Erica Zurek

Inside the research machine that helps UnitedHealth protect its Medicare profits A STAT Investigation: Inside the research machine that helps UnitedHealth protect its Medicare profits.

Medicare Advantage is costing taxpayers $550 billion this year. UnitedHealth Group and a web of business partners have built a research apparatus — replete with flawed studies and papers — to push back against critics and ward off attempts at MA reform. www.statnews.com/2025/08/11/u...

“$9.7 million worth of contraceptives could have provided pregnancy prevention for more than 650,000 people for up to one year, and for 950,000 people for three to 10 years, depending on the method.”

Little evidence of a COVID-19 ‘summer surge’ so far in Minnesota National data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are showing increases in COVID-19 activity. But data from the state’s health department show continued low numbers of COVID-19 hospita...

Hospitalization and mortality data from the Minnesota Department of Health do not signal a COVID-19 flare-up in the state so far this summer. U of MN wastewater measurements of the disease, however, are trending upward.

www.mprnews.org/story/2025/0... by @craigstetter.bsky.social via @mprnews.org

Minnesota broadcasters brace for ‘catastrophic’ impact of federal funding cuts Minnesota public broadcasters brace for the impact of losing $17 million in Corporation for Public Broadcasting funds following the passage of the rescission bill in Congress.

For smaller stations in Minnesota, federal dollars make up a more significant share of their budgets. Twelve broadcasters get more than 30 percent of their funding from the CPB.

Trump administration hands over nation's Medicaid enrollee data, including addresses, to ICE U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials will gain access to personally identifiable information for all of the nation’s 79 million Medicaid enrollees.

BREAKING: ICE officials will gain access to personally identifiable information for all Medicaid enrollees, according to an agreement obtained by the AP.

Judge hears motion to dismiss suit challenging Minnesota abortion law A federal judge Friday heard a motion to dismiss a suit brought last year by a group of plaintiffs arguing that Minnesota laws protecting access to abortion are unconstitutional.

The defendants maintain that abortion is a legitimate form of medical care, not an infringement on parental rights.

Trump cuts gut family nutrition education program in Minnesota, slash 60 jobs Funding for SNAP-Ed, the educational piece of the nationwide federal food assistance program, was completely eliminated in the massive Trump administration spending bill recently signed into law. One ...

Funding for SNAP-Ed, the educational piece of the nationwide federal food assistance program, was completely eliminated in the massive Trump administration spending bill recently signed into law. One local leader says it will cause serious harm to Minnesota families.

Up to 250,000 Minnesotans could lose coverage under federal Medicaid cuts 1 in 5 Minnesotans could lose health coverage under federal Medicaid cuts. Aside from direct impacts to Medical Assistance recipients, local providers warn the cuts mean healthcare costs could go up f...

1 in 5 Minnesotans could lose health coverage under federal Medicaid cuts outlined in a package Trump signed into law on July 4. Aside from direct impacts to Medical Assistance recipients, local providers warn the cuts mean healthcare costs could go up for others in the state.

Minneapolis renovation uncovers century-old Gold Medal Flour advertisement A Minneapolis couple discovered a giant advertisement for Gold Medal Flour on the side of their house during a home renovation project. Now, the owners are balancing preserving the historical gem with...

To his surprise, George Johnson discovered a giant advertisement for Gold Medal Flour covering an entire wall on the south side of the house, hidden beneath what appeared to be the original lap siding.

Minnesota gender-affirming care law unchanged after Supreme Court ruling Despite a Supreme Court ruling Wednesday, gender-affirming medical care remains legal and protected in Minnesota.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled to uphold Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for adolescents under the age of 18. The ruling does not have an immediate impact on Minnesota law. Gender-affirming care remains legal and protected in the state. www.mprnews.org/story/2025/0... @mprnews.org

Shattered Science: The Research Lost as Trump Targets NIH Funding The Trump administration cut research funding that sought cures for future pandemics, examined the causes of dementia and tried to prevent HIV transmission. More than 150 researchers shared with…

NEW: The Trump administration cut research funding that sought cures for future pandemics, examined the causes of dementia and tried to prevent HIV transmission.

ProPublica heard from more than 150 researchers to understand the work that’s been lost.

Veterans with PTSD turn to the outdoors to improve mental health Spending time engaging in outdoor recreation is known to improve general health and well-being. And research shows that veterans, in particular, benefit from outdoor activities as part of a complement...

Research shows that veterans, in particular, benefit from outdoor activities as part of a complementary approach to treating mental health. Studies indicate that outdoor recreation and multi-day wilderness trips can reduce symptoms of PTSD, anxiety and depression.

Diseases are spreading. The CDC isn't warning the public like it was months ago Some of the CDC's main channels for communicating urgent health information to the public have gone silent.

Some of the CDC's main channels for communicating urgent health information to the public have gone silent.

Measles cases rise to 11 in North Dakota after two new infections reported in Cass County Two Essentia Health clinics in the Fargo area were exposed to the measles virus after two new cases were reported over the weekend.

The North Dakota Health and Human Services Department reported two new cases of measles in eastern Cass County over the weekend, increasing the state’s total number of infections to 11.

Day by day, how Trump is roiling science and health STAT is tracking, day by day, what's happened in the words of science and health during the first months of the Trump administration.

I made a timeline of all the actions in Trump's (almost) first 100 days that have upended science and health. It was staggering to me to see it all in one place, even though I reported on many on these events. www.statnews.com/2025/04/24/t...

Trump’s NIH Axed Research Grants Even After a Judge Blocked the Cuts, Internal Records Show A lawsuit led by the Washington state attorney general offers an unprecedented view of the termination of more than 600 NIH grants, including transgender research grants threatened by Trump’s executiv...

NEW: Whistleblower records show that the NIH axed research grants – even after a federal judge blocked the cuts with an injunction.

www.propublica.org/article/trum...

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Minnesota libraries warn federal cuts may hurt services The Minnesota Library Association says some $3 million a year in federal library funding is in jeopardy and could threaten vital library programs across the state.

The Minnesota Library Association says some $3 million a year in federal library funding is in jeopardy and could threaten vital library programs across the state.

Ukrainian workers at landmark Minneapolis restaurant seek answers after Trump halts work permit renewals Thousands of Ukrainians who’ve settled temporarily in Minnesota fear that they may soon have to return home, even as Russia’s assault on their country continues. The concern is especially high at Kram...

Kramarczuk's deli in Minneapolis has been a powerhouse of the Ukrainian community since 1954, hiring immigrants and refugees and helping them assimilate into the American culture. But with the current administration stopping the renewal of work permits, people fear they may soon have to return home.

U of M launches vaccine safeguard project amid federal uncertainty A team of health experts is launching an independent project that could start its own vaccine evaluation and guidelines — apart from federal health agencies.

The University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy has announced the launch of the Vaccine Integrity Project. A team of health experts is launching this independent project that could start its own vaccine evaluations and guidelines — apart from federal health agencies.

Interested in remote work? The National Park Service may have a job for you The National Park Service needs a concessionaire to run a historic hotel, accessible only by boat or float plane, in Voyageurs National Park.

The National Park Service is seeking applicants for a job that puts a new spin on “remote work.” The agency is looking for people or groups interested in managing the 10-room Kettle Falls Hotel, a historic hotel along a wild stretch of the Canadian border, accessible only by boat or float plane.

A graphic showing that 50.6% of research projects with "LGBT" search terms have been cancelled. 45.8% of grants with "transgender" in the search terms have been cancelled. 45.5% of research grants with "vaccine hesitancy" have been cancelled. 3.4% grants with "HIV" or "AIDS" have been cancelled.

The US National Institutes of Health has terminated nearly 800 research projects at a breakneck pace, wiping out significant chunks of funding to entire scientific fields

Read the full story: https://go.nature.com/3EuFRPV

Trump’s War on Measurement Means Losing Data on Drug Use, Maternal Mortality, Climate Change and More By slashing teams that gather critical data, the administration has left the federal government with no way of understanding if policies are working — and created a black hole of information whose con...

NEW: In agency after agency, the U.S. government is losing its capacity to measure how American society is functioning, making it much harder to gauge the nature and scale of the problems we are facing and the effectiveness of policies.

By @alecmac.bsky.social

Haunted by hopelessness: 12 Zambians share their stories as HIV drugs run out Mothers and children, husbands and wives, doctors, truck drivers and religious leaders are all grappling with the fallout from the sudden U.S. cuts in aid.

I look at close to 100 stories a week and even more outside of work. I’ve done this ten years.

This is among the most horrific things I’ve ever read — testimony from dying children whose access to medicine has been cut off by the Trump administration.

www.npr.org/sections/goa...

KFF bar chart showing “If Medicare was unable to negotiate prices for small molecule drugs until 11 years after FDA approval, rather than 7 years, more than half of the previously selected drugs, with total gross Part D spending of $61 billion, would not have qualified.” The chart shows the total Medicare Part D gross drug spending on all previously selected drugs, 2026 selected drugs, and 2027 selected drugs, and shows the breakdown of drugs that would still be eligible for negotiation and drugs that would be ineligible for negotiation.

President Trump’s EO on drug prices seeks to delay when small molecule drugs are eligible for Medicare drug price negotiations.

That would have made half of the already chosen drugs, with spending totaling $61 billion, ineligible.

Our experts explain: on.kff.org/3RkX6WH

“Slow Pay, Low Pay or No Pay”: Trial Reveals How Insurers Try to Wield Power Over Doctors Blue Cross authorized mastectomies and breast reconstructions for women with cancer but refused to pay the full doctors’ bills. A jury called it fraud and awarded the practice $421 million.

NEW: Of the 7,837 disputed procedures in the lawsuit, involving 1,680 patients, Blue Cross paid this breast cancer center about 9 cents on the dollar, paying $43M on invoices totaling $500M.

Some 60% of the claims weren’t reimbursed at all.

Minnesota Department of Health workers rally against Trump administration cuts Members of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees rallied outside a state office building on the grounds of the State Capitol Thursday to speak out against cuts to public health programs.

Nearly 200 people, many of them Minnesota Department of Health employees, rallied against spending cuts to public health.

Immigration Crackdowns Disrupt the Caregiving Industry. Families Pay the Price. - KFF Health News Families, nursing facilities, and home health agencies rely on foreign-born workers to fill health care jobs that are demanding and do not attract enough American citizens. The Trump administration’s ...

Immigrants fill many U.S. health care jobs. Without foreign-born workers, industry insiders told KFF Health News, the home health and personal care industry is in trouble. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

After federal firings, officials worry about program that helps many Minnesotans pay for heat Minnesota was scheduled to receive an additional $12 million to $13 million in LIHEAP funds to help another 10,000 households. If that payment is delayed, the program could run out of money by mid-Apr...

State officials are voicing concern about the status of energy assistance for low-income Minnesotans, after the Trump administration this week laid off all the staff within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services who administer the federal program.

Federal Health Workers Make Up Less Than 1% of Agency Spending (Gift Article) Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggests that laying off thousands of federal workers would tame a massive budget. But nearly all of the agency’s money goes to hospitals, doctors and nursing ho...

HHS doctors, scientists and tobacco control staff, rare disease experts, cancer drug wizards -- all fired today or leaving in recent weeks.

Yet.

🚨 At HHS, staff make up less than one percent of the overall agency budget. 🚨

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/h...

HHS plans to slash 10,000 jobs under Secretary RFK Jr. The Health and Human Services Department is set to slash 10,000 jobs and streamline authorities under its secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

BREAKING: The Health and Human Services Department is set to slash 10,000 jobs and streamline authorities under its secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
www.statnews.com/2025/03/27/r...