A new analysis of the 2027 Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment period, beginning Nov. 1 in most states, highlights rising costs and new enrollment barriers that could affect coverage access. Premiums are projected to increase 15%, following a 26% average increase last year, while the expiration of enhanced federal subsidies has already contributed to declining enrollment. New federal ru…

Lung cancer screening advocates are calling for expanded U.S. guidelines to include nonsmokers with risk factors such as family history and environmental exposures. In a new NPR report experts highlighted that lung cancer kills approximately 125,000 Americans annually, and roughly half of those diagnosed are ineligible for screening under current guidelines, which focus on smoking history…

A new national survey analysis published by the Annenberg Public Policy Center finds that while 26% of U.S. adults identify as supporters of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, substantially more share its concerns about food additives and highly processed foods. Across two 2026 surveys, 73% of respondents favored six food-related MAHA policies, including regulating chemical addit…

Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC) has launched the Public Health AI & Tech Exchange, a searchable catalog of AI, data, and technology tools built by local health departments. Each use case covers what was built, what it took, and what other departments can reuse, so proven solutions can spread from city to city. Developed with BCHC's Data Modernization Workgroup and designed by Chris Col…

The Public Health Communications Collaborative released customizable “Get Out The Vote” social media graphics to help public health organizations connect civic participation with community health ahead of the midterm elections. The resources include English- and Spanish-language graphics, editable Canva templates, and suggested social media captions addressing voter registration, early voting…

A new Swedish study presented at the United European Gastroenterology conference on found that children and adolescents who received antibiotics had 1.5-times-higher odds of developing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) by age 24 than those who had not. The analysis of 2,853 participants found that 10% developed IBS, with odds increasing alongside the number of antibiotic prescriptions, reaching…

U.S. measles cases reached 4,410 in 2026 as of Oct. 16, nearly double the 2,289 cases reported in all of 2025, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) update. Six probable measles deaths have also been confirmed this year. Declining childhood vaccination coverage remains a concern, with only 92.4% of kindergarteners receiving the measles, mumps and rubella (MM…

A new public-private cancer vaccine initiative led by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is expected to launch in December, aiming to accelerate development of personalized cancer treatments. Reported by The New York Times, the effort will bring together researchers, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, advocacy groups, nonprofits, and patients. The partnership follows a model sim…

President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a Women’s Health Division at the National Institutes of Health and a White House Women’s Health Task Force to strengthen research into women’s health across the lifespan. The initiative targets understudied conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, infertility, maternal health and menopaus…