KFF Health News roundup highlights Medicaid deportation data, midwife licensing and more

• The American Medical Association’s May 15, 2026 advocacy update says physicians and healthcare groups are urging Congress to strengthen the No Surprises Act. • The update also says the AMA is seeking physicians’ stories to support ongoing advocacy, indicating the organization is building a record of billing and patient-protection problems.

• U.S. News & World Report published its fourth annual Best OTC Medicine & Health Products rankings on May 12, 2026, evaluating brands in categories from supplements to skincare and menopause products. • Nature Made topped the list with 12 No. 1 products, followed by CeraVe with 6 and La Roche-Posay with 4; companies like Haleon, Pharmavite, Kenvue, L'Oreal, and Prestige Consumer Healthcare led in top rankings.

• CDC mortality data published in 2026 shows suicide has reentered the top 10 causes of death in the US, displacing COVID-19 amid rising mental health issues. • In 2024, 61.5 million US adults reported mental health conditions, including 11.6 million young adults aged 18-25, up from 58.7 million adults and 11.5 million young adults in 2023.

• Health officials addressed a hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship, announcing the return of 18 Americans evacuated to Nebraska for quarantine on May 11, 2026. • Adm. Brian Christine, assistant secretary for health, stated 'the risk of hantavirus to the general public remains very, very low,' noting the Andes variant requires prolonged close contact like sharing utensils or 15 minutes within six feet of symptomatic individuals.

• Seventeen passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship are being flown to the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha, Nebraska, the same facility used during the early COVID-19 pandemic, after potential hantavirus exposure aboard the vessel. • CDC officials confirmed three deaths related to the outbreak and are monitoring at least nine Americans across six states—Arizona, California, Virginia, Texas, Georgia, and New Jersey—for possible infections, though none have shown symptoms yet.

• Global cancer cases have surged dramatically, doubling since 1990 with 18.5 million new diagnoses recorded in 2023, representing a significant increase in disease burden worldwide. • Cancer deaths have climbed to over 10 million annually, with the steepest increases occurring in low- and middle-income countries where healthcare infrastructure remains limited.

• An Andes hantavirus outbreak has been confirmed aboard an Atlantic cruise ship, with seven Americans who were passengers now returning to their homes in Arizona, Georgia, California, Texas, and Virginia. • The acting CDC director Jay Bhattacharya stated that US health agencies are equipped to handle the hantavirus response and have been coordinating closely with international partners to contain the outbreak.

• A growing measles outbreak in South Carolina, reported in recent days, has seen case numbers rise amid low vaccination rates in certain communities. • Public health officials note multiple exposures and urge unvaccinated individuals to seek MMR shots immediately.

• Maricopa County Department of Public Health confirmed one new measles case in a county resident, adding to the total number of confirmed cases. • Public health officials have identified specific public exposures linked to this new case.

• An analysis of 1.5 million Medicare beneficiaries showed older US adults receiving the recombinant subunit zoster vaccine (Shingrix) were less likely to develop dementia. • Published findings from MedPage Today on May 5, 2026, highlight the vaccine's potential protective effect against dementia in seniors.

• As of April 30, 2026, the US reported 1,814 confirmed measles cases, including 12 among international visitors, per CDC data updated May 1. • 93% of cases (1,688) are outbreak-associated, with 25 new outbreaks in 2026 following 24 earlier ones.