• Tuberculosis cases in the U.S. rose to over 10,600 in 2024, marking the third consecutive annual increase and the highest total since 2013, at about 3 per 100,000 people.
• Health experts attribute the rebound to pandemic-related underdiagnosis, untreated latent infections, and increased international travel from high-prevalence areas.
• Local public health TB programs remain understaffed, straining response capacity amid the uptick.
• Jerome Adams, former Surgeon General, discussed on CBS's Face the Nation a surge of more than 1,500 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. since January 2026, per CDC data.
• A notable spike is occurring in Utah, contributing to the national increase in this highly contagious disease.
• The outbreak highlights ongoing vaccination challenges and public health risks in under-immunized communities.
• A new analysis identifies Louisiana and Kentucky as among the most stressed US states in 2026, with stress levels significantly influenced by geographic factors.
• Rising healthcare costs are forcing residents to skip medical care, contributing to elevated stress levels across affected regions.
• The stress disparities highlight how healthcare affordability challenges vary by state, with geographic and economic factors playing key roles in residents' wellbeing and access to care.
• A new American College of Cardiology study of over 6,800 U.S. adults shows consuming more than nine daily servings of ultra-processed foods raises heart attack, stroke, or death risk by 67% compared to one serving.
• Each additional serving increases risk by over 5% overall and more than 6% among Black Americans, with findings presented at the ACC Annual Scientific Session in New Orleans on March 28-30.
• Dr. Michele Arthurs of Kaiser Permanente advises checking labels and strategies like pre-eating healthy meals or pairing chips with oranges to cut intake.
• U.S. health care and social assistance sectors added 693,000 jobs in 2025, accounting for all net employment gains and preventing a 570,000 job loss in the broader economy.
• Despite the growth, experts warn it conceals a productivity crisis driven by administrative burdens, outdated technology, and inefficient care delivery models.
• The commentary urges policy reforms to boost efficiency, as unchecked spending threatens fiscal sustainability amid aging populations.
• Major U.S. health insurers are limiting coverage of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to their original FDA-approved use for diabetes management, excluding weight loss treatments.
• According to industry analyst Andy, this shift reverses prior expansions amid rising costs and supply shortages, affecting millions of patients seeking obesity care.
• The policy change aims to control spending on these high-demand medications, which have seen off-label use surge, potentially pushing patients toward alternatives or out-of-pocket payments.
• One in 10 Americans who held Affordable Care Act plans last year dropped health insurance entirely after federal subsidies expired, according to a survey by the health policy think tank KFF.
• The expiration of federal subsidies has forced millions to make difficult choices about maintaining coverage, with significant gaps now in the insurance market.
• Hannah Frigand, senior director of the HelpLine for Health Care for All in Massachusetts, highlighted the tough decisions people face regarding health insurance plans in the post-subsidy environment.
• U.S. health insurers are prioritizing improved underwriting performance as a strategic focus for 2026, according to analysis from AM Best.
• The industry shift reflects efforts to optimize pricing accuracy and risk assessment amid changing market conditions.
• Enhanced underwriting performance represents a key metric for insurers managing profitability and competitive positioning in the health insurance market.
• The leading U.S. medical school accreditation body, LCME, removed language from its 2027-2028 standards requiring schools to teach about health inequities and disparities.
• The previous standards mandated instruction on "health care disparities" and "approaches to reduce health care inequities," which were replaced with language on self-directed learning skills.
• The change comes as the Trump Department of Justice probes three medical schools, amid growing political pressure on diversity and equity initiatives in medical education.
• A new COVID variant is under monitoring as medical experts assess potential health risks and transmission patterns.
• Dr. Alok Patel of Stanford Children's Health discussed emerging trends in AI-driven health advice and its growing adoption among patients.
• The simultaneous focus on variant surveillance and AI health tools reflects evolving healthcare delivery and disease monitoring approaches.
• The Trump administration issued sweeping regulations in February targeting what Obamacare critics characterize as fraud incentives within the Affordable Care Act framework.
• The regulatory package represents a coordinated effort to address alleged vulnerabilities in the ACA subsidy and enrollment systems.
• The administration claims the measures represent successes in anti-fraud enforcement while critics argue they restrict legitimate access to coverage.
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