BREAKING: The FDA is investigating iceberg lettuce supplied to Taco Bell by Taylor Farms as a possible source of the cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands.

As ACA Marketplace premiums continue to rise, more people are struggling to afford health coverage after enhanced premium tax credits expired. Watch @nbcnews.com @berkeleyjr.bsky.social explain the growing affordability challenges, featuring CBPP data: youtu.be/KthkxUfhW-c?...

NEW: Montana began implementing Medicaid work requirements this month. Cancer advocacy groups say concerns have been building for months as they’ve sought clear answers from officials about how the state would ensure vulnerable patients keep coverage. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

I chatted with @berkeleyjr.bsky.social for this piece on Montana's decision to start Medicaid work reqs early, despite HR1 not requiring this until Jan 1. The CMS rule (you can comment until 7/31!) goes farther than HR1 and will prove harmful to those w/ illnesses. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

NEW: Montana began implementing Medicaid work requirements this month. Cancer advocacy groups say concerns have been building for months as they’ve sought clear answers from officials about how the state would ensure vulnerable patients keep coverage. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

I talked with @berkeleyjr.bsky.social of @nbcnews.com about the new report that ACA marketplace plans will increase premiums another 14% in 2027 (after a ~20% increase this year). This will increase uninsurance and underinsurance, avoidable with better policy choices. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

NEW - Starting Wednesday, people on Medicare will be able to get weight loss drugs, including Wegovy and Zepbound, for $50 a month. But patients hoping for quick or permanent access to the drugs may be disappointed. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

New: The number of people enrolled in Medicaid and Affordable Care Act plans fell by more than 5 million in the last 12 months, according to a new report from the advocacy group Protect Our Care. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

NEW: ARMR Sciences’ experimental vaccine aimed at preventing fentanyl overdoses showed promise in an early-stage clinical trial. It’s the first fentanyl vaccine to be tested in humans. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

NEW: As nicotine pouches like Zyn surge in popularity, manufacturers are introducing increasingly potent products, raising concerns among some public health experts and anti-tobacco advocates about addiction and other health risks. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

I talked with @berkeleyjr.bsky.social this week about new reports on sky-high denial & reversal rates in Medicare Advantage plans' coverage of long-term care & skilled nursing care. For more on this subject, read my book Coverage Denied: www.amazon.com/Coverage-Den... www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

After reviewing the cases, the FDA reported that no cases were “certain” to be linked to Covid vaccination. The conclusions differ from Prasad’s characterization of the deaths, who said in a November memo that the children died “after and because of receiving” the vaccine. @berkeleyjr.bsky.social

He pitched military service with a promise of lifetime healthcare. When he needed it, the system failed. really proud of this one. @berkeleyjr.bsky.social @nbcnews.com

Most Alzheimer’s blood tests work by measuring levels of proteins that build up in the brain and are thought to play key roles in the disease. But it’s still an ongoing debate how well the tests can predict who will go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease, doctors say.

NEW - The FDA approved Regeneron’s Otarmeni, the first gene therapy for genetic hearing loss. The drugmaker said it will offer the drug for **free** to U.S. patients. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., clashed with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a Senate hearing Wednesday afternoon, criticizing the secretary over his vaccine policy and abortion medications and debunking a scientific study. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

NEW - New rules approved by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could blunt the impact of a federal judge’s order freezing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee and putting many of its decisions on hold, experts say. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

Exclusive: The White House said it’s adding three drugs for diabetes and lung disease to the self-pay platform TrumpRx, as the administration works to expand the site as part of its push to lower drug prices. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

Reliable sources within HHS and CDC tell us this tweet is inaccurate and no decision has been made.

NEW: 💊TrumpRx isn't doing much for drug prices. What would it take to change that? www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

NEW: In a phone interview, Dr. Mehmet Oz told me Obamacare enrollment may be “too high” and predicts it could fall to around 19 million, arguing some people in ACA plans shouldn’t be enrolled. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

HHS confirms the March USPSTF meeting has been postponed and says “will be rescheduled in the coming months.”

The federal task force that shapes recommendations for cancer screenings, heart disease prevention and other preventive services has not convened in almost a year — and it’s unclear whether the panel will convene again.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which crafts evidence-based recommendations for cancer screenings and other preventive care hasn't met for almost a year under RFK Jr. by @berkeleyjr.bsky.social @nbcnews.com

The independent panel that guides no-cost cancer screenings and other preventive care hasn’t met in nearly a year. What’s going on with the USPSTF? www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

FDA grants full approval to Pfizer’s Braftovi combo therapy as a first-line treatment for advanced colon cancer. In trials, patients lived about 30 months on average — vs. 15 months with standard care. investors.pfizer.com/Investors/Ne...

Hospital-insurer contract fights are increasingly going public nationwide, and patients are feeling the fallout.

My comments with @nbcnews.com @berkeleyjr.bsky.social www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

The FDA issued an unusual defense of its decision to not review Moderna's mRNA flu shot. by @berkeleyjr.bsky.social @nbcnews.com

NEW: Hospital-insurer contract fights are increasingly going public nationwide, and patients are feeling the fallout. One breast cancer survivor in NYC says she may have to switch doctors mid-treatment after Mount Sinai’s physicians left Anthem’s network. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

NEW: Hospital-insurer contract fights are increasingly going public nationwide, and patients are feeling the fallout. One breast cancer survivor in NYC says she may have to switch doctors mid-treatment after Mount Sinai’s physicians left Anthem’s network. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

💊TrumpRx goes live this evening: What to know www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

TrumpRx, the new federal self-pay platform for prescription drugs, launches tonight, the White House says. The site currently shows a countdown clock.

💊 Novo Nordisk says demand for the Wegovy pill is off to a strong start. •~50K prescriptions per week •~170K patients total in the U.S. •~9 in 10 prescriptions paid in cash. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

Insurance trade group AHIP says the figure likely refers to insurers’ pledge to give real-time answers to most prior authorization requests beginning in 2027.

During Trump’s cabinet meeting, Health Secretary RFK Jr. claimed 80% of the insurance industry has agreed to eliminate prior authorization in almost all of their procedures.

New federal ACA open enrollment numbers are out today. Sign-ups are down roughly 1.2 million to 1.3 million compared with last year. State officials say coverage losses are likely to grow in the coming months as more people struggle to make premium payments and plans get terminated.

Predicting a substantial bump in uncompensated care for ER docs this year

New federal ACA open enrollment numbers are out today. Sign-ups are down roughly 1.2 million to 1.3 million compared with last year. State officials say coverage losses are likely to grow in the coming months as more people struggle to make premium payments and plans get terminated.

💉Per a CMS official, this does not include Botox for cosmetic use. Medicare doesn't cover cosmetic Botox, but the drug has several medical uses, including treatment for chronic migraines, overactive bladder, muscle stiffness and lazy eye.

A closer look at state-level ACA sign-up data shows that many enrollees are choosing the cheapest plans, with high deductibles, raising concerns among health experts that more people could delay or skip care. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

The Trump administration on Tuesday announced the next round of prescription drugs up for Medicare price negotiations. The list includes Botox and the GLP-1 drug Trulicity.

NEW: The Trump administration on Tuesday announced the next round of prescription drugs up for Medicare price negotiations. The list includes Botox and the GLP-1 drug Trulicity. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

A closer look at state-level ACA sign-up data shows that many enrollees are choosing the cheapest plans, with high deductibles, raising concerns among health experts that more people could delay or skip care. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

NEW: Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle pressed health insurance CEOs on premium hikes, prior authorization rules and claim denials in back-to-back House committee hearings Thursday, zeroing in on how the insurers’ decisions are affecting patients right now. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

A large Southern California study suggests breathing wildfire smoke while pregnant — particularly late in pregnancy — may be linked to a slightly higher autism risk in kids. The strongest links showed up during stretches of smoky days. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

The Trump administration just announced a plan aimed at lowering health care costs in the U.S. The plan, however, lacks key details and largely restates proposals President Donald Trump has previously outlined. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

Today is the final day of ACA open enrollment in most states. Sign-ups are running more than 800,000 lower than last year, based on national data. States report many people who are enrolling are opting for Bronze plans — lower premiums, but higher deductibles. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

Today is the final day of ACA open enrollment in most states. Sign-ups are running more than 800,000 lower than last year, based on national data. States report many people who are enrolling are opting for Bronze plans — lower premiums, but higher deductibles. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

NEW: As open enrollment for Affordable Care Act insurance comes to an end, people are moving to cheaper plans or dropping their coverage entirely, according to state and federal data. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...