Cost Concerns and Coverage Changes: A Follow-Up Survey of ACA Marketplace Enrollees
A new KFF poll highlights growing affordability challenges among Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace enrollees, with 55% reporting they are cutting back on food and other basic needs to manage rising health care costs. Premium increases—averaging more than 20% in 2026 following the expiration of enhanced subsidies—are driving financial strain, with many also taking on additional work.
Beyon…
Rising Health Costs Push Some Middle-Aged Adults to Skip the Doc Until Medicare
Rising health care costs are prompting some middle-aged adults to delay preventive and diagnostic care until they become eligible for Medicare at age 65. Following the expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, many adults ages 50–64 are facing steep premium increases and high out-of-pocket costs, leading some to forgo screenings or drop coverage altogether.
Public health experts w…
CDC Leadership Search Narrows Amid Ongoing Public Health Focus
The Trump administration has narrowed its search for a new CDC director to a half dozen candidates, including former Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher and Johns Hopkins cardiologist Joseph Marine. With acting director Jay Bhattacharya’s term expiring under the Vacancies Reform Act, a permanent appointment could draw Senate scrutiny of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine policies and bro…
Majority of Americans Connect Alcohol to Cancer
Awareness of alcohol’s link to cancer appears to be rising among the public, with new survey data from the Annenberg Public Policy Center showing that more than half of Americans now recognize the connection—up significantly from 2024.
This shift follows heightened attention after Vivek Murthy called for updated warning labels highlighting alcohol’s role in multiple cancers. Despite this prog…
New Cholesterol Guidelines Highlight Early Prevention and Genetic Risk Testing
New cholesterol management guidelines from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology emphasize earlier, more comprehensive prevention of cardiovascular disease—the leading cause of death in the U.S.
A key recommendation is a one-time lipoprotein(a) blood test for all adults, identifying genetic risk for heart attacks and strokes. The guidelines also promote coronary ca…
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Interim CDC Data Shows Flu Vaccine Continues to Offer Protection in 2025–26 Season
New interim findings from the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) show that the 2025–26 seasonal influenza vaccine continues to provide meaningful protection against serious illness, even in a challenging season with antigenically drifted virus strains.
Vaccine effectiveness ranged from 38%–41% against influenza-related outpatient visits and 41% against hospitalization among ch…