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Tuesday, April 07, 2026
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Morning Briefing |
In This Edition:
From KFF Health News:
1. This Northern Cheyenne Doula Was About To Start Getting Paid — Then Medicaid Cuts Hit
Montana was on track to start reimbursing doulas, who support new and expectant parents, through Medicaid this year. But state officials halted that plan amid a budget shortfall. Other such services deemed optional under Medicaid are at risk nationwide as states brace for federal cuts. (Katheryn Houghton, 4/7)
2. Can I Opt Out of Having My Doctor Take Notes With AI?
Your doctor might ask to have an AI tool listen during your next appointment. If you opt in, you will likely get more of your doctor’s attention. But the technology is not perfect. Here’s what to know. (Katherine Ruppelt, Nashville Public Radio and Cara Anthony and Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio, 4/7)
3. Political Cartoon: 'Ch-ears!'
KFF Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Political Cartoon: 'Ch-ears!'" by Adey Bryant.
Here's today's health policy haiku:
COVERAGE THAT MAKES SENSE
Doula insurance
so much better for new moms.
Why not pay for it?
- Catherine DeLorey
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:
4. CMS Sets A 2.48% Medicare Advantage Payment Rate Increase For 2027
CMS originally proposed a 0.09% rate increase but bumped it up following industry pushback. Other Trump administration news is on TrumpRx, ARPA-H, the immigration crisis, and more.
Fierce Healthcare: CMS Gives MA Rates A 2.48% Bump For 2027 Plan Year In Final Rule
Following significant industry outcry over a proposal to keep Medicare Advantage rates largely flat in 2027, the Trump administration has bumped payments up slightly in the final policy. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services initially proposed a 0.09% increase in rates as part of the MA and Part D Advance Notice. In the final rule, the increase is instead set at 2.48%, which CMS said equates to about $13 billion in additional payments to plans for the coming plan year. (Minemyer, 4/6)
Fierce Healthcare: CMS Unveils New Medicare Pilot For Hemp, CBD Products
The Trump administration has announced a new initiative that would allow participants in certain alternative payment models to offer hemp-based products to patients when it aligns with clinical guidance. The new Substance Access Beneficiary Engagement Incentive (BEI) was unveiled on April 1 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The agency said it would be available to providers participating in the ACO REACH model as well as the Enhancing Oncology Model, and will be allowed under the eventual Long-Term Enhanced ACO Design (LEAD) Model beginning next year. (Minemyer, 4/6)
More health news from the Trump administration —
CBS News: Two More Pharmaceutical Companies, Abbvie And Genentech, To Officially Launch On TrumpRx
Two more drug-making giants will officially start selling popular commercial medications on the White House's discounted pharmaceutical site as soon as Monday, CBS News exclusively learned. American pharmaceutical companies Abbvie and Genentech become the 10th and 11th companies to provide their prescriptions at a reduced rate on the "TrumpRx" site. (Rinaldi, 4/6)
The New York Times: Federal Agency Unveils Three Potential Osteoarthritis Treatments
Three years ago, a little-known new federal agency announced its first big project: It would invest tens of millions of dollars over five years to find a cure for osteoarthritis, the painful wearing away of joints that affects 32 million Americans. Now the agency, ARPA-H (the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health), says it has several promising solutions. Its research teams are contractually obligated to start testing in patients within 18 months. (Kolata, 4/6)
The New York Times: Trump’s USAID Overhaul Sent Millions More Dollars To Big U.S.-Based Contractors
When the Trump administration began its overhaul of foreign aid in January 2025, officials made no secret of their disdain for giant aid organizations and private businesses who received multimillion dollar contracts to deliver health services to poor nations. They characterized them as “beltway bandits” who charged bloated amounts of overhead. They vowed to shut down the big U.S. players and instead channel aid through smaller organizations based in the countries receiving assistance. (Nolen, 4/6)
Stat: A Star Scientist Showed That Better Genetics Lessons Could Reduce Racism. It Was The Death Knell For His Career
Described as a "generational talent," Donovan's revamp of genetics education came crashing down with NSF budget cuts. (Molteni, 4/7)
On the immigration crisis —
Spotlight PA: Jails Earn Millions Of Dollars Detaining Immigrants For ICE
A group of Pennsylvania counties has billed the federal government more than $21 million in recent years to detain immigrants in their jails, a first-of-its-kind review by Spotlight PA has found. While these agreements predate the second Trump administration by years or even decades, they are receiving new attention as the president executes a mass deportation campaign that relies heavily on local partners. (Huangpu and Ohl, 4/6)
Undark: A DNA Archive Built To Identify Missing Migrants Has Vanished
In 2016, Irma Carrillo Nevares swabbed the inside of her cheek and signed a consent form allowing the Colibrí Center for Human Rights to add her DNA to its database. Carrillo Nevares’ son and daughter had gone missing while crossing the U.S.-Mexico border 17 years earlier. She was desperate to find out what had happened to them, and Colibrí’s database offered a ray of hope. (Schivone and Tracey, 4/7)
And an election today could help influence control of Congress —
CNN: The Democrat Vying To Replace Marjorie Taylor Greene Faces A Tall Task, But Republicans Are Still Watching Closely
The race to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene, the former ally of President Donald Trump turned critic who resigned from Congress in January, advanced to a runoff when neither Democrat Shawn Harris, a retired Army brigadier general, nor Republican Clay Fuller was able to win a majority in a crowded all-party election on March 10. A potential win by Harris would be devastating to the House GOP majority, especially because a special election in New Jersey to fill Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s seat, in just over a week, will almost certainly add another Democrat to House ranks. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson can lose only one vote with his slim majority. Johnson could be looking at a scenario in which he cannot afford to lose a single vote. (English, 4/7)
5. RSV Shots For Infants, Toddlers Urged As Virus Shows Few Signs Of Abating
Respiratory syncytial virus peaked late, and the test positivity rate is higher than normal for this time of year. Because of that, health officials have extended the immunization period through April.
CNN: RSV Is Still Spreading, Prompting States To Extend The Immunization Period
Respiratory syncytial virus is continuing to spread later into the spring than usual, driving most states to extend the window for RSV immunizations for eligible infants and toddlers. RSV is a common respiratory virus that typically causes a mild illness like a cold. But it can cause serious illness for young children. The RSV season usually starts in the fall, peaks in the winter and continues into spring. Immunization is recommended through the end of March in most states, but this year, nearly all of those states have extended the immunization period through the end of April. (McPhillips, 4/6)
MedPage Today: Flu Shot Effective At Keeping Kids Out Of Hospital
Influenza vaccines were effective at preventing hospitalizations and outpatient visits among U.S. kids in recent years, but uptake remained low and fell further in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers found. (Henderson, 4/6)
CIDRAP: Beneficial Bacteria In Respiratory Microbiome May Protect Against Long-COVID Symptoms
Two kinds of bacteria that naturally occur in the respiratory microbiome may help protect against long COVID when present in higher amounts, according to a new study published in Microbiology Spectrum. The findings highlight how differences in the bacterial composition of the upper respiratory tract may be linked to long-COVID severity. (Bergeson, 4/6)
AP: Bangladesh Rushes To Vaccine Children As Measles Kills 100
Bangladesh is conducting emergency measles-rubella vaccinations while trying to contain an ongoing outbreak that has killed more than 100 children in less than a month. The government in partnership with the World Health Organization, the U.N. children’s agency and the Gavi vaccine alliance began working to vaccinate children age 6 months to 5 years old in 18 high-risk districts Sunday and will expand nationwide in phases from next month, a joint statement said. (4/7)
Also —
The Hill: Scientists Are Working On A Vaccine For Cancer. Here’s How It Would Work
Scientists are working on developing mRNA vaccines that would work to fight cancer once it’s detected, said Andrew Pekosz, professor and vice chair at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in a recent briefing. From a technological sense, they would work similar to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines that were developed to fight COVID-19. These vaccines would be considered “therapeutic vaccines” rather than preventative ones, he explained. “So once you develops the cancer, you can then design a vaccine that targets some of the unique proteins and other things that the cancer cells are showing to your body, and therefore your immune system can get ramped up and target those very specific cancer antigens that the cells are showing.” (Martichoux, 4/5)
6. Man's Death Triggers Lawsuit Alleging Connecticut Hospital Ran 'Tele-ICU'
A patient was complaining of abdominal pain when he was admitted to the Bridgeport Hospital ICU the day before he died. The family's lawyers contend that a lack of onsite physicians slowed down intervention and made it difficult to communicate the severity of his symptoms, leading to his death. Yale New Haven Health, which owns the hospital, said it was unable to comment on pending litigation.
Health Exec: Connecticut Hospital Accused Of Running ‘Fake’ Telehealth ICU That Led To Man’s Death
A family in Connecticut is suing Yale New Haven Health, alleging that one of its hospitals was operating an intensive care unit where no onsite doctor monitored patients. Instead, the physician attending to 26-year-old Conor Hylton beamed in via telehealth, issuing medical orders remotely. Hylton, a dental student, died on Aug. 15, 2024, after being treated at Bridgeport Hospital. His family alleges the telemedicine doctor declared the man deceased through a view screen, after a series of failures made it difficult to coordinate his medical needs. (Van Alstin, 4/5)
NBC News: Family Of Young ICU Patient Who Died While In The Care Of A ‘Teledoctor’ Sues Hospital
The hospital said in an emailed statement, “Yale New Haven Health is aware of this lawsuit and is committed to providing the safest and highest quality of care possible, however, we are unable to comment on pending litigation.” (Lozano, 4/6)
More on telehealth —
Business Insider: AI-Powered Telehealth Company Medvi Appears To Have An AI Doctor Issue
Medvi's marketing has included seemingly fake doctors and prompted lawsuits. (Newsham, 4/6)
MedPage Today: Virtual Neuro Rounds Better Than On-Site Consults In Subacute Stroke Care
Teleneurology ward rounds outperformed on-site consultations for patients in the subacute phase of stroke, a prospective study showed. Across 15 hospitals within four German telestroke networks, complete adherence to six guideline-based quality domains -- etiological classification, neurological examination, risk assessment, diagnostic recommendations, secondary prevention, and recommended aftercare -- was achieved in 92% of cases during teleneurological ward rounds versus 54% of on-site ward rounds, reported Janina Behrens, MD, of Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and colleagues. (Lou, 4/6)
TechCrunch: Telehealth Giant Hims & Hers Says Its Customer Support System Was Hacked
Hims & Hers, the telehealth company that sells weight-loss drugs and sexual health prescriptions, has confirmed a data breach affecting its third-party customer service platform. The healthcare company said in a data breach notice filed with the California attorney general’s office on Thursday that the hackers stole data about user requests sent to the company’s customer support team. The company said hackers broke into its third-party ticketing system between February 4 and February 7 and stole reams of support tickets, which contained personal information submitted by customers. (Whittaker, 4/2)
In other health industry news —
MedPage Today: Here's Who Topped This Year's 'Best Medical Schools' Rankings
For a third year, the "Best Medical Schools" rankings from U.S. News & World Report were released with top institutions sorted into tiers rather than by individual placement. For research and primary care, respective lists of "Tier 1" schools, representing the 85th to 99th percentile, largely resembled last year's crop of high performers. (Henderson, 4/7)
Modern Healthcare: Rising Claims Denials Denting Provider Revenue: Kodiak Solutions
Claims denials and unpaid patient bills are increasingly denting providers’ revenue. Consultancy Kodiak Solutions analyzed revenue cycle data for 2,300 hospitals and 350,000 physicians for a recent report. It found providers attempting to collect payments for commercially insured inpatient care lost out on 6.6% of net revenue to insurer denials and unpaid patient bills in 2025, up from 5.4% in 2024. (Kacik and Broderick, 4/6)
Modern Healthcare: Why The FAH’s New Leader Is Focused On The Fight For Transparency
The Federation of American Hospitals’ new President and CEO, Charlene MacDonald, has her work cut out. MacDonald, who succeeded longtime CEO Chip Kahn in January, is charged with steering a trade group that supports more than 1,000 for-profit hospitals and health systems as they navigate steep funding cuts and a rapidly evolving care delivery landscape. (Hudson, 4/6)
KFF Health News: Can I Opt Out Of Having My Doctor Take Notes With AI?
Family physician Eric Boose has been using an artificial intelligence tool to get back to what he calls “old-fashioned medicine” — talking with patients face-to-face, without having to type into a computer at the same time. “I can really just sit there and engage and just focus on them and listen,” said Boose, who practices at Cleveland Clinic. (Ruppelt, Anthony and Farmer, 4/7)
7. As More Treatment Centers Close, Mich. Kids In Crisis Sent Out Of State
According to a recent Department of Health and Human Services report, 152 youths in Michigan's direct-placement program were living in out-of-state facilities as of September, with some placed as far away as Arizona and Hawaii.
Bridge Michigan: Michigan Kids In Mental Health Crisis Sent Out Of State As Facilities Close
Eleanor Middlin was 15 when her family sent her to a Missouri boarding school, an 11-hour drive from her mid-Michigan home. It was the worst thing that ever happened to her. It also saved her life. “I’m alive because of it, and I will never be able to forget it,” Middlin, now 20, told Bridge Michigan. Her experience leaving Michigan for long-term care represents an emerging trend for the state’s youth in severe mental health crises. (Newman and Hermani, 4/6)
The New York Times: Idaho Cut Services For People With Schizophrenia. Then The Deaths Began.
Eliminating outreach to people with severe mental illness set off such a cascade of bad outcomes that Idaho has scrambled to reverse the cuts. (Barry, 4/7)
AP: Single-Session Therapy Can Help Address Gaps In Mental Health Care
Just before the holidays in 2025, Julie Hart felt stuck. A nagging problem she had struggled with for years left her ruminating all day and questioning nearly everything she had ever said, done or could do. She was considering traditional therapy but decided instead to try single-session counseling. Rather than committing to weekly therapy sessions, she would get only 60 minutes to tackle the problem. It worked. “It helped me get unstuck, is how I would describe it, in a very positive, meaningful and effective way,” said Hart, of Springfield, Virginia. (Stumm, 4/5)
NPR: AI Marches Right Into The Mental Health Field, Despite Some Calls For Caution
Artificial intelligence has arrived in the field of mental health. Large health systems and independent therapists alike have begun to adopt different AI tools to manage the delivery of mental health treatment. The speed of the adoption — alongside disturbing incidents of individuals using general-use AI chatbots with catastrophic consequences — is causing some concern among practitioners and researchers. (Chatterjee, 4/7)
EL PAÍS English: How The Loneliness Of Working From Home Can Affect Mental Health: ‘The Lab Coat Mentality Is Dangerous’
If the office is the place where friendships most often arise, people who work remotely, especially freelancers, are the most vulnerable to isolation, with all that this implies for their wellbeing. (Rey, 4/4)
The Guardian: Scientists Identify ‘Neural Fingerprint’ Of Psychedelic Drugs In The Brain
Scientists have identified a hallmark signature produced by psychedelic drugs in the human brain when users experience their mind-altering effects. The “neural fingerprint” of the psychedelic trip was spotted among hundreds of brain scans of people on LSD, psilocybin, DMT, mescaline and ayahuasca, pointing to a shared impact on the brain’s behaviour. (Sample, 4/6)
CNN: ‘Passive’ Screen Time May Raise Dementia Risk. How To Protect Your Brain
It’s not just how much time you spend sitting, but what you’re doing while sitting that may affect your health. Watching television and other “mentally passive” sedentary behaviors are linked to a higher risk of developing dementia, while more mentally engaging activities such as crossword puzzles appear to offer some protection, according to a new study. (Hetter, 4/6)
8. Colorado Bill Would Shield So-Called Orphan Drugs From Pricing Caps
The measure is facing pushback because it has the potential to ensnare FDA-approved medications prescribed for common conditions that also are used to treat rare diseases. Plus, news on Medicaid cuts and conversion therapy.
Stat: Pharma Companies And Patient Groups Seek To Exempt Orphan Drugs From Colorado Pricing Limits
For the second time in two years, a bill is moving through the Colorado legislature that would exempt orphan drugs, which are used to treat rare diseases, from pricing caps that might be pursued by the state’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board — a panel whose work is being closely watched elsewhere in the country. The effort reflects concerns that patients may lose access to these drugs if pharmaceutical companies halt sales of such treatments in the state. But opponents argue exemptions would unnecessarily extend to numerous big-selling medicines for common conditions that — thanks to regulatory endorsements — also happen to have an orphan designation. (Silverman, 4/6)
Becker's Hospital Review: As States Scramble To Supplement Medicaid Cuts, MCO Taxes Are A Tricky Part Of The Equation
As the Medicaid cuts from H.R. 1 begin to settle in, states are looking for workarounds to continue funding their programs. Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill March 25 allowing a steeper HMO tax, which will also affect managed care organizations, to bolster the state’s Medicaid program. The tax would not be levied on just HMO premiums, but would instead apply to all taxable funds beyond those from federal HHS. With CMS’ approval, a 3.5% tax rate could be retroactively applied from January until September 2026. The rate would then drop to 0.95%. (Casolo, 4/6)
KFF Health News: This Northern Cheyenne Doula Was About To Start Getting Paid — Then Medicaid Cuts Hit
Misty Pipe had about an hour before her shift began at the post office. She used that time to check in on a new mom who lives a few miles outside this town at the heart of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. A mom of seven, Pipe is a doula on the reservation who supports new and expectant parents. She does that work free, around her day job. That’s because in this town of about 2,000 people, the closest hospital that delivers babies is 100 miles away. “Women need this help,” Pipe said. (Houghton, 4/7)
The Hill: Conversion Therapy Ban Ruling Sparks Free Speech Debate
The Supreme Court’s ruling last week against bans on conversion therapy is stirring debate around free speech, with critics pointing to inconsistencies in the standard applied to bans on abortion and drag shows. In its ruling on Colorado’s 2019 ban on conversion therapy in the case of Chiles v. Salazar, the Supreme Court found that a lower court had “erred” in upholding it because the law “regulates speech based on viewpoint.” (Choi, 4/7)
9. Penicillin Allergy Testing Can Now Be Done As Part Of Routine Hospital Care
An international study found that about 95% of people labeled as allergic to penicillin were misdiagnosed as children or have grown out of the allergy. A smartphone app assesses patients' risk, and those deemed to have a low-risk penicillin allergy can be offered a direct oral challenge — a penicillin antibiotic — and observed for a possible reaction.
Newsweek: Think You’re Allergic To Penicillin? You’re Probably Not
Most patients who have been labelled allergic to penicillin probably aren't, according to a new study from Australian researchers. The study, led by Austin Health in collaboration with the University of Melbourne, drew results from more than 5,000 patients internationally. (Westerholm, 4/6)
CIDRAP: Studies Support Use Of Direct Oral Challenge For Penicillin Allergy Delabeling
Results from a multinational study indicate that direct oral challenge (DOC) is a safe and effective strategy for identifying hospital patients who truly have a penicillin allergy, researchers reported last week in Clinical Infectious Diseases. (Dall, 4/6)
In other health and wellness news —
MedPage Today: Many Older Patients Can Ditch Common Thyroid Drug, Study Suggests
A quarter of older adults on hypothyroidism medication were able to wean off of it while maintaining adequate thyroid function, an open-label prospective study showed. (Monaco, 4/6)
NBC News: To Lower Cholesterol, These Patients Got A One-Time Tweak To Their Genes
Christos Soteriou was 29 when he needed a quadruple bypass surgery. Four arteries in his heart had become so clogged with plaque that blood could no longer flow through them. It’s a surprisingly young age to need such a surgery, but extremely high levels of cholesterol run in Soteriou’s family — a genetic condition called familial hypercholesterolemia. His father died of heart disease at 46; his son was diagnosed with elevated cholesterol at 14; and Soteriou himself, now 51, has had two heart attacks since his operation. (Cox, 4/6)
The Hill: Get Motion Sickness In Cars? Smartphones Could Help To Ease Your Symptoms
Do you get dizzy while looking at your phone while riding as a passenger in a car? That could be a sign of motion sickness, a common, yet complex, condition that can have varying severities of symptoms to go along with it. Managing the symptoms can involve sitting in certain seats in moving vehicles, hydration, avoiding empty or too full of a stomach, or even avoiding triggering events like amusement parks, large movie theater screens or even just putting your phone down while in a car. (Cisneros, 4/4)
CBS News: How Social Media Is Driving Teens Toward Steroids And Extreme Body Transformations
A growing number of teenage boys are chasing dramatic body transformations online — building massive muscles, shedding fat and documenting it all for millions to see. But behind some of the viral physiques lies a troubling trend: the use of a powerful drug never approved for humans. (Yamaguchi and Baek, 4/6)
10. Viewpoints: 'The Pitt' Exposes Burnout In The ER; Why People Watch Videos Of Strangers Getting Medical Results
Editorial writers discuss these public health issues.
Chicago Tribune: 'The Pitt' Dramatizes The Very Real Burnout That Threatens Medical Care Workers And Patients
"The Pitt" reflects the failures of our health care system — overcrowded emergency rooms, too few doctors and too many patients. (Jennifer Obel, 4/6)
The New York Times: Why Am I Watching People Get Their Medical Results?
What was once discussed with a doctor is now frequently encountered first as decontextualized data on a screen. (Peter C. Baker, 4/7)
The New York Times: Health Insurance Companies Care About You. Agree Or Disagree?
Frustration with a broken health care system has many Americans blaming insurance companies. In the first episode of New York Times Opinion’s new show “Divided,” a doctor and a former insurance executive confront a central question: Do insurance companies prioritize profit over patient care? (Alexander Stockton, 4/7)
The Washington Post: Opioid Overdose Deaths Are Plummeting. Here's What Worked.
Efforts to disrupt the supply of fentanyl are paying off. We cannot back down. (Sam Quinones, 4/6)
Stat: Insurance Changes Can Undo Years Of Addiction Recovery
My patient has been in recovery for years. Her insurance is making it harder for her to stay that way. (John Fomeche, 4/7)
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