5 takeaways from health insurers' new pledge to improve prior authorization

A prominent figure, Cassidy, is distancing herself from RFK Jr. by pushing to delay a planned meeting about vaccines—a notable shift given RFK Jr.'s controversial stance on the topic. This suggests growing tensions or strategic disagreements within advocacy circles.

A new report shows that worldwide vaccination programs for kids—aimed at stopping diseases like measles, polio, and TB—have hit a wall over the past decade. Despite past progress, millions of children are now at risk of infections that vaccines could easily prevent.

Editor’s Note: Vaccination slowdowns aren’t just numbers on a page—they mean real kids could get sick (or worse) from illnesses we’ve had the tools to stop for years. When immunization rates drop, outbreaks follow, and that puts everyone at risk, not just the unvaccinated. It’s a wake-up call for governments and health orgs to figure out what’s gone wrong, whether it’s funding gaps, misinformation, or logistical hurdles.

Doctors are warming up to the idea that women can safely manage their own abortions using pills—especially in a post-Roe world where access to clinics has shrunk. NPR’s Embedded digs into why more medical professionals now see this as a viable option, even without direct supervision.

Editor’s Note: This isn’t just about medical opinions—it’s a reflection of how abortion care is adapting to legal barriers. With clinics disappearing in some states, self-managed abortion could become a lifeline for many, but it also raises big questions about access, safety, and the future of reproductive healthcare.

Just days before they're supposed to begin their medical residencies at U.S. hospitals, hundreds of foreign-trained doctors are stuck in bureaucratic limbo, still waiting for their visas. These physicians—many filling critical gaps in understaffed hospitals—are caught in delays that could disrupt patient care and their own careers.

Canada might soon get a groundbreaking HIV prevention shot from Gilead, which health experts are calling a potential "wonder drug." While the treatment could be a game-changer for at-risk communities, there are worries about whether everyone who needs it will be able to access it affordably.