Life

Health, science, climate, and society-focused reporting.

Briefing: A family’s giving to the Broad Institute’s research tops $1 billion

Strategic angle: The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard is poised to receive a massive injection of cash to fund research in the understanding and treatment of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Editorial Staff Mar 20

Life

Briefing: Congress must fix the No Surprises Act before it bankrupts patients and employers

Strategic angle: James Gelfand and Patricia Kelmar argue for urgent reforms to the No Surprises Act to protect patients and employers from financial ruin.

Editorial Staff Mar 20

Life

Briefing: Tobacco could get a boost from the farm bill. How does that square with MAHA?

Strategic angle: The farm bill shows politicians catering to the agriculture industry risk losing the support of MAHA while running afoul of public health goals.

Editorial Staff Mar 20

Life

Briefing: Political influence ‘a serious problem’ for FDA under Trump, former commissioner says

Strategic angle: Robert Califf highlights the shift towards political decision-making in the FDA during the Trump administration.

Editorial Staff Mar 20

Life

Briefing: Judge to Vacate Kennedy's Declaration on Gender-Affirming Care

Strategic angle: A U.S. district judge is set to rule against a declaration by Kennedy regarding the medical standards of gender-affirming care for young trans individuals.

Editorial Staff Mar 20

Life

Briefing: Drug development is booming in China. Should the U.S. view it as a threat or an opportunity?

Strategic angle: If the U.S. wants to hold on to its title as the world's top biotech innovator, it might want to take a page out of China's book.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: Independent autism committee kicks off efforts to counter RFK Jr., influence Congress

Strategic angle: A group of autism scientists kicked off efforts Thursday to influence Congress, and the research agendas of private organizations.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: Trump’s Medicare Director Seeks to Rein in Expectations for TrumpRx

Strategic angle: The Trump administration is counting on its drug pricing efforts to help with the midterm elections.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: HHS Public Health Policy Actions Under the Trump Administration 2025-2026

Strategic angle: A comprehensive timeline of public health policy actions by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Trump administration from 2025-2026.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Extension Tracker

Strategic angle: This page tracks recent state actions to extend Medicaid postpartum coverage.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: What to Know About Medicare Coverage of Telehealth

Strategic angle: Congress has repeatedly extended several pandemic-era flexibilities around Medicare coverage of telehealth, but most remain temporary.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Novo Nordisk’s high-dose Wegovy approved in the U.S.

A high-dose version of Novo Nordisk’s injectable obesity drug Wegovy received U.S. approval.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Senate Democrats Lay Out Plans to Overhaul Health Insurance After Setbacks Under Trump

Democrats are sharpening their health care message as the midterms loom.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: Eli Lilly’s ‘triple-G’ shows potency, raises concerns

Strategic angle: Eli Lilly's 'triple-G' drug shows potency, In-vivo CAR-T inches toward clinical reality, and more in today's Readout newsletter.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: STAT+: A biotech turns to Apple Watch to study its Parkinson’s drug

Strategic angle: In this edition of STAT Health Tech: How Apple Watch is being used in a clinical trial for a Parkinson's drug, and more

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Two doctors on the challenges of medicine today

In today's Morning Rounds newsletter, a Texas couple getting rich off out-of-network medical bills, two doctors on the challenges of medicine today, and more.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: Eli Lilly’s ‘triple-G’ drug leads to significant blood sugar, weight reductions in diabetes trial

Strategic angle: Diabetes patients taking an investigational drug from Eli Lilly saw significant reductions in their blood sugar and weight in a late-stage study.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: STAT+: Six drugmakers, six months: Charting the FDA’s course in the post-Prasad era

Strategic angle: Will the FDA’s regulatory policies, particularly for rare-disease drugs, shift in the wake of Vinay Prasad’s imminent departure?

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Cost Concerns and Coverage Changes: A Follow-Up Survey of ACA Marketplace Enrollees

This KFF survey examines the cost concerns and coverage changes experienced by ACA Marketplace enrollees in 2025 following the expiration of enhanced benefits.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: HHS Watchdog Critiques Nursing Homes for Antipsychotic Drug Misuse

Strategic angle: Nursing homes misuse antipsychotic drugs for dementia patients, disguising the practice as schizophrenia treatment, a watchdog finds.

Editorial Staff Mar 19