TheVoiceOfJoyce KFF Health News Latinos are losing a decade of health gains, as healthcare becomes unaffordable and journalists shed light on the Hantavirus.

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, May 11, 2026
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Morning Briefing 

In This Edition:

From KFF Health News:

KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES1. As Ranks of Uninsured Grow, Minnesota’s Hospitals Are Among Least Charitable in Nation A Minnesota Star Tribune-KFFHealth News investigation of hospital data and charity care programs shows most Minnesota hospitals provide little financial aid to patients and often make assistance difficult to get. (Noam N. Levey and Jeremy Olson, The Minnesota Star Tribune, 5/11)

2. Watch: 8 Health Insurance Terms You Should Know Deductible. Copay. Out-of-pocket limit. What do these health insurance terms actually mean? We explain common phrases from insurance policies so navigating your plan is less of a headache. (Lexi Krupp and Hannah Norman and Jackie Fortiér and Oona Zenda, 5/11)

3. Journalists Shed Light on Deadly Hantavirus Outbreak and a Crisis in the Nation’s ERs KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances. (5/9)

Here’s today’s health policy haiku:

POSSIBLE TREND LINES…

Reform covers more.
Will it make taxpayers frown?
Or bring health costs down?

– Rachana Fellinger

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:

OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS4. 1 American Tests Positive For Hantavirus As US Passengers From Cruise Ship Arrive In Nebraska 

A plane carrying 17 Americans and one British national who lives in the U.S. landed in Omaha early Monday. The passengers were taken to the University of Nebraska Medical Center; the person who tested “weak positive” will be taken to the biocontainment unit, CNN reported. A second U.S. passenger was showing mild symptoms but tested negative, health officials said.

CNN: American Passengers From Hantavirus-Hit Cruise Ship, Including One Presumed Positive, Arrive In Nebraska For Evaluation  American passengers from the cruise ship at the center of the hantavirus outbreak, including at least one presumed positive case, arrived in Nebraska early Monday for evaluation at a highly specialized quarantine unit before eventually continuing on to their homes – and weeks of monitoring for symptoms of infection. (Boyette and Park, 5/11)

NBC News: Video: Inside The Facility Monitoring Americans Exposed To Hantavirus Take a look inside the facility monitoring Americans exposed to hantavirus. (5/11)

Los Angeles Times: Californian Exposed To Hantavirus Lives In The Bay Area, Officials Say A Bay Area resident who was stuck on a cruise ship during a deadly hantavirus outbreak has returned to Santa Clara County and is being monitored by health officials. The Santa Clara County Public Health Department confirmed Sunday that a county resident has returned to California after being exposed to the Andes hantavirus while on the MV Hondius. Three people on board the luxury cruise ship have died, and at least nine others have suspected cases. (Ellis, 5/10)

ABC News: Hantavirus Outbreak: American Oncologist Who Became Cruise Ship’s De Facto Head Doctor Speaks To ABC News After the doctor on the cruise ship MV Hondius contracted the hantavirus, an American doctor onboard jumped into action to help passengers navigate the outbreak. Dr. Stephen Kornfeld, an oncologist from Bend, Oregon, told ABC News that he quickly realized he was leading the response to a full-blown medical crisis on board the cruise ship. (Rulli and Jovanovic, 5/9)

MedPage Today: CDC Alerts Clinicians About Potential For Imported Hantavirus Cases The CDC has issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) health advisory on hantavirus, urging clinicians to be aware of the potential for imported cases of hantavirus disease in connection with an outbreak of Andes virus aboard a cruise ship. While the risk of broad spread in the U.S. is “considered extremely unlikely at this time,” the agency noted that early symptoms can be easily confused with influenza or other viral illnesses. (Fiore, 5/9)

Also —

France 24: French Evacuee From Hantavirus-Hit Ship Tests Positive, Health Minister Says  France on Monday reported its first case of hantavirus when a French national aboard a virus-linked ship tested positive for the disease, said French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist. The woman, one of five French passengers flown back from the MV Hondius and placed in isolation in Paris, started to feel very unwell on Sunday night and “tests came back positive”, Rist told the France Inter radio broadcaster. The four other French passengers from the ship tested negative, but will be re-tested, she added. Health authorities said they have so far identified 22 hantavirus contact cases in France. (5/11)

The Guardian: British Paratroopers Land On Tristan Da Cunha For Suspected Hantavirus Case  Paratroopers landed on a “golf course covered in rocks” to supply medical personnel and oxygen to Britain’s most remote overseas territory as it deals with a suspected hantavirus case, an army commander has said. The UK Health Security Agency confirmed on Friday that a British national had disembarked from the cruise ship MV Hondius to the South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, where they live, with a suspected case of hantavirus. (5/10)

NBC News: Birders Push Back On Hantavirus Fears Tied To Argentine City The hantavirus outbreak on a cruise that departed from Argentina last month has cast an unwelcome spotlight on Tierra del Fuego, a region well known for its biodiversity and bird-watching, authorities and guides say. Now, bird-watching may be at the epicenter of the outbreak on board the MV Hondius, in which three people have died and five others were sickened. The World Health Organization has said the first person with a confirmed case may have been exposed to rodents — which can carry hantavirus — while on a birding trip. (Romero and Lenthang, 5/10)

ABC News: How Argentina Kept The Hantavirus At Bay During A 2019 Outbreak As health officials around the world rush to treat and contain the hantavirus outbreak from a cruise ship, they will likely look at how Argentina headed off a similar outbreak and minimized its spread. From November 2018 through February 2019, the country experienced an outbreak that resulted in 34 confirmed infections and 11 deaths all linked back to the Andes virus, the same hantavirus strain believed to have been found in the patients from the cruise ship. (Benadjaoud and Pereira, 5/8)

USA Today: Hantavirus Almost Killed Her 30 Years Ago. Here’s What It Was Like. She caught hantavirus 30 years ago, and it nearly killed her. Here’s what she wants you to know. (Trepany, 5/11)

The Wall Street Journal: The Next Frontier For Hantavirus: Finding Vaccines And Treatments Drug hunters have searched for years for a treatment for the rare infectious disease hantavirus, which caused an outbreak on a cruise ship that global public health officials are now racing to contain. The latest outbreak, which has killed three people and sickened five others, adds increased urgency to those efforts. While hantavirus is generally contracted through exposure to infected rodents, the strain in the current outbreak can be transmitted from person to person. (Loftus, 5/11)

KFF Health News: Journalists Shed Light On Deadly Hantavirus Outbreak And A Crisis In The Nation’s ERs  Céline Gounder, KFF Health News’ editor-at-large for public health, discussed the cruise ship hantavirus outbreak on PBS NewsHour, Fox’s LiveNow From Fox, and CBS News’ CBS Mornings on May 5. She also discussed the hantavirus outbreak on NPR’s Morning Edition on May 6. (5/9)

In separate news about cruise ships —

The New York Times: Norovirus Outbreak Sickens 115 On Cruise Ship  More than 100 people have been sickened in a norovirus outbreak on a cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Thursday. Those sickened, who include 102 passengers and 13 crew members, have been isolated from uninfected travelers, the agency said. The cruise ship, the Caribbean Princess, left Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on April 28 and is expected to arrive in Florida on Monday. (MacDonald, 5/8)

ADMINISTRATION NEWS5. If Makary Is Out At FDA, ‘Less Disruptive’ Candidate May Replace Him 

On Friday, news outlets reported that FDA commissioner Marty Makary was about to be fired. President Donald Trump said, “I know nothing about it,” and the White House did not comment. While Makary’s fate is up in the air, Axios reports that a potential replacement would likely be a more traditional pick than the current MAHA advocate.

Axios: FDA Cliffhanger: Makary’s Fate In Limbo The Food and Drug Administration was supposed to be the dull and predictable part of President Trump’s health bureaucracy. Instead, it’s become the soap opera whose cliffhangers leave entire industries in suspense — most recently Friday’s drama over reports that commissioner Marty Makary was about to be booted out. … The Johns Hopkins physician and researcher appeared to have been spared late last week after multiple outlets reported that President Trump had authorized his firing. (Bettelheim, 5/11)

On veterans’ healthcare —

Military.com: VA Expands Virtual Reality Therapy To Reach More Veterans The Department of Veterans Affairs is significantly expanding its use of virtual reality as a therapeutic tool, partnering with Mynd Immersive to bring immersive experiences to 45 additional VA medical centers nationwide. The initiative reflects a broader institutional shift toward non-pharmacological care, particularly for chronic pain, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. (Fuller, 5/10)

On the immigration crisis —

The Washington Post: She Fled Genital Mutilation In Togo. The U.S. Deported Her. A judge ruled that the woman should not be deported there, so the Trump administration sent her to Ghana — which returned her to Togo. (Raji, 5/10)

On the federal reorganization and research cuts —

The Hill: Advocates Urge USAID To Release $19 Billion For Life-Saving Aid The now-shuttered U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has told Congress it has $19 billion in funds to cover costs associated with closing out the programs it terminated last year, according to a notification sent late last month and obtained by The Hill. The notification acknowledges that the price of closing out the agency is likely to cost less than the multibillion-dollar number, but it’s unclear where the leftover funds will go. Humanitarian aid experts and Democrats are urging the administration to show some urgency in disbursing it for dire humanitarian needs. (Kelly, 5/10)

CIDRAP: NIH Grant Terminations Had Outsized Effect On Minority Researchers, Data Suggest A new study suggests that the Trump administration’s wave of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant terminations in 2025 disproportionately affected Black, Indigenous, and other minority researchers, as well as scientists from sexual and gender minority communities. The authors warn that the targeted disruption of these scientist’s careers may reshape the direction of US health research for years to come. (Bergeson, 5/8)

The New York Times: She Tried To Help Schools Build Healthier Playgrounds. Then Her E.P.A. Grant Was Canceled.  Kirsten Beyer was assessing the benefits of improving school playgrounds in Milwaukee. Then her E.P.A. grant was canceled. (Anthes, 5/8)

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH6. White House Unveils Moms.gov Website With Resources For Pregnancy, More 

The site, which launched on Mother’s Day, is aimed at assisting women who find themselves experiencing an unexpected pregnancy. Also: estrogen patch shortages; Florida’s six-week abortion ban; and more.

The Hill: Trump Administration Launches Moms.Gov On Mother’s Day The Trump administration launched the website Moms.gov on Mother’s Day in an effort to help provide resources to expecting women and their families. The site’s tagline says it’s “addressing the needs of mothers and fathers who face difficult or unexpected pregnancies and ensuring the well-being of mothers and the health of American families.” Information on the website spans from details about Trump Accounts to breastfeeding, mental health, health centers, nutrition facts and adoption. (Fields, 5/10)

NBC News: FDA Claims There’s No Estrogen Patch Shortage As Women Struggle To Get Prescriptions Filled The Food and Drug Administration removed the black box warning from hormone replacement therapies late last year, and recently, the most insured type, the estrogen patch, has been in short supply amid a boom in the therapy’s popularity. “There’s been a surge in demand for the last two or three years where the utilization of transdermal estrogen has gone up significantly,” said Dr. Robert Kauffman, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Texas Tech Physicians of Amarillo. (Sullivan, 5/10)

In other reproductive health news —

The Hill: Louisiana Officials Urge Supreme Court To Keep Block On Mail-Order Abortion Pills Louisiana officials in a court filing urged the Supreme Court to leave in place an order from a lower court that blocks women nationwide from obtaining a widely used abortion medication through the mail. The Trump administration, trying to straddle the line on abortion, was silent. Last week, Justice Samuel Alito temporarily paused an order from the conservative U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit that reinstated a requirement that women must visit a health care provider in-person to obtain mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortions. (Weixel, 5/8)

WUSF: Doctor Says Florida’s Six-Week Abortion Ban Has Taken A Toll On Prenatal Care  Two years after Florida’s six-week abortion ban went into effect, an OB/GYN with over 30 years of experience says he thinks the restrictions have taken a toll on women’s pregnancy care — regardless of whether they’re seeking to terminate. (Lyden, 5/11)

The Hill: Sarah Huckabee Sanders And Wes Moore Discuss Maternal Healthcare Gaps Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Sunday stressed the need for bipartisan cooperation to address maternal healthcare gaps. On Mother’s Day, the two spoke to host Kristen Welker on NBC’s “Meet the Press” about their work to improve access to care for mothers. Sanders, a mother to three children, touted the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act, which she signed into law last year. The law directed roughly $45 million annually to promote maternal health and established, among multiple provisions, presumptive Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women. (5/10)

Chicago Tribune: Chicago Mother’s Heart Stopped After Giving Birth Due To Blood Clot The last thing Chelsea Cheveria remembers after the birth of her daughter was greeting her new baby girl. “I said, ‘Hi, oh, that’s my baby,’” Cheveria, 38, recalled. She kissed the tiny newborn, and her husband told her, “You did it.” Then everything went dark. Without warning, Cheveria’s heart stopped as she lay atop the operating table where minutes earlier doctors had delivered her baby Zairah through a cesarean section. (Schencker, 5/10)

CBS News: She Gave Up On A Dream Of Growing Her Family After A Terminal Diagnosis. Then Her Husband “Flipped A Light Switch.” Maralee Lellio was surprised to be diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer at 29, but she knew what her next steps would be. Her disease was treatable. Her oncologist recommended chemotherapy and surgery. The treatment was unpleasant, but through it all, she focused on a future goal: welcoming a second child. Lellio dreamed of giving her firstborn daughter, then 2, a sibling. (Breen, 5/9)

HEALTHCARE COSTS7. Cuts To Medicaid, ACA Put Latinos At Risk Of Losing A Decade Of Gains, Group Warns 

WLRN Public Media covers findings from the UnidosUS report, including that more than 4 million Latinos are projected to lose health insurance in the coming decade because of the cuts.

WLRN Public Media: Report: Latinos Face ‘Unprecedented’ Health Coverage Losses Amid Cuts To Medicaid, ACA  A new report released by UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, warns that a decade of progress in Latino healthcare is threatened by the Trump administration’s cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The findings suggest that more than 4 million Latinos are among the 14 million Americans projected to lose health insurance over the next decade due to the federal cuts to both national programs. (Bustos, 5/10)

Modern Healthcare: ACA Enrollment Losses Reshape Centene, Molina Healthcare Outlooks Health insurance exchange customers are fleeing the market in significant numbers, first-quarter earnings reports from large insurers reveal. Publicly traded insurers such as Centene, Molina Healthcare and Elevance Health disclosed that a larger-than-usual share of people who signed up during the open enrollment period are dropping out. These health insurance companies expect aggregate exchange enrollment will shrink by at least 20% over the course of the year owing to huge premium increases and the expiration of enhanced subsidies. (Tepper, 5/8)

The Hill: Health Insurance Marketplace Feels Growing Tremors From GOP Cuts State Obamacare marketplaces are starting to feel tremors from the GOP-controlled Congress’s ending of enhanced subsidies, as millions of Americans are dropping coverage. Experts and state officials say the impact varies from state to state, but enrollment decline is expected to grow this year and beyond, as policies from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and potential Trump administration regulation changes take effect. (Weixel, 5/10)

KFF Health News: As Ranks Of Uninsured Grow, Minnesota’s Hospitals Are Among Least Charitable In Nation Cori Roberts was living in a rented basement four years ago when she was diagnosed with early-stage cervical cancer. Recently divorced, the former stay-at-home mother had started working again in her mid-40s, taking a human resources job that paid $41,000 a year. Then, despite having insurance, she was hit with more than $8,000 in medical bills. “I had my car and a basket of clothes,” Roberts recalled. “Medical bills were not something I could have afforded.” (Levey and Olson, 5/11)

Also —

Stat: Inside The $5 Billion Battle Over No Surprises Act’s Rules On Disputes Any day now, the federal government is supposed to unveil a suite of changes to the No Surprises Act’s controversial arbitration process. Health care providers and insurers are racing to have the final word before the new rules are published, but one side is getting a lot more face time with officials. (Bannow, 5/11)

KFF Health News: Watch: 8 Health Insurance Terms You Should Know Health insurance in the U.S. is notoriously confusing. So we’re covering the basics to make navigating your plan a little easier. We explain the difference between a deductible and an out-of-pocket limit, define copay and coinsurance, and point out where surprise bills can get you in trouble, from out-of-network providers to prior authorizations. (Fortiér, 5/11)

PHARMACEUTICALS8. Medicare Spending, Uptake Remain Low For New Alzheimer’s Drugs

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