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After a cancer vaccine’s first success, the race is on to expand the impact The positive Phase 3 melanoma study comes after 100 years of ‘bad news’

2026-10-25T08:34:55.769-07:00

https://www.statnews.com/2026/10/25/mrna-cancer-vaccine-merck-moderna-esmo-intismeran-next-applications/ By Andrew JosephOct. 25, 2026 Europe Correspondent

UnitedHealthcare, Humana Medicare Advantage cancellations to affect 1 million Comments: by Steph Whiteside - 10/22/26 12:46 PM ET

2026-10-25T08:32:53.256-07:00

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/6165587-unitedhealthcare-humana-medicare-advantage-cancellations-to-affect-1-million/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--cFdm3OJVe83VwNnWvo34AV7PDzmiNPI4QB6HkTtEGaf6QmAk3Foa1wTeCfCVHxHFZ1eQF_86qkZtpPxZyMRf4HAI5Eg&_hsmi=445672729&utm_content=445672729&utm_source=hs_email The Hill: Medicare Advantage Plan Cancellations By Humana, UnitedHealthcare To Reach 1 Million UnitedHealthcare and Humana are canceling Medicare Advantage plans, a move that will affect nearly one million people. The companies are the two largest private health insurance companies for older adults in the U.S. and are ending plans in specific areas where they are making less money, a shift that comes as Medicare enrollment season starts. The decision was made to protect corporate profits, Fortune reported. (Whiteside, 10/22)

California latest target in Department of Justice efforts to end public benefits fraud By SAFIYAH RIDDLE Updated 8:00 PM GMT-3, October 22, 2026

2026-10-25T08:28:54.136-07:00

https://apnews.com/article/california-fraud-healthcare-arrests-doctors-department-of-justice-eead2910dbfee0350469bdf6a1a7cdff?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--qQzalEgoiUP4qMAie-2WKLOPYYgnuoP8mw_VKQ6ZydpstJYZcBmbcxkgC-hvars75l5pfTRDoqHkZ7kP6HNpnhDr3uA&_hsmi=445672729&utm_content=445672729&utm_source=hs_email AP: Department Of Justice Targets Nearly $2B Healthcare Fraud In California More than a dozen people in Southern California were charged with allegedly siphoning nearly $2 billion in fraudulent healthcare costs, the Department of Justice and state prosecutors announced Thursday, as President Donald Trump’s administration ramps up efforts to end the abuse of federal aid programs. Fifteen people were charged and so far at least eight were arrested in connection with fraud at substance abuse treatment centers, hospice services and surgeons in California, prosecutors said. At least six of those charged were doctors — including one who is accused of performing unnecessary and invasive surgeries to bill Medicaid for over $130 million. (Riddle, 10/23)

Nuclear Weapons Waste Made Workers Sick. Despite a Law Meant to Help, the DOE Keeps Fighting Their Claims. by Lizz Giordano, Cascade PBS, and Brandon Block for ProPublica Co-published with Cascade PBS and KUOW October 22, 2026, 8:00 am

2026-10-25T08:25:38.914-07:00

https://www.propublica.org/article/hanford-nuclear-workers-compensation-washington-doe?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_HG2-0zZToIjDTShyX_dVIhEptt1_0b51zOaCIS38Q1sVKwKXWTTe472CDaiPudTqWKc-Apgq56btzvomzMLFIp-6h_A&_hsmi=445672729&utm_content=445672729&utm_source=hs_email ProPublica: The DOE Keeps Appealing Claims By Sick Hanford Nuclear Site Workers Lonnie Rouse shuffled into a wood-paneled conference room at the Washington state Capitol in March 2018. It had been nearly a decade since medical experts diagnosed him with a neurological disease they attributed to his exposure to chemicals at work. In the time since, he had acquired a stutter, begun limping and lost several teeth biting into a banana. For nearly 20 years, Rouse had packaged plutonium and monitored radioactive waste at the Hanford Site, a now-decommissioned Department of Energy nuclear weapons production plant in south-central Washington and one of the most contaminated nuclear sites in the country. (Giordano and Block, 10/22)

Bird Flu Is Raging on a Mink Farm. It Could Spark a Human Pandemic, Experts Say, but Officials Won’t Act. by Nat Lash, ProPublica, and Julie Leopo for ProPublica October 23, 2026, 5:00 am

2026-10-25T08:22:43.093-07:00

https://www.propublica.org/article/bird-flu-mink-farm-utah-human-risk?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_4Jsp7JrdZvwnH71TNWMFd08GMlRdHlRIZkultMdEi0DyUGZGM3x_TeQJVHJBwAF_KFpXllaoqYNlhfl71ZHx0ba-scA&_hsmi=445672729&utm_content=445672729&utm_source=hs_email ProPublica: Bird Flu Is Raging On A Mink Farm. It Could Spark A Human Pandemic, Experts Say, But Officials Won’t Act The strain of bird flu that’s ripped through American barns for the last four years has killed two people who caught it from sick animals. But as far as anyone can tell, humans can’t spread it. The virus has remained a true “bird” flu, tailored to attach to avian cells, not invade human throats and noses, where coughing and sneezing reliably spew droplets. Under the right conditions, however, that could change. A single mutation could give the bird flu a foothold in people and spark a pandemic that experts fear could be deadlier than COVID-19. (Lash and Leopo, 10/23)

Medicaid at Risk for Hundreds of Thousands of Lawfully Present Immigrants By Andrew Jones Oct. 23, 2026

2026-10-25T08:20:08.886-07:00

https://kffhealthnews.org/medicaid/wamu-health-hub-medicaid-legal-immigrants-lose-coverage-gop-law/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--DfJINWbPk0CfwUKmMp4doMQq2-ep_ztCOrJl6DkaEFCgYWajT8oQKEYCQMV0UJwhU5v9cOUz1XmtQDPNKSyccyZlTxA&_hsmi=445672729&utm_content=445672729&utm_source=hs_email KFF Health News: Medicaid At Risk For Hundreds Of Thousands Of Lawfully Present Immigrants Refugees. Sex-trafficking victims. People fleeing war. They’re among the hundreds of thousands of immigrants living in the country legally who no longer qualify for Medicaid. The change, in effect since Oct. 1, is part of the 2025 Republican tax law, which cuts Medicaid spending by an estimated $900 billion through 2034. (Jones, 10/23)

Shopping for an ACA Plan This Year? Here’s What You Need To Know By Julie Appleby Oct. 23, 2026

2026-10-25T08:18:52.856-07:00

https://kffhealthnews.org/insurance/aca-obamacare-open-enrollment-marketplace-shopping-tips-premiums-costs-cms-changes/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8oRXn56go7-FNwpYaIKtp8_uQuYb4MsVMqUslX0HDB1EYRDXI_MxVv7mbZea8ddJOSyTMnMnkW1f42mo7pYLG64mjb6w&_hsmi=445672729&utm_content=445672729&utm_source=hs_email KFF Health News: Shopping For An ACA Plan This Year? Here’s What You Need To Know Consumers who buy Affordable Care Act health insurance are going to see changes both big and small as open enrollment for 2027 coverage kicks off. These include premium increases, possible additional identity checks, potential delays in working with a broker, and new limits on which immigrants can get subsidies. Shoppers need to plan accordingly. Open enrollment starts Nov. 1 in most states. Idaho, Connecticut, and Massachusetts start earlier, and some states are already allowing “window shopping” to check premium rates. (Appleby, 10/23)

GOP Congressman in California Swing-District Race Defends Vote for Medicaid Cuts By Jackie Fortiér Oct. 23, 2026

2026-10-25T08:17:49.123-07:00

https://kffhealthnews.org/elections/valadao-villegas-california-22nd-house-district-healthcare-costs-ads-swing/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9VqSNgTB2nDHmPWT84kK6OePa79-f0hyGqm7U4U3OpaxQn1tu326WHAuc8znpiEXOT0St8oDanRh3j_KYRIPPMyYcLAQ&_hsmi=445672729&utm_content=445672729&utm_source=hs_email KFF Health News: GOP Congressman In California Swing-District Race Defends Vote For Medicaid Cuts Ulises Hernandez has had health coverage through Medicaid for as long as he can remember. But he had never waited as long for care as he did in September after a dental crown slipped down his throat during a procedure. He spent eight hours in an emergency room waiting for care and more than two days without food. Sitting in his wheelchair to protest looming federal Medicaid cuts outside Republican U.S. Rep. David Valadao’s Bakersfield office, Hernandez described his wait as a foreshadowing of what’s ahead. (Fortiér, 10/23)

To Improve Prostate Cancer Outcomes, Screen Black Men At 40 Taiwo Opeyemi Aremu October 19, 2026

2026-10-25T06:45:56.990-07:00

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/improve-prostate-cancer-outcomes-screen-black-men-40a?utm_campaign=forefront&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--8Z1voP2pUqI02sscF5Z-6uheYh1cAKWRScRthMo6ADpzG3_WsN-WMj7IXv-2OXFiYXMbYBUkaIcAQy7uQaJPPjNNL6g&_hsmi=445751573&utm_source=hasu Equity and national performance are not competing goals. Improving outcomes in the population bearing the greatest prostate cancer burden is one pathway to improving the US’s overall cancer outcomes.

The Case for Designating ‘National Security Hospitals’ Paul Friedrichs,Vikhyat S. Bebarta,andArthur L. Kellermann October 21, 2026

2026-10-25T06:45:02.749-07:00

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/case-designating-national-security-hospitals?utm_campaign=forefront&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-97codtnbN9Vdzy7TFqcD3-ExUK-eoUTVgDjafk9rG3erNa5fhr8qtY0CT2NnELHqMxcv19Zw3UhYc7D3YBiWFtnb90qA&_hsmi=445751573&utm_source=hasu By expanding the “Mission Zero” framework into a cohesive network of National Security Hospitals, Congress and the White House can strengthen military medical readiness and disaster preparedness and improve day-to-day care of trauma patients.

Proposed Changes To The US Census Raise A Fundamental Question: Who Counts? Fernando De MaioandDavid Ansell October 23, 2026

2026-10-25T06:44:06.558-07:00

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/proposed-changes-us-census-raise-fundamental-question-counts?utm_campaign=forefront&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_FUdtBarZCxqJbILELGeiM_ZuvH5nOFqEEdwZCoav1Y3yW8_E5LVKsEXc3EPOAVg971n0f1WvuDlJMKEfNfEp1UBwoqw&_hsmi=445751573&utm_source=hasu If we stop measuring differences within the population, those differences do not disappear. We simply diminish our ability to see them, understand them, and determine whether they are getting better or worse.

To Break Down The Silos Of LTSS, Build The Infrastructure For Shared Care Chanee D. Fabius,Katherine Miller,Nancy L. Schoenborn,Valecia Hanna,Jennifer L. Wolff,andKatherine A. Ornstein October 22, 2026

2026-10-25T06:43:10.720-07:00

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/break-down-silos-ltss-build-infrastructure-shared-care?utm_campaign=forefront&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_Hx5Iu-si9hEzGPnKcvmaEGVDpv-9hPdx-yE7nKWJCXFq--Kzry8uGmmfX05xI0P-lo_b_EWPwvU8GpSofsZ6yPED9Zw&_hsmi=445751573&utm_source=hasu Current and pending Medicaid cuts already reshaping the long-term services and supports landscape and creating new stressors for family caregivers and direct care workers. It's time to build a system that invests in and prioritizes shared care.

Building And Sustaining Safety-Net Workforce Capacity Yara A. Halasa-Rappel,Diana M. Hernandez,Carolyn Brown-Kaiser,Ying Wang,Gary Sing,Donald S. Shepard,andMatthew Alcusky October 20, 2026

2026-10-25T06:42:06.614-07:00

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/building-and-sustaining-safety-net-workforce-capacity?utm_campaign=forefront&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_QwSntgxeCi6ppYwv05TxaxGKs-rocjIMawELo490XXZ9jBOSLyKhYm-qW4Wtn0X_Dj_wfbEwktmfUBbOGdDadk1IAXQ&_hsmi=445751573&utm_source=hasu CMS’s decision to no longer allow Medicaid 1115 waiver funding for workforce initiatives will challenge state efforts to recruit and retain safety-net clinicians.

Advancing Social Risk Adjustment In Value-Based Payment Danielle S. Browne,Jenny Zhang,Austin S. Kilaru,Amol S. Navathe,andJoshua M. Liao October 23, 2026

2026-10-25T06:41:10.002-07:00

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/advancing-social-risk-adjustment-value-based-payment?utm_campaign=forefront&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-80Z4VTMXC6574paBM8cZuXnU-ecTXk1Dk59dFHFlDC5912rvV9x1BqnjZCXF7VbuaT3bLlqfDfxXGafAzvqepzdzz0YA&_hsmi=445751573&utm_source=hasu To appropriately hold participants accountable for population outcomes, value-based payment models must account for the factors that drive variation in outcomes outside of participant performance.

From Fragmentation To Coordination: Rethinking Health Care Cost Management With Insurance Incentives Kenneth E. ThorpeandKirsten Axelsen October 20, 2026

2026-10-25T06:40:01.023-07:00

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/fragmentation-coordination-rethinking-health-care-cost-management-insurance-incentives?utm_campaign=forefront&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--dgWEnKrTF0X14EZkbIQH1oQg3VJRbZXtl5COGfAqr8EDUTBkljTGjHvqEthIk_I_PkB86sR6iTk7cQ39FU2NcX2xalA&_hsmi=445751573&utm_source=hasu Reducing health care spending and improving population health needs a comprehensive approach to replace the current fragmented silo-based approaches.

Administration Finalizes Medicare Part B International Reference Pricing Model Rachel SachsandKristi Martin October 22, 2026

2026-10-25T06:38:21.994-07:00

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/administration-finalizes-medicare-part-b-international-reference-pricing-model?utm_campaign=forefront&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9Ge-_yY_BxNkFnbuOgVMq0S53Add8fwtsQVnezB3cNY0qqUW7PsxL-eePgn9c6IlP5mb5Q1e7O4qOb-6tsltkTEBjZGQ&_hsmi=445751573&utm_source=hasu Through new categorical drug exclusions and a manufacturer-level exemption for companies participating in GENEROUS, CMS has narrowed GLOBE to an estimated 3 percent of eligible Part B drug spending and four or perhaps even fewer manufacturers.

Digital Musculoskeletal Care Is Scaling Faster Than The Evidence Kevin McLaughlin October 19, 2026

2026-10-25T06:20:53.629-07:00

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/digital-musculoskeletal-care-scaling-faster-than-evidence?utm_campaign=forefront&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_FzYtCOsrekxmqeiTeCvSXfgQeDk7RYG11Z8gxoEVynv-kSexQu0O9QqOtpS-00jL-1nKNd70jbEXko1laKvRU-sNENw&_hsmi=445751573&utm_source=hasu

What Gen Z Healthcare Workers Want From Their Careers and Employers Jeff ByersandAdele Webb October 23, 2026

2026-10-25T06:20:11.828-07:00

https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hp20261022.761134/full/?utm_campaign=podcast&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_T2p3KL4GmvlYk42qInTCUWiUoCLTCzQVwR6n9uL5ocgwx1tVIGocol9gotLEWPusrLQ8H_Z9-aUaunPBggVtWFuVvNg&_hsmi=445751573&utm_content=hatw&utm_source=hat

The Real Savings From Generic Drugs: What Medicare Part D Data Reveals | Scott Laughery Rob LottandScott Laughery October 20, 2026

2026-10-25T06:19:22.001-07:00

https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hp20261016.16707/full/?utm_campaign=podcast&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9qxUMKiTLRdnl7mVzlkIMEO4VnAL-X4a1g-2bvZpebMQ0Cc6GCn6n88v1TEmSkbUB9Qf024gEAj9DU1wgJ5j_-d4sR2w&_hsmi=445751573&utm_content=ahp&utm_source=hasu

The Science is Extraordinary, The Price Doesn’t Have to Be Dr. Michelle Gourdine, Chief Medical Officer, CVS Caremark October 25, 2026

2026-10-25T06:18:38.349-07:00

https://www.healthaffairs.org/sponsored-content/the-science-is-extraordinary-the-price-doesnt-have-to-be?utm_campaign=51133525-Health%20Affairs%20Sunday%20Update&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_fa9JbdxF6B_NH2jGGxvsf08UWivGQK0Xitgdzb9HZcrM7C0sR2A2ney4PGIHVP8UDfzFPiu4nXZfK9kMb3ZjSOOJI1w&_hsmi=445751573&utm_content=445751573&utm_source=hs_email

Opening The Black Box Of Medicaid Physician Payment: Medicaid Managed Care And State-Directed Payments Authors: Diane Alexander dealexa@wharton.upenn.edu, Molly Frommer, and Eric T. Roberts

2026-10-25T06:17:39.534-07:00

https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2026.00382?utm_campaign=november+2026+issue&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--FJb41VMaVVCtMlju4C3J9YlnDdxRrt8uARJzm3Wmpp-d_3I59XlqyAgZOMS7xN4FRFTJu5Ww_cvFvvM8J9bobQLZr_Q&_hsmi=445751573&utm_content=ahead+of+print&utm_source=hasu Provider payment rates in Medicaid are often assessed by comparing Medicaid fee-for-service rates with Medicare rates. However, this approach may poorly approximate payments in Medicaid managed care, where most enrollees receive coverage. State-directed payments (SDPs)—requirements that managed care plans increase Medicaid payments—have become a major means of increasing provider payment in Medicaid managed care. We used Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services preprints from the period 2023–25 to estimate Medicaid managed care payments for primary care services and professional services at academic medical centers. For primary care services not performed in academic medical centers, most SDPs raised Medicaid managed care payment levels toward Medicare rates. In contrast, SDPs for services performed at academic medical centers varied widely across states and often raised payments well above Medicare rates, placing them above the caps established by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. These patterns suggest that SDPs are being used both to bolster primary care payment and to deliver large supplemental payments to academic medical centers, underscoring a need for monitoring and policy guardrails to align SDPs with access and value in Medicaid.

Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed

2026-10-24T08:47:27.421-07:00

https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/longer-looks-interesting-reads-you-might-have-missed-279/ Viewpoints: If You're Going To A Concert, Watch Out For Flu; What's The Real Reason Overdose Deaths Have Plummeted? https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/viewpoints-as-insurance-costs-climb-employers-reconsider-benefits-whats-the-real-reason-overdose-deaths-have-plummeted/

As Costs Rise, SNAP Cuts Put School Meals At Risk

2026-10-24T08:45:35.917-07:00

As Costs Rise, SNAP Cuts Put School Meals At Risk According to nutrition experts, recent restrictions in SNAP benefits are causing schools to accumulate meal debt without government reimbursement. Also in the news: Maryland, California, Virginia, and Louisiana. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/state-watch-102326/

New Orleans' Newly Reopened Planned Parenthood Can't Accept Medicaid Yet

2026-10-24T08:44:35.869-07:00

New Orleans' Newly Reopened Planned Parenthood Can't Accept Medicaid Yet After reopening last week, Planned Parenthood’s New Orleans Health Center is accepting insurance from only two private companies — Aetna and Provider Plus — while they wait to secure contracts with other Louisiana insurance providers, including Medicaid health plans. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-briefing/friday-october-23-2026/

Quest Diagnostics Pauses Access To Lab Test Portal After Cybersecurity Breach

2026-10-24T08:43:45.162-07:00

Quest Diagnostics Pauses Access To Lab Test Portal After Cybersecurity Breach The company, which serves millions of Americans, said it learned Wednesday of unauthorized access to a system used by doctors and others to order tests and view lab results, The Washington Post reported. Orders could still be made by fax or other methods; full functionality could be restored as soon as today, the company said. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/health-industry-102326/