Antiretroviral Therapy Can Help: New Study
It’s well established that HIV speeds up the aging process, possibly due to chronic inflammation. But antiretroviral therapy (ART) can slow down and possibly even reverse aging caused by an infection, according to new research presented in Munich at the annual meeting of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID). Researchers estimated biological age by developing a tool called the proteomic aging clock (PAC,) which analyzes protein patterns in blood plasma to estimate a person’s biological age. (Boden, 4/20)
Researchers at the University of Southern California found that patients with early‑onset lung cancer reported eating significantly more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains than the general population, Newsweek reported. However, experts stressed that people should not interpret this as a reason to stop eating healthily. Instead, people are advised to wash produce and buy organic when possible.
Newsweek: Fruits And Vegetables May Increase Your Cancer Risk, New Research Shows
A new study from researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) has suggested that diets rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains may possibly be linked to a higher risk of early‑onset lung cancer. The study found this correlation specifically in younger people who have never smoked. (Blake, 4/20)
Fox News: Colorectal Cancer Deaths Rising Among Young Adults Without College Degrees
Colorectal cancer, once considered a disease of older age, is becoming a crisis for younger adults. New research shows one group getting hit the hardest – those without a college degree. A recent study from the American Cancer Society analyzed data from over 101,000 adults aged 25 to 49 who died from colorectal cancer between 1994 and 2023. (Quill, 4/20)
In other cancer research —
CNN: After A Year Of Turmoil, Cancer Researchers See Promising Signs For MRNA Vaccines
Vita Sara Blechner’s life changed on a Saturday afternoon. The middle school librarian was home in Oceanside, New York, when she felt shooting pains in her back. After an acid reflux pill couldn’t soothe the fiery feeling, her husband suggested a trip to the emergency room. (Hellerman, 4/20)
MedicalXpress: Scientists Crack An ‘Undruggable’ Childhood Cancer Protein, Opening A Path To Treatments For Neuroblastoma
Researchers at Linköping University show how two important cancer-related proteins can be prevented from collaborating with each other. The discovery shows the way toward future medications to combat, for example, neuroblastoma in children. Their study has been published in the journal Nature Communications. (Lock, 4/20)
Medical Xpress: Blood Test Detects Aggressive Brain Tumors Early And Could Reduce Need For Risky Surgery
Researchers at the University of Sussex, in collaboration with scientists from different institutes worldwide, have identified a blood test capable of early diagnosis of the most aggressive form of brain tumor. The technology has the potential to save lives. Lead author Professor Georgios Giamas and his team have identified distinctive biomarkers (molecules that act as signs of normal processes, diseases, or responses to treatment) within patient blood samples, which could signal the presence of glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive forms of brain tumor. (Sutton, 4/20)
NBC News: AI Chatbots Gave People Alternatives To Chemotherapy, Study Finds
Artificial intelligence chatbots will tell you where to find alternatives to chemotherapy if you ask them, a new study finds. At a time when influencers and political figures on social media increasingly promote bogus treatments for cancer or other health problems — and as more people rely on AI for health advice — the new research suggests that some chatbot responses could be putting patients’ lives at risk. (Ozcan, 4/20)
New Hampshire Public Radio: Dartmouth Health Launches Program Focused On The Intersection Of Climate Change And Cancer Care
In 2022, Katie Lichter was a doctor in Northern California. She was walking home from work under orange skies due to the wildfires when she realized the connection between climate change and cancer treatment. (Richardson, 4/20)
8. Constitutionality Of Abortion Upheld In Pa.; Medicaid Fund Use Ban Is Lifted
Although the ruling may be appealed to the state’s Supreme Court, it marks a victory for Planned Parenthood, which sued Pennsylvania over its Medicaid funding restrictions in 2019. This is the first time the right to abortion has been protected by the Pennsylvania Constitution, AP reported.
AP: State Constitution Guarantees Abortion Rights, Pennsylvania Court Rules
A Pennsylvania court on Monday said that the state’s constitution guarantees a right to abortion while striking down a decades-long law banning the use of state Medicaid funds to cover abortion costs. The ruling by a divided seven-judge panel of the appellate-level Commonwealth Court is a major victory for Planned Parenthood and abortion clinic operators who first sued Pennsylvania over its Medicaid funding restrictions in 2019. (Kruesi and Levy, 4/21)