Public Health News Round Up, June 4, 2025

by Mandy Morgan June 4, 2025

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‘Wildly nonsensical and unfair’: GOP bill punishes states for aiding immigrants

The Republican budget bill passed by the House proposes penalties for states that have expanded Medicaid, particularly targeting funding for health care provided to immigrants here legally on humanitarian parole. This move could significantly impact the 40 states that have expanded Medicaid, suggesting an intention to penalize expansion states rather than addressing concerns over immigrant coverage, and may drive states to reconsider the scope of immigrant health care due to potential cost increases.

How measles tore through a remote West Texas city

In a deeply divided landscape where distrust of vaccines meets traditional community skepticism, a measles outbreak in Seminole, Texas, became a battleground. While public health officials struggled to manage the crisis with proven medical interventions, anti-vaccine advocates like Dr. Ben Edwards and groups such as Children’s Health Defense fueled misinformation and pushed unproven treatments, highlighting the perilous consequences of vaccine hesitancy and the complex web of misinformation that jeopardizes vulnerable communities.

RFK Jr., Musk Accused of Using Faulty Data in Firing HHS Workers

So, here’s the scoop: A bunch of former federal employees are taking Elon Musk and the US Health Secretary to court, accusing them of making hasty layoffs based on seriously flawed data. The lawsuit says these faulty decisions violated the Privacy Act because the government is supposed to use accurate records when cutting jobs, and now the ex-employees want the court to recognize the firings as unlawful and award them damages.

Trump administration rolls back guidance specifying that ERs must offer abortion care when necessary

The Biden administration has rolled back a 2022 guideline ensuring abortion access during medical emergencies, arguing it doesn’t align with current policy, which has sparked concerns from health groups about increased confusion and risks for pregnant patients in states with strict abortion laws. While EMTALA still mandates emergency medical treatment, the rescission of this guidance may deepen the uncertainty around when abortions are legally permissible in emergencies, potentially endangering the health and lives of pregnant individuals.