Read today’s Kaiser Health News
In other news:
About Covid-19
Scenario Projections of COVID-19 Burden in the US, 2024-2025: Question To what extent could COVID-19 vaccination reduce the likely disease burden in the US from April 2024 to April 2025?
Findings In this decision analytical model using ensemble-based projections of COVID-19 hospitalizations and related deaths under plausible assumptions of immune escape and vaccine recommendations, the projected disease burden during April 2024 to April 2025 was similar in magnitude to the prior year. Vaccination of all individuals was projected to reduce 10% to 20% of COVID-19 burden compared with no vaccination recommendation, with additional indirect benefits to individuals aged 65 years and older compared with vaccinating high-risk groups only.
Meaning These findings suggest that vaccines can be an effective tool for limiting COVID-19 burden, with a universal vaccine recommendation potentially saving thousands more lives through direct and indirect effects.
In a related stories
RFK Jr.’s vaccine panel weakens Covid shot recommendations, calling it an individual decision: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s hand-picked vaccine panel on Friday weakened Covid shot recommendations in the U.S., advising that all Americans consult a health-care provider before deciding whether to receive the vaccine.
The 12-member panel, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, recommended that people 6 months and up receive vaccines based on so-called “shared clinical decision-making,” which refers to a decision process between a health-care provider and a patient or their guardian. The group also voted to emphasize that for those under 65, the Covid vaccine is most beneficial for those at high risk of severe illness from the disease.
Federal vaccine panel remade by RFK Jr. votes to maintain insurance coverage for Covid shots: The decision falls short of prior years’ recommendations that the vast majority of Americans get the shots but would preserves insurance coverage for people who decide to do so. It still needs to be signed off on by federal health leaders.
About health insurance/insurers
4.8 Million People Will Lose Coverage in 2026 If Enhanced Premium Tax Credits Expire: You can sort the data by Congressional district.
Seven Years of Participation Churn in the Medicare Quality Payment Program: Using most recent QPP data, this cohort study found that a substantial proportion of clinicians departed MIPS each year, consistently outpacing entrants. Exiters included clinicians who transitioned to A-APM, became ineligible for QPP due to low volume, or retired. A recent MedPAC report documented a 4-fold increase in A-APM participation from 2017 to 2022, suggesting that many exits reflected movement toward A-APM, aligning with CMS goals.
Despite signs of progress, concerns remain. Over one-fifth of clinicians remained in MIPS, and nearly one-half switched tracks 1 or more times. Similarly, more than one-third of continuous MIPS participants changed reporting mode. Persistent MIPS participation and high churn suggest that QPP needs ongoing refinement as value-based payment systems evolve.
Terms:
Quality Payment Program (QPP)
Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS),
Advanced Alternative Payment Models (A-APM)
About hospitals and healthcare systems
The Impact of Proposed Federal Medicaid Work Requirements on Hospital Revenues and Financial Margins: Hospitals in Medicaid expansion states could see operating margins reduced by an average of 11.7 percent to 13.3 percent. Safety-net hospitals could be disproportionately impacted: their operating margins could fall by an average of 25.9 percent to 29.6 percent, and even more in certain states and in rural areas. Both Medicaid enrollees and the broader communities that hospitals serve would likely be affected, as lower revenues and increased uncompensated care costs could force hospitals to reduce staff or eliminate services.
Hospital price transparency effort losing ground: advocacy group: An interim semiannual report from Patient Rights Advocate, a nonprofit research and advocacy group, reviewed pricing files of the top 2,000 largest hospitals from March 1 to April 19. It found 43% of hospitals posted fewer prices for services than they did when the group researched the issue in November.
10 called-off hospital deals FYI
About pharma
Drugmakers Have Pledged to Invest $350 Billion in U.S. After Tariff Threat: So far this year, more than a dozen drugmakers have pledged to spend more than $350 billion collectively by the end of this decade on manufacturing, research and development and other functions in the U.S., a Wall Street Journal tally of company announcements showed.
VillageMD sells 32 Texas clinics: VillageMD sold 32 clinics in Texas to Austin-based primary and specialty clinic group, Harbor Health, in a deal that marks Harbor's expansion into the Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, and Dallas markets. The transaction, announced on September 18, 2025, also brings more than 80 clinicians to Harbor Health. This sale is part of VillageMD's strategy to downsize its operations, following a period of slower-than-expected returns and significant losses associated with its healthcare services division…
2 big “drug company deals:
Switzerland’s Roche strikes $3.5bn deal to buy US drugmaker 89bio
Dutch biotech taps Shape's brain-penetrating capsid in $1.2B deal
About the public’s health
National Academies Publish New Report Reviewing Evidence for Greenhouse Gas Emissions and U.S. Climate, Health, and Welfare: A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine says the evidence for current and future harm to human health and welfare created by human-caused greenhouse gases is beyond scientific dispute.
The report focuses on evidence gathered by the scientific community since 2009, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that greenhouse gas emissions threaten public health and welfare. The EPA recently gave notice of proposed rulemaking indicating its intention to rescind this finding.
The report says EPA’s 2009 finding was accurate, has stood the test of time, and is now reinforced by even stronger evidence. Much of the understanding of climate change that was uncertain or tentative in 2009 has now been resolved by scientific research, the report says.
About healthcare IT
Role of the States in the Future of AI Regulation A good topic review.
About health technology
58 best US health tech companies: Time: Time named 58 U.S. health tech companies “outstanding” in its Sept. 18 listing of the top firms in the space globally for 2025.
The publication partnered with market researcher Statista to rank health tech companies — with scores of outstanding, very high or high — on financial performance, reputation analysis and online engagement.
