Axios

Western states appear most at risk for COVID-19 cases right now, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as the "stratus" variant and other versions of the virus circulate nationally.

The big picture: Wastewater viral activity for COVID-19 has shifted from "moderate" to "low" this month, though some states in the West buck the trend.

On TikTok, users are eating a ton of dietary fiber, but making it sound cool: They're "fibermaxxing."

Why it matters: Most Americans fall short of their daily fiber needs, so a viral push to increase intake could help close the gap.

More than 750 current and former federal health workers on Wednesday accused HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of contributing to harassment and violence against government employees they said manifested itself in the Aug. 8 attack on CDC's Atlanta headquarters.

Why it matters: A letter from the workers to Kennedy and members of Congress shows a broad anger and frustration among federal workers over the climate they believe led to the incident.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton predicted that the Supreme Court will "do to gay marriage what they did to abortion" and send it back to states to decide.

The big picture: The high court was recently asked to overturn its decade-old decision in the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges case. While the court could surprise legal experts, LGBTQ+ advocates told Axios the justices are unlikely to hear the case.

An ad-hoc group of infectious disease doctors and health researchers on Tuesday held a public meeting to review recent studies on the safety and effectiveness of COVID, RSV and flu vaccines, in the belief the data isn't being adequately considered by federal health officials.

Why it matters: The unusual online gathering of the newly formed Vaccine Integrity Project was intended to provide an evidence base for doctors and public health officials as they update recommendations for kids, pregnant women and immunocompromised people.

Big employers who've tried to insulate workers from rising health costs are preparing to share the pain next year in the form of higher premiums to reflect year-over-year increases of as much as 10%.

Why it matters: The added costs will hit workers already reeling from inflationary pressures and reflect a change in thinking for corporations that have tried to maintain generous benefits in tight labor markets.

The corporate pricing dam is cracking — companies are raising prices, or signaling that increases are coming, to absorb some of the costs of the Trump administration's tariffs.

Why it matters: Americans are already under strain from rapidly rising prices during the Biden administration. Another bout of hot inflation — at a time when the labor market is slowing down — will hurt.

Federal health officials announced a new push on Tuesday to ensure that Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees are U.S. citizens or have a satisfactory immigration status.

Why it matters: The effort could create new administrative hoops for enrollees to jump through.

Driving the news: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will begin providing states with "monthly enrollment reports identifying individuals whose citizenship or immigration status could not be confirmed through federal databases," the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement.

• The reports will draw on data from sources including the Department of Homeland Security's Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program.
• HHS emphasized that states are responsible for reviewing cases, verifying the immigration status of individuals on the CMS' reports, and "taking appropriate actions."
• All states will receive these reports within the next month, per the HHS.

Reality check: Traditional Medicaid coverage is not available to undocumented immigrants.

• "Undocumented immigrants are not eligible to enroll in federally funded coverage including Medicaid, CHIP, or Medicare or to purchase coverage through the ACA Marketplaces," per the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation.
• HHS did not respond to Axios' request for comment.

What they're saying: "Every dollar misspent is a dollar taken away from an eligible, vulnerable individual in need of Medicaid and CHIP," said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Between the lines: The change looks to put the burden of proof on the individuals whose immigration statuses the CMS cannot verify through the databases.

By the numbers: Despite the assertions of Oz — and other parts of President Trump's administration — there is not evidence that undocumented immigrants are broadly receiving Medicaid benefits they're not eligible for.

• Medicaid reimburses hospitals for emergency care provided to individuals who meet other eligibility requirements but lack eligible immigration status. Emergency spending rose less than 1% of total Medicaid spending between 2017 and 2023, according to KFF.
• Immigrants in the country legally may also qualify for Medicaid or CHIP, but face eligibility restrictions. There is a five-year waiting period for these modified forms of Medicaid and CHIP, which states can eliminate for children and pregnant people.

An early version of Republicans recently passed tax-and-spending bill would have cut federal payments to states that covered undocumented immigrants with their own funds.

• The provision was dropped after it was found to violate Senate rules.
• The White House claimed that the provision would "protect Medicaid for Americans by removing at least 1.4 million illegal immigrants from the program."

The other side: The 1.4 million figure "is unequivocally false," according to Georgetown University's Center for Families and Children.

• "The 1.4 million immigrants the White House presumably refers to are immigrants who will lose coverage due to reductions in state health care programs, funded by states and not by federal Medicaid dollars."

Eight Sleep, a New York-based developer of smart sleep products, has raised $100m in Series D funding.

Why it matters: This comes just weeks after RFK Jr. said that the Department of Health and Human Services will launch a giant advertising campaign aimed at encouraging the use of wearables.