Health
Departures from this desk, newest publication first.
- 001Health
National and county governments agree to absorb UHC workers into permanent positions
An agreement reached in Nairobi will transfer payroll responsibility for nearly 7,786 Universal Health Coverage workers to county governments from September, with the transition financed through the 2026/27 additional allocations.
- 002Health
Kindiki urges swift resolution of nurses’ strike
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has called for urgent talks between the Council of Governors and the nurses’ union as a nationwide strike continues to disrupt health services.
- 003Health
South Carolina measles outbreak reaches 789 cases, the largest U.S. surge since elimination
South Carolina’s measles outbreak has climbed to 789 confirmed cases, surpassing the size of Texas’s 2025 outbreak and raising concerns about the nation’s elimination status. Health officials say most cases are in Spartanburg County, and hospitalizations have been reported as quarantines expand across schools and communities.
- 004Health
Study finds “unexplained pauses” in many CDC surveillance databases
A research letter reports that nearly half of CDC databases that had been updated at least monthly showed pauses or delays in 2025. The findings raise concerns about weakened real-time health tracking for vaccines, infectious diseases and other public health threats.
- 005Health
Medicare picks 15 more drugs—including Botox and a GLP-1—for price negotiations effective in 2028
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has selected 15 high-cost drugs for the next round of Medicare price negotiations, including Botox and the diabetes drug Trulicity. The negotiations will take place in 2026, with any negotiated prices scheduled to start on January 1, 2028, expanding the program to include Part B drugs for the first time.
- 006Health
Why health insurance stocks plunged: CMS proposal signals just a 0.09% Medicare Advantage payment increase for 2027
Health insurers sold off sharply after CMS proposed a tiny 0.09% average increase in Medicare Advantage payments for 2027 and outlined related coding changes. The proposal revived margin fears and intensified attention on regulatory scrutiny in the sector.
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- 007Health
CMS proposes 2027 Medicare Advantage payment updates aimed at accuracy and sustainability
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released its proposed 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D payment policies, projecting a net average 0.09% payment increase. The proposal signals a tighter environment for plans and has sparked debate over benefits, premiums, and taxpayer spending.
- 008Health
Study warns nearly half of CDC surveillance databases paused or delayed updates in 2025
Researchers reported that many routinely updated CDC health surveillance databases stopped or slowed updates in 2025, with vaccine-related systems disproportionately affected, raising concerns about outbreak detection and public trust.
- 009Health
US health insurers slide after CMS proposes just 0.09% Medicare Advantage rate increase for 2027
Shares of major insurers fell after CMS proposed a far smaller-than-expected payment increase for Medicare Advantage in 2027, raising concerns about benefit cuts, narrower offerings, or plan exits as medical costs stay elevated.
- 010Health
About 31,000 Kaiser Permanente health care workers strike across California and Hawaii
A large group of Kaiser Permanente workers walked off the job in an open-ended strike over staffing and pay, escalating one of the biggest health-care labor fights in the U.S. this year.
- 011Health
Health insurers slide after proposed 2027 Medicare Advantage payment increase disappoints
A far smaller-than-expected proposed increase in Medicare Advantage payments for 2027 rattled health insurers, raising concerns about benefit design, premiums, and margins in a program serving tens of millions of Americans.
- 012Health
CDC labels 2025–26 flu season ‘moderately severe’ as estimated illnesses reach 11 million
U.S. health officials say influenza activity remained elevated, with CDC data estimating at least 11 million illnesses so far this season. Public health experts cite holiday travel, low vaccination rates and misinformation as factors that may have helped drive the surge.