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Morning Briefing: Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025 🦃

Measles and vaccine misinformation; the stress of affording health insurance after layoffs; our "What the Health" podcast; the "KFF Health News Minute"; Medicare drug prices; CDC's new No. 2 in charge; the latest on ACA subsidies; and more
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Wednesday, November 26, 2025
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Morning Briefing

WISHING YOU A HAPPY THANKSGIVING 🦃

The Morning Briefing will not be published Thursday or Friday. Look for it again in your inbox on Monday, Dec. 1. 

In This Edition:

From KFF Health News:

KFF Health News Original Stories

3. What the Health? From KFF Health News: Trump Almost Unveils a Health Plan

Just weeks before some tax credits for Affordable Care Act premiums expire, the Trump administration floated a plan to extend the enhanced aid — but it was met with immediate GOP pushback. Meanwhile, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he ordered the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to revise its website to suggest childhood vaccines might be linked to autism. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News' Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Joanne Kenen and Joshua Sharfstein about their new book, "Information Sick: How Journalism's Decline and Misinformation's Rise Are Harming Our Health — And What We Can Do About It." (11/25)

Here's today's health policy haiku:

HERE'S A REMEDY

United Healthcare:
Want to turn business around?
Become nonprofit.

If you have a health policy haiku to share, please Contact Us and 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:

Pharmaceuticals

5. Medicare To Lower Prices On 15 More Prescription Drugs, Including Ozempic

Some prescription cancer drugs are also included in the negotiations. The announcement followed the second round of talks with pharmaceutical manufacturers under a new system implemented by the Biden administration as part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, The Washington Post reported.

The Washington Post: Weight-Loss, Cancer Drugs Among 15 To Get Lower Medicare Pricing, U.S. Says
The Trump administration on Tuesday said it will pay lower prices for 15 prescription drugs for people on Medicare, including GLP-1 medications Ozempic and Wegovy, inhaler Trelegy Ellipta and cancer drugs Xtandi, Pomalyst and Ibrance. The announcement followed the second round of negotiations with pharmaceutical manufacturers under a new system implemented by the Biden administration as part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The act allows Medicare to directly negotiate with pharmaceutical companies over the price of medications it covers. (Vinall, 11/26)

More news about weight loss drugs —

The Wall Street Journal: The Americans Skipping Ozempic To Indulge At Thanksgiving
For many Americans taking a weight-loss drug, Thanksgiving presents a conundrum: Take the weekly dose that staves off hunger, or push it off so they can feast? Taryn Langer is skipping her weekly dose. "My sister-in-law usually puts out pepperoni bread, deviled eggs and cheese plate. I don't want to have to miss that, or just be satisfied with that, and not be able to eat dinner," says Langer, of Glen Ridge, N.J., who has lost 65 pounds while taking the drug Mounjaro. (Loftus and O'Brien, 11/26)

Bloomberg: Novo Says New Diabetes Shot Spurs 14.5% Weight Loss
Novo Nordisk A/S's next-generation diabetes shot lowered patients' blood sugar and helped them lose weight in a study that may be a positive sign for the embattled drugmaker's future portfolio. When given as a weekly injection, the compound called amycretin helped people lose as much as 14.5% of their body weight over 36 weeks. People who took it as a once-daily oral drug shed up to 10.1% of their weight, Novo said on Tuesday. After losing its lead in the booming obesity market to US rival Eli Lilly & Co., Novo needs next-generation drugs to improve its competitive position. Amycretin is a crucial piece of that puzzle, combining two mechanisms for weight loss into a single molecule. (Kresge, 11/25)

In other pharmaceutical news —

The Hill: Walgreens Nasal Spray Recalled Over Bacteria Contamination
If you purchased a nasal spray from Walgreens, you might want to check the bottle. A recall has been initiated for 41,328 bottles of Walgreens Saline Nasal Spray with Xylitol due to a possible bacterial contamination. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the 1.5-ounce (45mL) bottles of the nasal spray may be contaminated with pseudomonas lactis, a bacterium that causes dairy products to spoil. Authorities didn't say what may have caused the contamination. (Mitchell, 11/25)

CIDRAP: Common Antibiotic Linked To Risk Of Acute Respiratory Failure In Kids, Young Adults
A new study of adolescents and young adults has found a commonly used antibiotic for skin infections, urinary tract infections, and acne is associated with an increased risk of respiratory failure. The study, conducted in Ontario, found that the risk of a hospital visit with acute respiratory failure was nearly three times higher in healthy 10- to 25-year-olds who received trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) than those who received either amoxicillin or cephalosporin antibiotics, though the overall risk was low. (Dall, 11/25)

Administration News

6. Doctor Who Called Covid Vaccines 'Dangerous' Is CDC's New Deputy Chief

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's internal database lists Dr. Ralph Abraham, 71, as its principal deputy director, with a start date of Nov. 23, The New York Times reported. Abraham is also the former surgeon general of Louisiana and halted the state health department's mass vaccination campaigns.

The New York Times: Doctor Critical Of Vaccines Quietly Appointed As C.D.C.'s Second In Command
Dr. Ralph Abraham, who as Louisiana's surgeon general ordered the state health department to stop promoting vaccinations and who has called Covid vaccines "dangerous," has been named the second in command at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Department of Health and Human Services did not announce the appointment, and many C.D.C. employees seemed unaware of it. But the C.D.C.'s internal database lists Dr. Abraham as the agency's principal deputy director, with a start date of Nov. 23. The appointment was first reported by the Substack column Inside Medicine. (Mandavilli, 11/25)

More Trump administration updates —

The Hill: Trump EPA Seeks Court To Overturn Joe Biden's Soot Limits
The Trump administration on Monday asked a federal court to overturn a Biden-era rule limiting deadly soot pollution. In a court filing, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) argued that the Biden-era rule tightening limits was procedurally flawed and therefore should be vacated. It said that the Biden administration took a "shortcut," making the rule stricter "without the rigorous, stepwise process that Congress required." (Frazin, 11/25)

Bloomberg: USDA's Top Economist To Leave For Missouri Policy Institute
The US Agriculture Department's top economist is departing from the agency to lead the University of Missouri's food and agricultural policy institute. Seth Meyer has been the USDA's chief economist since 2021, helming an office whose responsibilities include the market-moving monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report. Meyer will be leading the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute starting Jan. 1, succeeding Pat Westhoff, who is retiring in March, the University of Missouri said in a Tuesday release. (Peng, 11/25)

Bloomberg: How Trump's Fight Against Fentanyl Turns To India From China
As US-India relations began to sour earlier this year, drug-control experts briefed officials in the Trump administration on how the South Asian nation fit into the murky trade in chemicals used to make fentanyl. Among the topics of discussion was whether India's growing role in supply chains of the deadly opioid could be used to justify new tariffs on the nation's goods, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the consultations were confidential. The White House didn't respond to a request for comment on those discussions. (Strumpf and Palepu, 11/26)

CNN: The US Has Released An 'America First Global Health Strategy.' Health Experts Warn It Is Risky
Health experts are warning that the Trump administration's new "America First Global Health Strategy" could further damage public health systems already reeling from billions of dollars in foreign aid cuts following the destruction of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and while some say the new system could bring benefits, there is agreement it marks a radical change in approach from decades of US policy. (Kent and Hansler, 11/26)

The New York Times: Transportation Chief Wants Healthier In-Flight Snack Options
Sean Duffy, the transportation secretary, has been urging people for the past week to dress and comport themselves better as a way of restoring "civility" to air travel. On Tuesday, he added another item to his list of concerns: the quality of the snacks handed out on commercial flights. In an interview posted Tuesday on the conservative news site Blaze Media, Mr. Duffy said he would prefer that airlines offered options that are not heavy on butter, sugar or what he described as "crap." He finds the standard choices of cookies or small bags of pretzels lacking, he said. (Walker, 11/25)

Health Care Costs

7. Trump Says He'd Extend ACA Subsidies Only To Make Time To Hash Out A Plan

"Some kind of an extension may be necessary to get something else done," President Donald Trump said Tuesday. But he added: "Somebody said I wanna extend them for two years. I don't want to extend them for two years. I'd rather not extend them at all."

Politico: Trump Opens The Door To Obamacare Subsidy Extension
President Donald Trump on Tuesday suggested he was open to extending Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year if it would give Congress time to make changes that he supports to the federally run health care plan. "Some kind of an extension may be necessary to get something else done, because the unaffordable care act has been a disaster," Trump told reporters on Air Force One, referring to Obamacare's official name, the Affordable Care Act. (Haslett and Gardner, 11/25)

Politico: The Big Sticking Point In The White House's Health Care Proposal
The White House's silence on how its health care plan deals with abortion is causing a headache for Republicans on Capitol Hill. For many GOP members, an expansion of abortion restrictions in Obamacare is a must-have. But the White House's decision to leave the issue out of its tentative framework caught Republicans off guard, leaving them in the dark about whether the president would ultimately stake out a position publicly, according to two aides granted anonymity to disclose private discussions. (Ollstein, Carney and Haslett, 11/25)

The Washington Post: Why Health Savings Accounts Aren't A Substitute For Real Insurance
Republicans facing voter ire over spiking health premiums are resurrecting one of their favorite ideas: give people power to pay for medical care on their own, with tax-free dollars in individual health savings accounts. The GOP is toying with the idea of taking federal subsidies that currently help people buy Affordable Care Act insurance and diverting some of the money into individuals' HSAs, although passing legislation without help from Democrats is a tall order with Republicans' slim Senate and House majorities. (Winfield Cunningham, 11/25)

The New York Times: Once Foes Of Obamacare, Some Republicans Push To Protect It
Representative Jen Kiggans, Republican of Virginia, once called for eliminating the Affordable Care Act. Representative Mike Lawler, Republican of New York, has repeatedly called it "a disaster." But the two are part of a small group of G.O.P. members of Congress — most of them facing tough re-election races next year in competitive districts — who have broken with their party to push for a temporary extension of a crucial piece of the law: subsidies, currently slated to expire at the end of the year, to help Americans afford their premiums. (Jimison, 11/25)

KFF Health News: Trump Almost Unveils A Health Plan
Republicans remain divided over how to address the impending expiration of more generous Affordable Care Act plan tax credits, which will send premiums spiraling for millions of Americans starting in January if no further action is taken. The Trump administration floated a proposal over the weekend that included a two-year extension of the credits as well as some restrictions pushed by Republicans, but the plan was met with strong pushback on Capitol Hill and its unveiling was delayed. (Rovner, 11/25)

More on the high cost of health care —

KFF Health News: After Shutdown, Federal Employees Face New Uncertainty: Affording Health Insurance
Larry Humphreys, a retired Federal Emergency Management Agency worker in Moultrie, Georgia, says he and his wife won't be traveling much next year after their monthly health insurance premium payment increases more than 40%, to $938. Humphreys, 68, feels betrayed by the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. "As federal employees we sacrificed good salaries in the private sector because we thought the benefits from government would be better now, in retirement," he said. (Galewitz, 11/26)

Health Industry

8. CMS Floats Overhaul Of Medicare Advantage Star Ratings System

CMS may nix a dozen Medicare Advantage and Part D measures that focus on operational performance or completion of administrative processes. Other health industry news is on Humana's plan to appeal a court loss over the Medicare Advantage star ratings, Asheville's Mission Hospital is removed from immediate jeopardy by CMS, and more.

Modern Healthcare: Medicare Advantage Star Ratings To Be Revamped In CMS Proposal
Federal regulators are proposing paring back the Medicare Advantage Star Ratings program. The draft regulation issued Tuesday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also invites public input on how the administration should overhaul risk adjustment and other Medicare Advantage-related policies. It additionally includes tweaks to the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. The proposed rule could offer insurers a bit of breathing room amid increasing pressure on prior authorization, marketing and audits. (Early, 11/25)

Fierce Healthcare: Humana To Appeal Loss In MA Star Ratings Lawsuit
Humana will appeal a court loss over the Medicare Advantage star ratings, according to a filing issued Tuesday. The insurer filed a notice that it will appeal the District Court ruling to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The filing doesn't offer further details on the grounds to appeal. (Minemyer, 11/25)

More health industry news —

Newsweek: CMS Removed Mission Hospital From Immediate Jeopardy
Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, has been removed from immediate jeopardy by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), according to the health system. This was the third time Mission Hospital was placed under immediate jeopardy since it was bought by HCA Healthcare in 2019. Back in October, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) recommended Mission Hospital be put in immediate jeopardy for practices that resulted in an unsafe environment for patients after conducting an investigation. (Giella, 11/25)

Modern Healthcare: Encompass, Vanderbilt Health Partner On Inpatient Rehab Hospital
Vanderbilt Health and Encompass Health announced plans to build a 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital near Nashville, Tennessee. The facility, set to open in 2028, will be the second joint venture between the two organizations. A spokesperson for Vanderbilt Health could not provide financial details about the joint venture. Encompass Health did not respond to requests for comment. (Eastabrook, 11/25)

Modern Healthcare: Aetna, Cigna 'Downcoding' Highlights AI, Private Equity's Impact
The office secretary had some bad news for Dr. Leonard Klay: His OB-GYN practice was broke. It wasn't entirely a surprise, Klay said. The physician had already noticed some claims sent to insurers for reimbursement had been "downcoded," resulting in smaller payments. Anxious about his predicament, he alerted the California Medical Association, which assured him he wasn't the first to sound the alarm. But Klay had to face reality, he said. (Tong, 11/25)

Outbreaks and Health Threats

9. Kentucky Reports Third Infant Death From Pertussis Amid Nationwide Surge

Of the three infant fatalities, none of the babies or their mothers had been vaccinated against the highly contagious whooping cough. Kentucky has reported 566 confirmed cases of pertussis this year, which is the largest outbreak since 2012. Also: norovirus, measles, RSV, flu, and covid.

Kentucky Lantern: Third Unvaccinated Kentucky Baby Dies Of Whooping Cough
A third unvaccinated infant in Kentucky has died of pertussis as public health officials urge Kentuckians to get vaccinated against the highly contagious disease also known as whooping cough. Kentucky's three infant deaths from whooping cough over the past 12 months are the state's first reported since 2018. None of the infants or their mothers had been vaccinated against the respiratory disease, the Kentucky Department of Public Health confirmed. (11/25)

In other outbreaks and health threats —

ABC News: US Cases Of Norovirus On The Rise With Double The Rate Of Positive Tests Since August
Cases of norovirus are rising across the United States, doubling over the last few months, according to updated data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nearly 14% of tests came back positive for norovirus during the most recent week ending Nov. 15, compared to roughly 7% about three months ago. Test positivity is a metric used to identify how many people are confirmed to have norovirus after an illness is suspected. (Benadjaoud, 11/25)

KFF Health News: South Carolina's Measles Outbreak Shows Chilling Effect Of Vaccine Misinformation
Near the back corner of the local library's parking lot, largely out of view from the main road, the South Carolina Department of Public Health opened a pop-up clinic in early November, offering free measles vaccines to adults and children. Spartanburg County, in South Carolina's Upstate region, has been fighting a measles outbreak since early October, with more than 50 cases identified. Health officials have encouraged people who are unvaccinated to get a shot by visiting its mobile vaccine clinic at any of its several stops throughout the county. But on a Monday afternoon in Boiling Springs, only one person showed up. (Sausser, 11/26)

Reproductive Health

10. Lawmaker Will Introduce Federal Bill To Safely Discharge Patients In Labor

The bill from Rep. Robin Kelly, a Democrat from Illinois, would require clinical justification for discharging patients presenting with signs or symptoms of labor, an assessment of travel distance, a confirmed back-up hospital or birthing facility, verification that patients have reliable transportation, and documentation of patient understanding, Becker's Hospital Review reported.

Becker's Hospital Review: Federal Bill Would Mandate "Safe Discharge" Plans For Patients In Labor
A federal lawmaker plans to introduce a new bill to Congress that would require hospitals to develop and implement "safe discharge" plans for patients in labor. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., will formally introduce the Women Expansion for Learning and Labor Safety Act, or WELLS Act, when the House is back in session after the Thanksgiving holiday, her office said in a Nov. 25 news release. (Cerutti, 11/25)

In other reproductive health care news —

On infant health —

Undark: Infant Formula Needs Evidence-Based Oversight. Will MAHA Step Up?
In 2017, a headline on a local TV news website asked a distressing question: "Are dangerous chemicals lurking in your baby food?" The associated broadcast, citing "an alarming study," reported that 80 percent of infant formulas and several other popular baby food products had tested positive for arsenic, a toxic heavy metal. Such products had also tested positive for the heavy metals lead and cadmium. (Andrey Smith, 11/26)

Editorials And Opinions

11. Viewpoints: Why We Need A Review Of The Hepatitis B Birth Dose; Nursing Must Be Recognized As A Profession

Editorial writers examine these public health topics.

Stat: Vaccine Integrity Project Undertakes Hepatitis B Review
On Dec. 4, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is expected to vote on whether to maintain the long-standing recommendation that all medically stable newborns who meet a weight threshold receive their first dose of hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth. (Michael T. Osterholm, 11/26)

Stat: Nursing Is A Profession, Period
Walter Cronkite critiqued America's health care system as "neither healthy, caring, nor a system" in 1993. Thirty-two years later, the U.S. health care system continues to flail. In clinical settings across the country, especially those in rural and other underserved communities, shortages of registered nurses hamper the quality-of-care patients and families receive. (Connie M. Ulrich, Mary Naylor and Martha A.Q. Curley, 11/26)

Bloomberg: China Holds All The Cards In Global Pharmaceuticals
The US and China may have called a truce on trade, but Beijing has other levers to pull should febrile relations deteriorate again. That's a potential supply-chain chokepoint that Washington has overlooked: its strategic rival's tight grip on the raw materials needed to make an array of medicines. (Liu, 11/25)

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF. (c) 2025 KFF Health News. All rights reserved.

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