Public Health News Round Up, May 14, 2025

by Jon Scaccia May 14, 2025

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Children’s health services could see trims even under scaled-back Medicaid cuts

Despite backing off the idea of slashing federal Medicaid funding, Republican lawmakers are still considering proposals that could fundamentally change the program by capping spending, potentially forcing states to cut critical services for vulnerable populations, including children. These changes could jeopardize access to essential health services, especially in schools and rural hospitals, which many children and underserved communities rely on, while raising concerns about a cascading impact on children’s health and educational opportunities.

Cleveland Clinic’s controversial new policy: pay copays upfront or lose your appointment

Cleveland Clinic’s new policy requiring upfront co-payments for nonemergency appointments is raising concerns among health experts, as it could disproportionately affect low-income patients by hindering access to timely care and potentially exacerbating health conditions. Critics, including health policy experts, warn that this move contradicts efforts to eliminate healthcare access barriers and may push patients towards other hospitals with more lenient co-payment practices.

Elon Musk Was Donald Trump’s Useful Idiot

The article examines Elon Musk’s tenure at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), highlighting his failed cost-cutting attempts and the potential ulterior motives behind his actions, such as leveraging government data and contracts for his companies’ advantage. Despite claims of saving $170 billion, Musk’s approach may cost taxpayers an additional $135 billion this year, revealing his efforts as potentially more aligned with advancing certain political agendas than genuinely reducing federal spending.

Here’s how the proposed deep cuts to Medicaid would affect N.J.

The contentious debate over Medicaid’s future takes a critical turn as a congressional panel discusses proposed cuts that could strip over 8.6 million Americans, including hundreds of thousands in New Jersey, of their health coverage, fueling fears that such drastic reductions primarily serve to fund tax breaks favoring the wealthy. Critics argue these changes threaten the stability of healthcare systems and undermine essential services for vulnerable populations, as hospitals may face closures and low-income families could be pushed into crisis by crippling insurance costs.

RFK Jr. got rid of an ‘alphabet soup’ of health agencies. Now, Congress gets a say

Since taking charge as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has aggressively downsized the agency by firing thousands and canceling billions in grants, igniting legal challenges and raising concerns about the future of crucial public health programs. While Kennedy argues that these drastic measures are essential to cutting bureaucracy and focusing on chronic disease prevention, critics warn that the hasty overhaul risks undermining HHS’s foundational roles and disrupting services that millions rely on.

Rachel Levine led fights against HIV & STIs at HHS. Now Trump’s undoing that progress, and she’s speaking out

Dr. Rachel Levine, the highest-ranking transgender official in the U.S. government, has broken her silence to condemn the Trump administration’s rapid dismantling of her inclusive, science-based health policies, highlighting the grave implications for LGBTQ+ health equity and overall public health. From advocating for health equity and LGBTQIA+ rights to tackling urgent health crises, Levine’s tenure was marked by significant advancements, now threatened by ideological rollbacks that undermine progress in HIV prevention, gender-affirming care, and public health integrity.

The Road to DOGE Was Paved With Pyramid Schemes

The article draws parallels between the second Trump administration and pyramid schemes, suggesting that both are driven by a desire for impunity and wealth accumulation at the top while misleadingly promising opportunities for prosperity. By likening the administration’s deregulatory agenda and ties to multilevel marketing, Bridget Read warns of a future where fraudulent growth tactics and unchecked corporate power threaten to deepen economic disparities, leaving most Americans caught in unattainable dreams of success.

Weight-loss injections slash cancer risk

A recent study highlights that weight-loss injections, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, could nearly halve the risk of obesity-related cancers, spotlighting their potential role in cancer prevention amid rising global obesity rates. While these findings are promising and suggest new dimensions in treatment strategies, experts emphasize that they should complement traditional cancer prevention methods and stress the need for further dedicated clinical trials to solidify these links.