KFF Health News

We're excited to announce a new partnership with Deep South Today's Verite News New Orleans! Reporter Halle Parker will be joining Verite News to report on health issues impacting Southern communities. She will work closely with KFF Health News’ Southern Bureau. Learn more about our work to expand regional health journalism: https://lnkd.in/gVCDWHcn

#ICYMI: The Department of Health and Human Services underwent an unprecedented purge this week, as thousands of employees from the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other agencies across the department were fired, placed on administrative leave, or offered transfers to far-flung Indian Health Service facilities in such places as New Mexico, Montana, and Alaska. Altogether, the layoffs mean the federal government, in a single day, shed hundreds if not thousands of years of health and science expertise. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court heard a case about whether states can bar Planned Parenthood from providing non-abortion-related services to Medicaid patients. But by the time the case is settled, it’s unclear how much of Medicaid or the Title X Family Planning Program will remain intact. Listen to the latest episode of #WTHealth: https://lnkd.in/e3c-m-FF

Since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump has made combating fraud a centerpiece of his administration. But Trump’s present-day crackdown starkly contrasts with his history of showing leniency to convicted fraudsters. Read the "Week in Brief" by Brett Kelman. ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/eJs-XR7c

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality helped improve health care safety in a country where thousands die of medical errors each year. It was effectively dissolved Tuesday. https://lnkd.in/dJmybgjA

During President Trump’s first term, I wrote a story about his administration's sweeping plan to transform health care in rural America. In the 2020 story, I note that the 70-page plan mentioned “telehealth” more than 90 times. After writing the story, I wondered if telehealth could actually help rural places, like where I grew up in Kansas.  It turns out, millions of rural residents who lack health care access can't use telehealth. Thanks to data analysis by Holly Hacker, I spent the past year visiting counties that lack high-speed internet, primary care providers, and behavioral health specialists. We're calling our series Dead Zone and the package published today with data assist from Holly, photos by Andi Rice, mapping from Lydia Zuraw, and a must-watch video from our partners Gray Media's InvestigateTV - to name a few on the team. Let me know what you think!

Employees across the U.S. Health and Human Services Department began receiving notices of dismissal Tuesday. This comes after the Trump administration's promises to slash the federal workforce and HHS Secretary RFK Jr. announcement of a major restructuring to the department last week. We spoke with current and former federal employees who described the impact of mass cuts on their mental health finances, and sense of stability. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eAXVGpBj

If anyone from HHS involved in health and tech -- cybersecurity, health records, research, genomics, and so on -- has gotten laid off today and would like to talk about their experiences, my signal is here:

Do you have an experience related to reductions in the Department of Health and Human Services workforce that you’d like to share with KFF Health News? Message us on Signal at (415) 519-8778 or get in touch here. ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/ee6Szz9E

The Trump administration is moving to end the “Housing First” approach despite warnings from providers and homelessness experts that the shift won’t work. But with homelessness rising, President Donald Trump could find allies in blue cities and states as the public clamors for streets to be cleaned up. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/eMZrb3aw

#ICYMI: As had been rumored for weeks, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled a plan to reorganize the department. It involves the downsizing of its workforce, which formerly was roughly 80,000 people, by a quarter and consolidating dozens of agencies that were created and authorized by Congress. Meanwhile, in just the past week, HHS abruptly cut off billions in funding to state and local public health departments, and canceled all research studies into covid-19, as well as diseases that could develop into the next pandemic. Listen to the latest episode of #WTHealth. ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/ed7SFuUB