A Missouri Supreme Court decision cut off access to abortions in the state this week, throwing a new twist into the legal battle over a post-Roe ban that voters overturned in November.
The big picture: The state's highest court ordered a judge to vacate a pair of orders that effectively froze enforcement of the near-total ban on the procedure.
Why it matters: Depending on who you ask, it's either another symptom of America's loneliness epidemic or it's healthy YOLO move for people who just need a break from the craziness of daily life.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to stop recommending COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children and healthy pregnant women continued a pattern of breaking with scientific precedent and leaving big segments of the medical community angry and confused.
Why it matters: The announcement on Tuesday offered more indications that Kennedy could be going back on a pledge he made during his Senate confirmation hearings not to make vaccination more difficult or discourage people from taking vaccines.
President Trump's imminent plans to issue a White House report promoting in vitro fertilization has spurred anti-abortion conservatives to call for new guardrails that could greatly limit the use of the treatment.
Why it matters: Medical groups and fertility clinics warn that such steps could not only mislead couples hoping to conceive but also undercut administration efforts to boost the birth rate.
Some Native American programs are exempt from President Trump's executive order targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, according to at least three federal agencies.
Why it matters: The U.S. federal government has several treaties with more than 500 tribal nations, and many involve promises based on race, culture, and equity with Native Americans and Alaska Natives.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is no longer recommending COVID shots for healthy kids and healthy pregnant women, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on X on Tuesday.
Why it matters: The CDC recommended immunization schedule influences how physicians advise their patients — and how insurers cover shots delivered to patients.
The women's telehealth company Midi said Tuesday it's launching a longevity care program that will be covered by private insurers nationwide.
Why it matters: Longevity care is booming, but it mostly serves the wealthy. As preventive health messaging and midlife care becomes more common, telehealth businesses are pushing to broaden access.
More than 2% of Americans are taking the blockbuster class of GLP-1 drugs for overweight or obesity, up nearly 600% over six years, according to a report from FAIR Health given to Axios first.
Why it matters: The data from FAIR Health's repository of over 51 billion commercial healthcare claim records shows the explosion in use of the drugs specifically for weight loss — roughly half of all users.
Insurers increasingly are paying for behavioral health services that are delivered in coordination with primary care, according to a new claims analysis from Milliman.
Why it matters: The idea of coordinating mental health care with physical health care has been around since the 1990s. But Medicare billing codes adopted in 2017 have made such arrangements viable in both private and public insurance markets, the report shows.
One of the drug industry's biggest guardrails against President Trump's "most favored nation" drug pricing plan is the fact that it's less enforceable without the involvement of Congress.
Why it matters: Enshrining such a policy in law would be proof of GOP evolution on drug prices — or at least the party's willingness to break with its traditional aversion to government price-setting.
The FBI is stepping up efforts to investigate two high-profile cases that occurred during the Biden era, Bureau deputy director Dan Bongino announced on Sunday.
The big picture: The cases concern the 2023 discovery of cocaine at the White House and a 2022 leaked draft on the Supreme Court's landmark Dobbs ruling ahead of its overturning of Roe v. Wade abortion protections, per Bongino's post to X.
