TheVoiceOfJoyce Why cut Medicaid further? Disband preventative medicine team, fire experts who prioritize screenings for mammograms, colonoscopies, etc? RFK, Jr continues to destroy our ability to maintain healthy bodies. Health policy like environmental policy is made by Corporate self interest “donations” to MAGA, Inc before policy APPROVAL? Ebola and Hantavirus discussed.

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Morning Briefing 

In This Edition:

From KFF Health News:

KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES1. Colorado Charts Its Own Course on Vaccines Amid Federal Pullback Doctors, lawmakers, and other advocates are joining forces to promote recommended childhood vaccines. (John Daley, Colorado Public Radio, 5/21)

2. ICE Arrests Are Separating Families. Here’s How To Plan Ahead. As immigration authorities carry out President Donald Trump’s promise to conduct what’s billed as the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, several states are passing laws to protect the children of detained immigrants. Guardianship can become complicated when no family or friends are available to take temporary custody. (Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez, 5/21)

Here’s today’s health policy haiku:

LILLY TRADES AND TRADE-OFFS

He said “Drain the swamp!”
But he meant: “Let my office
keep enriching me!”

– Timothy Kelley

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:

ADMINISTRATION NEWS3. RFK Jr. Ousts Experts From Preventive Services Task Force; AMA Denounces Move 

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. didn’t make clear his reasons for firing doctors John Wong and Esa Davis from the panel, but he did encourage them to reapply. The AMA reaction was swift: “We strongly urge HHS to restore the USPSTF’s long-standing, transparent process for selecting members, specifically clinicians with expertise in the fields of preventive medicine and primary care.”

AP: RFK Jr. Fires Leaders Of Group That Sets Guidelines For Health Screenings The Trump administration has fired the two leaders of an influential health group that determines when insurance must provide free preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies, for millions of Americans. In letters dated May 11, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. notified the two doctors who chaired the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force that he was terminating their appointments immediately, before the end of their multiyear terms. (Neergaard, 5/20)

Medical Economics: RFK Jr. Fires USPSTF Vice Chairs, Drawing Sharp Rebuke From AMA The American Medical Association wasted no time in condemning the action. “The AMA is extremely concerned by today’s HHS decision to remove the vice-chairs of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force,” said Bobby Mukkamala, MD, AMA president, in a statement. … “We strongly urge HHS to restore the USPSTF’s long-standing, transparent process for selecting members, specifically clinicians with expertise in the fields of preventive medicine and primary care. We also implore HHS to commit to once again holding regular Task Force meetings to ensure its important work can continue without further delay. Our patients’ lives depend on it.” (5/20)

More MAHA news —

The New York Times: A Vacant Surgeon General’s Office Issues a Warning About Screen Time The surgeon general’s office on Wednesday issued a warning about the dangers of screen time for young people, linking excessive time online to worse sleep issues, anxiety, depression, alcohol use and other health harms. The advisory calls on children and adolescents to “live real life” and go outside, and for parents to discuss boundaries around technology and to delay screen time for “as long as possible.” The report was produced by the office of the surgeon general, however, that post has remained empty since January 2025. (Blum, 5/20)

KCCI 8 Des Moines: Iowa Signs New Law Limiting Classroom Screen Time Gov. Kim Reynolds signed Iowa’s new “Make America Healthy Again” bill into law Wednesday, alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., putting new statewide limits on classroom screen time for younger students while launching a broader push focused on childhood health and chronic disease prevention. One of the bill’s provisions limits digital instruction on one-to-one devices to 60 minutes a day for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, with several exceptions. (Purpura, 5/20)

Politico: Radiologist By Trade, Farmer On The Side. How Trump’s Surgeon General Pick Uses A Tax Loophole In New Jersey.  Nicole Saphier joins a list of well-off residents who’ve taken advantage of a state law allowing steep discounts for land designated for agricultural use. (Han, 5/21)

Also —

The Wall Street Journal: How Zyn Became All The Rage Inside Trump World—Including With RFK Jr.  Nicotine pouches have gained popularity across the administration, with even key health officials including Kennedy indulging. (Whyte, Dawsey and Barber, 5/18)4. Big Tobacco Donated $5M To MAGA Inc. Before FDA’s New Vape Policy: Report 

The New York Times reports on Reynolds American’s campaign finance disclosure of the $5 million contribution, which was made about a week before new guidance from the FDA on flavored vapes. That new policy bypassed the agency’s regular rulemaking process.

The New York Times: A $5 Million Donation From Big Tobacco Preceded F.D.A. Vape Decision The tobacco company Reynolds American donated $5 million to a super PAC backed by President Trump last month, about one week before his administration rolled out a new policy that could prove lucrative to the tobacco industry. The donation, which came through a Reynolds subsidiary and brings to $8 million the total donated by the subsidiary to MAGA Inc., the Trump-backed super PAC, was revealed in a campaign finance report filed Wednesday night. The donation came on April 30. (Vogel and Jewett, 5/20)

Barron’s: Trump’s Portfolio Managers Traded UnitedHealth Ahead Of Favorable Medicare Policy Change  President Donald Trump’s investment portfolio actively traded UnitedHealth Group as the stock was whipsawed by a federal policy proposal on Medicare rates earlier this year. The disclosure, released last week by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, lists more than 3,600 stock trades spanning a range of companies and industries during the first three months of the year. (Dunn, 5/19)

On the immigration crisis —

The Texas Tribune: Woman Detained By ICE Wrongfully Denied Surgery, Doctors Say The 911 call came two days after immigration agents detained the 23-year-old Guatemalan woman in Minnesota as she was driving her mother and two young siblings to their jobs cleaning houses. “Excruciating pain,” the employee at the El Paso immigrant detention facility reported. (Kriel, 5/20)

KFF Health News: ICE Arrests Are Separating Families. Here’s How To Plan Ahead Depression. Post-traumatic stress disorder. Developmental delays. The trauma of family separation can have serious health consequences for children. On WAMU’s May 13 “Health Hub” segment, KFF Health News correspondent Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez discussed what families without legal status can do if a parent is detained by immigration agents, as well as strategies to keep children out of foster care. (Orozco Rodriguez, 5/21)

In news from Capitol Hill —

The Washington Post: Barney Frank, Influential Congressman And Gay Rights Hero, Dies At 86  Barney Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat who brought his sharp intellect and irrepressible wit to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he led a sweeping overhaul of the financial industry after the Great Recession and advanced gay rights as one of the first openly gay congressmen in history, died May 19 at his home in Ogunquit, Maine. He was 86. His death was confirmed by his sister Doris Breay. Mr. Frank revealed last month that he had entered hospice care for congestive heart failure. (Langer, 5/20)

Stat: Democrats Mount New Attempt To End Medicare AI Prior Authorization Pilot  Senate and House Democrats introduced resolutions Wednesday to overturn a Medicare pilot that uses artificial intelligence to approve or deny care. The technology experiment has led to allegations of delayed care for seniors in at least one of the six states it is currently being implemented. (Trang, 5/20)

The Hill: Lawmakers Push To Expand Clinical Trial Access A House Democrat and Republican on Wednesday highlighted their push to expand access to clinical trials, saying artificial intelligence could be one tool used to reach more underrepresented communities seeking additional treatment options. The Clinical Trial Modernization Act, co-sponsored by Reps. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) and Erin Houchin (R-Ind.), is a bipartisan effort aiming to address some of the economic hurdles preventing patients from participating in clinical trials, which rely on community-based research to test the safety and effectiveness of medications, procedures and other health-related interventions. (Swai, 5/20)

HEALTHCARE COSTS5. Providence Health Plan To Quit Medicaid, Obamacare, Employer Markets 

The Washington-based health system aims to continue its Medicare Advantage operations by partnering with a national carrier, Modern Healthcare reports. Also: Seven things to know about CMS’ proposed cap on state Medicaid payments.

Modern Healthcare: Providence Health Plan To Exit Medicaid, ACA, Employer Markets Providence Health Plan will quit the Medicaid and job-based insurance market next year, along with exiting the health insurance exchanges. The insurance division of the Renton, Washington-based nonprofit health system hopes to maintain its Medicare Advantage operations by partnering with a national carrier, Providence President and CEO Erik Wexler said in a Wednesday news release. The company did not name the national insurer, but Wexler said it is hoping to finalize the agreement shortly. (5/20)

More Medicaid developments —

Becker’s Hospital Review: CMS To Cap State Medicaid Payments To Save $775B: 7 Things To Know CMS on May 20 proposed a rule that would cap certain state Medicaid payments and align them more closely with Medicare rates. The proposed rule would create new limits for Medicaid state-directed payments and certain fee-for-service payments to reduce Medicaid spending by more than $775 billion over 10 years, including $510 billion in federal savings, according to the agency. (Condon, 5/20)

Stat: Florida Hospitals Get $8 Billion In Medicaid State Directed Payments  The federal government is sending nearly $8 billion in supplemental Medicaid funds to hospitals in Florida for care they delivered last year, delivering a windfall to facilities in the politically influential state ahead of the imposition of new limits stemming from President Trump’s 2025 tax cut bill. (Herman, 5/20)

In other healthcare industry news —

Modern Healthcare: Centerwell, Rush, DaVita Invest In Chronic Disease Technology Health systems, kidney care companies and primary care providers are investing millions of dollars in technology to keep chronic illnesses such as diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease and hypertension from spiraling out of control. The diseases affect three out of four adults and account for about 90% of healthcare spending, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Eastabrook, 5/20)

Modern Healthcare: Memorial Hermann’s David Callender On Using AI To Meet Demand Memorial Hermann Health System is increasingly relying on technology to coordinate follow-up care as it works to anticipate the needs of one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions. The 18-hospital nonprofit health system has reduced costs and increased capacity by using artificial intelligence-backed digital tools to direct patients to the most appropriate care settings, President and CEO Dr. David Callender said. Reimbursement pressure and surging demand for care will drive additional investment in the system’s expansion and technology infrastructure, he said. (Kacik, 5/20)

The Baltimore Sun: Dr. William DeVoe Dies, Led St. Joseph Hospital Pediatrics William Floyd DeVoe, a prominent pediatrician in Towson, died May 15 of chronic health failure at Arden Courts in Ruxton. The Phoenix resident was 87.A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, Dr. DeVoe cared for children in Baltimore County for 45 years — more than half of that at St. Joseph Hospital in Towson, where he served as chief of Pediatric Medicine for 25 years. (Klingaman, 5/20)

OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS6. Trump Team Denied Ebola-Infected Doctor’s Return To US For Treatment, Insiders Say 

Those in the know say administration deliberations delayed the U.S. strategy to evacuate Peter Stafford from the Congo, The Washington Post reported. Urgent care is required with an Ebola infection, health experts say, and officials ultimately sent the surgeon to Germany. The White House contends it was acting in the best interests of the patient.

The Washington Post: White House Resisted Letting Doctor With Ebola Return To U.S. The White House resisted allowing an American doctor exposed to Ebola while working in the Democratic Republic of Congo to return to the United States, according to five people familiar with the Ebola response who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal discussions, delaying the evacuation and care of Peter Stafford, who was ultimately transported to Germany. (Sun and Weber, 5/20)

CIDRAP: At Least 600 Ebola Cases Suspected As US Pledges To Fund 50 Treatment Clinics There are now 600 suspected cases and more than 160 deaths in a growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today, with numbers expected to rise. “Our absolute priority now is to identify all the existing chains of transmission,” Chikwe Ihekweazu, MBBS, MPH, WHO emergencies chief, said today at a press conference. (Soucheray, 5/20)

The New York Times: Uganda Says It’s Not Aware Of Ebola Clinics Promised By U.S.  The State Department said it would fund up to 50 clinics in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. “I don’t know the ones they are talking about,” a top Ugandan official said. (Bigg and Chutel, 5/21)

Bloomberg: US Ebola Spending Plunged 99% In Five Years Since Last Outbreak As the world’s leading public health officials gathered for emergency meetings in Geneva to discuss a deadly form of Ebola that’s likely circulated undetected for months in Africa, one group was missing from the table: a formal US delegation. In past outbreaks, the US often led surveillance, laboratory support and emergency response efforts through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the now-dismantled US Agency for International Development. The large field teams and hundreds of millions of dollars the US once deployed during health emergencies are also absent. (Nix and Inampudi, 5/20)

Bloomberg: US Enlists Small Biotech For Experimental Ebola Treatment US officials are working with a small biotech company to provide an experimental treatment that may be used in patients exposed to Ebola, according to a person familiar with the matter. The closely held firm, Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc., is working with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, to deliver its drug for potential use in patients, said the person, who asked not to be identified. (Smith, 5/20)

NBC News: Detroit-Bound Flight Diverted To Canada After Congolese Passenger Boarded ‘In Error’ Amid Ebola Outbreak An Air France flight bound for Detroit was redirected to Canada after a passenger from Congo boarded “in error” amid the Ebola outbreak in central Africa, officials said Wednesday. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said the agency took “decisive action” by prohibiting the flight from landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. (Kottke and Lo, 5/21)

On hantavirus —

CIDRAP: Public Health Alert Gives More Detailed Information About Andes Hantavirus On Cruise Ship A Public Health Alerts report today provides detailed information on 10 of the 11 cases of Andes hantavirus infection on passengers of the MV Hondius cruise ship, including the first passenger who contracted the disease after the index patient. (Wappes, 5/20)

Politico: What Ebola And Hantavirus Are Revealing About America’s Public Health System  Public health experts say neither virus poses an immediate threat to most Americans. But the trust deficit the viruses are exposing could be catastrophic when crisis arrives. (Messerly, Gardner and Haslett, 5/21)

On Lyme disease, measles, and malaria —

Newsweek: Lyme Disease Warning As Map Shows Tick Bite Surge Across US Scientists have issued fresh warnings about Lyme disease as tick bites continue to climb across the United States. Emergency room visits for tick bites have climbed to the highest levels for this time of year since 2017 in every U.S. region except the South Central states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in warning earlier this morning. (King, 5/20)

HealthDay: Study Finds Ticks Can Live Indoors On Floors And Carpets For Weeks Here’s a creepy-crawling fact as summer fun approaches – ticks can survive indoors for up to three weeks on hard-surface or carpeted floors, according to a study. This means folks can have a tick latch onto them despite taking proper precautions outdoors, if one of the pests hitchhikes into their home on a person or a pet, researchers reported recently in the Journal of Vector Ecology. (Thompson, 5/19)

CBS News: Why A Deadly, Massive Measles Outbreak In Bangladesh Has Some U.S. Health Experts Concerned A measles outbreak in Bangladesh that has killed almost 400 people is spreading fast, and health experts say it could carry risks even for the U.S. Most of those killed by the measles outbreak in Bangladesh in recent weeks have been children. The country’s Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) says the number of suspected cases has surged to over 56,000, with regional media outlets saying many hospitals across the country are overwhelmed. (Ellery, 5/20)

MedPage Today: No Infants Developed Measles After Utah Prophylaxis Regimen After 11 infants were exposed to measles at a pediatric clinic in Utah, the state Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) helped administer intramuscular immunoglobulin (IMIG) as postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) and ultimately developed a protocol for statewide use amid the ongoing outbreak. None of the infants’ parents declined IMIG for their child, and there were no serious or localized systemic adverse events during administration or reported in follow-up calls, reported Anna Jones, MD, of DHHS and the CDC, and colleagues. Notably, none of the infants contracted measles during the 21-day monitoring period. (Henderson, 5/20)

CIDRAP: Malaria Reintroduction Into US Is Possible: CDC Report The United States eliminated malaria in the 1950s, but that doesn’t mean this parasitic disease is gone for good, warns a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.) The report points to a 2023 outbreak in which 10 people across four states—Arkansas, Florida, Maryland, and Texas—were infected with locally acquired mosquito-transmitted malaria. These cases were not associated with travel, which poses serious public health implications, as malaria can be a life-threatening or life-altering disease, especially for young children. (Boden, 5/20)

Also —

The New York Times: 3 Die After Suspected Exposure To Unknown Substance In New Mexico  Officers from the state police and the Torrance County Sheriff’s Office responded to the home in Mountainair, N.M., for what was initially reported as a possible drug overdose. They found four unresponsive people inside around 11 a.m., the state police said in a statement. Three of the four have died, authorities added. … While responding to the incident, 18 emergency officials were exposed to the substance and began experiencing symptoms including nausea and dizziness, the state police said. Those officials, and the fourth person found inside the home, were taken to the University of New Mexico Hospital for quarantine and monitoring, the state police said, adding that two officials are in serious condition. (Zhuang, 5/21)

LIFESTYLE AND HEALTH

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