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Ukrainian health care teams visit to learn best practices and take their knowledge home
Ten Ukrainian health care professionals visited the Vanderbilt Transplant Center, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and the Department of Biomedical Informatics
Kettering Health will not renew contract with Medicare Advantage insurer Anthem
Kettering Health, one of the largest health systems in the Dayton region, will not renew its contract with private Medicare Advantage insurer Anthem, including Anthem MyCare, according to an announcement from Kettering Health.
Kettering Health will not renew contract with Medicare Advantage insurer Anthem
Kettering Health, one of the largest health systems in the Dayton region, will not renew its contract with private Medicare Advantage insurer Anthem, including Anthem MyCare, according to an announcement from Kettering Health.
RFK Jr.'s embrace of AI confounds some MAHA allies and medical experts
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s unexpected embrace of artificial intelligence has rankled some of his allies in the “Make America Healthy Again” movement
HealthSource, UC Health team up on new medical facility in Batavia
HealthSource of Ohio and UC Health are partnering on a project that will bring both organizations' services together under one roof in Batavia.
Most Americans support switch to Medicare for all health insurance
Medicare is the US government program that provides health coverage to about 70 million people aged 65 and older or with disabilities.
UAMS Receives Grant to Provide Telehealth Nutrition Services, Remote Monitoring in Clinics in Batesville, El Dorado
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) will integrate telehealth nutrition services and remote patient monitoring at two of its clinics to help patients better manage their diabetes and chronic health conditions.
Sanford welcomes internal medicine physician to Dickinson
Oct. 6, 2026 Contact: Chelsey Kralicek Sanford Health Media Relations 701-516-4903 / Chelsey.Kralicek@SanfordHealth.org BISMARCK, N.D. —Adokole Otanwa, M.D., an internal medicine physician, specializing in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting adults, has joined Sanford Dickinson. Dr. Otanwa received his medical degree at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City, […]
Medicare-for-all support is rising, KFF poll finds
The survey also found that the public’s views of a national health plan are highly malleable.
Trump approves firing squad execution for Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan
Thirteen people were killed and more than 30 injured in the 2009 shooting at a a medical building
UNC Health breaking ground on Cary medical office, hospital to follow
UNC Health is beginning construction of a new medical campus in Cary.
IceCure Expands ProSense® ChoICE Study for Low-Risk Breast Cancer adding Legacy Health in Portland, OR as U.S. Clinical Site
/PRNewswire/ -- IceCure Medical Ltd. (NASDAQ: ICCM) ("IceCure," "IceCure Medical" or the "Company"), developer of minimally-invasive cryoablation technology...
UCSF Health Reaches 25,000 Robotic Surgeries
Surgeons at the UC San Francisco have performed over 25,000 robotically assisted minimally invasive surgeries, making it the first University of California health center to reach this milestone. UCSF Health has the busiest robotic surgery program in the UC Health system and is one of the leading academic medical institutions for robotic surgeries in the Western U.S.
Hidden Risks and Costs of Maternal/Infant Health that Health Plans Miss
A new report from ProgenyHealth offers a window into how the business works with commercial and Medicaid plans to close gaps in maternity and NICU care management that traditional programs overlook.
American Journal Of Public Health Study Examines Political Differences In Perceptions Of Vaccine Safety And Effectiveness
Vaccine perceptions can influence acceptance and uptake. Dr. Dror Walter, with the Department of Communication at Georgia State University in Atlanta, and colleagues examined these perceptions using data from a national probability sample of 1,763 US adults surveyed in November 2024.
UNC Health breaking ground on new Cary medical office site, future hospital
Short bursts of exercise may improve fitness and blood sugar in sedentary adults
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 22 studies involving 994 sedentary or inactive adults found that brief “exercise snacks” were associated with improvements in VO₂peak, blood glucose, and triglycerides.
Roma maintain interest in Oosterwolde for January
Roma could make a strong move for Jayden Oosterwolde in January. The Fenerbahçe defender was ready to wear the Giallorossi jersey this summer, even undergoing a medical. It was at this stage that Rom...
Most Americans support switch to Medicare for all health insurance
Most Americans now favor government-paid health insurance for all, according to a new poll, as voters across party lines see major healthcare reforms as a priority less than a month before midterm elections to decide control of the US Congress.
Before Saying Yes to the Medical Test, Know the Risks and Benefits
Tests like full-body scans marketed directly to consumers are pitched as a way to detect diseases early and establish a baseline of health markers. But there are financial, physical, and psychological risks to all medical tests — and in some cases, not getting a test could be better for your health.
KFF Health Tracking Poll: Health Care Issues in the Lead-Up to the 2026 Midterm Election
With the 2026 midterms about a month away, health care costs remain tied with gas as voters’ top midterm concerns and the Democrats hold a clear edge over the Republicans Party on who voters trust to handle many top electoral issues, including the cost of health care and the cost of living. Two-thirds of U.S. adults now favor Medicare-for-all, a new high in KFF Polling, but support shifts when competing claims from critics and proponents are heard.
Current and Historical Public Opinion on Medicare-for-All and Other National Health Plan Proposals
This chart pack summarizes KFF polling data on public opinion on Medicare-for-all and other national health plan proposals. The latest update finds that two-thirds of the public supports Medicare-for-all, while support changes drastically as respondents hear arguments from proponents and critics.
Doctor: Before flu season arrives, make one health care decision that can save time and money
Nationally, up to 57 million people could get the flu this winter. As many as 25 million could seek medical care, 800,000 could be hospitalized and 81,000 could lose their lives.
In current anti-fraud climate, no room for error for home health, hospice agencies
After operating hospice, home health and other companies for over a decade in Arizona, Peter prided himself on his sound reputation in the community and employees’ loyalty. He never dreamed that a technical error on a routine hospice renewal application would lead to a revocation of his hospice’s Medicare enrollment and billing privileges and leave him fighting for his livelihood.
Mental health stigma may deter treatment seeking in Japan
A UC Riverside-led study of mental health stigma in Japan has found a striking gap between the need for treatment and people's willingness to seek it, with high levels of social distancing toward people with mental illness serving as a potential barrier.
Arkansas campaign ad sparks conservative backlash for portraying lazy welfare recipient as white
A new video from Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was standard issue Republican messaging for promoting her state’s stricter rules for people on Medicaid
Nature recognized as key component of lifestyle medicine and health
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) today welcomed a resolution adopted by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) that recognizes nature's role in supporting human health and calls for greater collaboration among the conservation, healthcare and research communities.
Global experts call for coordinated action on digital health risks
The way digital technologies are currently built and governed creates real risks to health worldwide, alongside genuine benefits, according to a new three paper Series authored by 13 global experts, published in The Lancet.
Long-term "Food Is Medicine" program improves cardiometabolic health in adults
Providing people with nutritious foods can improve the management of chronic metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
Authorities ID body of man found behind Fairview business
Authorities identified the man found dead behind a Fairview, Oregon business as 49-year-old Kerry Cottrell. Investigators suspect a medical condition, with the medical examiner to confirm cause and manner of death.
The rocky road to more manageable healthcare costs in NC
NC residents are worried about big medical bills. A state commission is working on ideas to help lower healthcare costs.
Angie Nixon brings a pep rally-style campaign stop to USF Tampa
Nixon fired up the crowd with an energetic case for more government involvement in medical care, college tuition and affordable housing.
Dysfunction rocks county health dept. at center of Michigan MAHA movement
Nurses allege a toxic workplace has taken root at the St. Clair County Health Department. But officials are shrugging off calls for an independent investigation of its anti-vaccine medical director.
Trinity Health improves to 1.1% operating margin in FY2026
Trinity Health grew its operating income from a narrow loss to a $281.1 million gain (1.1% operating margin) in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2026, a performance improvement the large nonprofit at | The 91-hospital system credited volume gains and greater rates for its 5.2% operating revenue growth and expense management, including a reduction in full-time equivalents and checked cost growth "well below the medical rate of inflation."
El-Sayed explains what he means by getting the money out of politics
Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed details his Medicare for All plan while advocating for politicians to not take money from big corporations on ‘The Story.
Doctors, Insurers Sue Newsom over Health Insurance Premium Increases
In June, lawmakers passed a healthcare tax that could increase premiums in order to combat federal Medicaid cuts.
Blue Turf Thinkers: Biomedical Research Institute investigates harmful diseases
At each Boise State home football game, the “Blue Turf Thinkers” series honors outstanding groups...
American Heart Association Lobbies on Health, Tobacco, Nutrition
The AHA's lobbying disclosure outlines priorities on health care, tobacco, Medicare and Medicaid, agriculture and government issues. Read more.
Mundelein resident chosen as finalist in Advocate Health Has Talent competition
Mundelein resident Gerardo Ocampo was driving his wife and child home from the airport when he received a call from his supervisor at Advocate Condell Medical Center.
Doctors Should Keep an Eye on Your Mix of Medication. If They Don’t, You Should.
By Paula Span | KFF Health News Medications can snowball as we age. Pill organizers pile up. Prescriptions that are no longer necessary can mix with other drugs to create concerning side effects. “Once you get to six or seven prescription medications, you get a nearly 100% chance of some sort of ...
Updated AAP guidance warns raw dairy poses severe health risks
Unpasteurized milk, cheese and other "raw" dairy products are unsafe to drink or eat, especially for young children and those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, according to updated guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
WindRose Health Network Discloses Data Breach Affecting 33K Individuals
Data breaches have been announced by WindRose Health Network and Advantage Home Health Care in Indiana, Camden-on-Gauley Medical Center in West Virginia, WindRose Health Network in Indiana has reported a data breach affecting more than 33,000 individuals. Data breaches have also been reported by Advantage Home Health Care in Indiana, Camden-on-Gauley Medical Center in West Virginia, and Lakes Region Visiting Nursing Association in New Hampshire.
Biomedical Sciences Graduate Health Professions Exploration Fair, Oct. 6
Meet with admission representatives from over 30 graduate health programs to learn more about career opportunities, education requirements, the admission process and more.
Biomedical Sciences Graduate Health Professions Exploration Fair, Oct. 6
Meet with admission representatives from over 30 graduate health programs to learn more about career opportunities, education requirements, the admission process and more.
ER visits from foreign-born patients fell drastically during ICE raids, study finds
Those who did visit were more likely than U.S.-born patients to require hospitalization.
Soldiers wounded in Iranian drone strike say military medical system failed them
The attack on the second day of the U.S. war with Iran killed six troops and injured dozens
Davids Fights Washington Healthcare Cuts with Plan to Lower Costs, Protect Kansas Hospitals
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Sharice Davids (KS-03) introduced a comprehensive package of healthcare legislation that directly counters Washington’s recent healthcare rollbacks, which are increasing monthly costs and closing rural hospitals. Davids’ efforts would protect Kansas families from rising medical costs, block new federal red tape, and keep local hospitals and health clinics open.
More than a prescription: Removing barriers so patients can get back to living
See how integrated specialty pharmacy support helped one patient overcome treatment barriers and get back to the moments that matter most.
Top Athletes: J|medical Brings Excellence in Sports Medicine to Allianz Stadium
On 2 and 3 October, Allianz Stadium hosted the second edition of “Top Athletes: Where Excellence Meets Evidence”, the International Congress promoted by J|medical, which brought together in Turi...
2026 Outstanding Women in Business
The 18th annual Outstanding Women in Business awards recognize a dozen well-accomplished professionals from across the region and in many industries who go above and beyond. The committee selected the winners from more than 80 nominations, all of whom were worthy. The criteria evaluated each nominee’s professional achievements, community impact, ability to break the glass ceiling and mentorship of other professionals, particularly women. In addition to profiling these women in the following pages, the Worcester Business Journal will celebrate this year’s Outstanding Women in Business at a special luncheon on Oct. 28 at the College of the Holy Cross. To join the celebration of these exceptional women, visit WBJournal.com and register. – Mark Conti, editor This Year’s Judges Worcester Business Journal considered 54 Central Massachusetts professionals for the 2026 Outstanding Women in Business awards, based on 83 nominations. These nominees were independently evaluated by two volunteer judges, who scored each on their professional achievements, community contribution and mentorship of young professionals. Samantha P. McDonald is a partner at Bowditch. She is an experienced, client-focused real estate lawyer, concentrating on business and real estate property law. She has been recognized as a WBJ Power 100 in the Class of 2026 and a “Top Women of Law” in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Dr. Kavita Babu is chief medical officer and vice president of medical affairs at Heywood Healthcare, where she provides strategic and clinical leadership to advance high-quality, patient-centered care across the organization. She is also a member of the WBJ Outstanding Women in Business Class of 2025.
Some mental health providers hoping to serve Lane County's Oregon Health Plan members say they’re facing barriers
Aspire is one of a few healthcare providers in Lane County that told KLCC they want to – but haven’t been able to – get a contract with Lane County's Medicaid insurer Trillium. That’s left Aspire without access to its target population, and other providers considering scaling back their services.
HOMETOWN HEALTH: Are you protected against measles? fifth U.S. death reported
One of the largest national medical organizations in the United States has a message it wants people to hear.
GE HealthCare to buy Sofie Biosciences for $945 million to strengthen radiopharma business
Medical device maker GE HealthCare said on Monday it would buy privately held Sofie Biosciences for $945 million in cash, in a move that strengthens its ability to manufacture and distribute PET imaging drugs.
Watch live: RFK Jr., Trump officials unveil health care price transparency push
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz will announce new efforts Monday aimed at strengthening health c…
Why your health insurance problem might not be over when you turn 65
Couples with an age gap have an extra consideration: How to continue coverage for the younger spouse who’s not yet eligible for Medicare.
Health Brief: Exclusive | Inside the new health price transparency rules
Plus: Trump’s checks to Medicare enrollees could complicate year-end health care negotiations,
Tracking health misinformation helps pediatricians provide targeted patient education
Pediatric clinicians can learn useful information by tracking the health misinformation that their patients encounter, according to research presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics 2026 National Conference & Exhibition Oct. 2-6, 2026, at the San Diego Convention Center.
Datavant, ID.me partner on digital identity verification for medical records
Datavant is partnering with identity verification company ID.me to help patients request their medical records faster and more easily via simple digital credentials. | Datavant has teamed up with ID.me to streamline medical records requests, enabling patients to verify their identities digitally and access records faster.
Is it legal? Trump promises Medicare and ACA checks without Congress ahead of midterm elections
President Trump is promising $90 payments to more than 20 million Medicare seniors and $500 refunds to nearly 1 million ACA enrollees, bypassing Congress and raising legal questions from Democrats.
Cambridge and London Life Sciences Showcase returns during JPM Healthcare Week 2027
o2h co-discovery has announced that the Cambridge × London Life Sciences Showcase will return for its second edition during J.P. Morgan Healthcare Week 2027 in San Francisco.
Delta Health Center Receives Funding
Delta Health Center, Inc. has received four awards totaling $4,660,331.59 through the Mississippi Rural Health Transformation Program, a state initiative funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Governor Tate Reeves announced the four RHTP awards on September 14, as part of 167 awards totaling more than $104 million statewide. The awards announced will […]
Delta Health Center Receives Funding
Delta Health Center, Inc. has received four awards totaling $4,660,331.59 through the Mississippi Rural Health Transformation Program, a state initiative funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Governor Tate Reeves announced the four RHTP awards on September 14, as part of 167 awards totaling more than $104 million statewide. The awards announced will […]
UConn Scientists’ Startup Seeks to Advance Women’s Reproductive Healthcare
'Historically, women’s health has received insufficient attention in medical research and testing'
The science behind targeted oral peptides
A new type of medication is tackling a problem that has long frustrated drug developers: how to deliver peptide therapies orally and hit their target more precisely.
Physician Assistant Brandon Guth Earns Reid Health’s Advanced Practice Provider of the Year Award
Brandon Guth, PA-C, a physician assistant with Reid Medical Associates, is the second recipient of Reid Health’s Advanced Practice Provider (APP) of the Year Award for his commitment to clinical …
Providence Opens New Rural Health Clinic in Polson
Just over a year after breaking ground on a rural health clinic in Polson, community members, donors and hospital staff gathered Sept. 30 in front of the new building just behind Providence St. Joseph Medical Center. “Over the years we’ve heard about this need over and over again,” Chief Executive for Providence Montana Krissy Petersen […]
Medicare-for-all is back. Now comes the hard part.
Democrats are reviving an old idea. Now they have to define it and pay for it.
Yale School of Medicine On the Science of Childhood Anxiety, Say, Anxiety Disorders Are the Most Common Mental Health Challenges In Youth
Credit: Matt Bradbury October 5, 2026 - By Isabella Backman - Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health challenges in youth. Left untreated, they can disrupt the lives of both children and their families. The good news is that with intervention, most children will overcome these conditions. Across Yale School of Medicine, scientists are working to understand anxiety at every level, from common anxious behaviors to molecular biomarkers in the brain. They are using their findings to develop and disseminate new evidence-based treatments for childhood anxiety. Today, the go-to treatment for childhood anxiety disorders is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This is a form of psychotherapy that teaches children skills for confronting anxious thoughts and helps them practice managing situations that cause anxiety. While it is the gold-standard treatment backed by considerable scientific evidence, up to 50% of children will not see sufficient benefit from CBT alone. Wendy Silverman, PhD, Alfred A. Messer Professor in the Child Study Center, co-directs the Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program alongside Eli Lebowitz, PhD, associate professor in the Child Study Center. One of their main interests is learning how to improve outcomes beyond CBT. “We’re developing cutting-edge, research-based knowledge that can reduce the suffering that anxiety causes children and their families,” says Silverman. Changing parent behavior YSM experts are investigating how to improve CBT outcomes for children by involving the parents. Silverman’s research has uncovered two main components of parent intervention that improve childhood anxiety: not enabling children to completely avoid the things that make them anxious and taking steps to enhance their autonomy. Parents may unintentionally reinforce their child’s anxiety by allowing them to avoid what makes them anxious. They also may unintentionally limit the children’s sense of autonomy by being overly intrusive. “One of the things that we take pride in is that we’ve focused on trying to understand what parents need to do, and to test our ideas and see if changing the parents’ behaviors is enhancing the effects of CBT,” Silverman says. “Our findings thus far suggest that they do." As much as CBT can be helpful, it can also be challenging to get one’s child to do the necessary steps for CBT to work. This is one important reason why Lebowitz created a novel intervention program for parents named Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE). Existing intervention programs often teach parents to act as therapists for their child, such as training them on how to practice breathing exercises. “It makes sense, but this doesn’t work very well in practice,” says Lebowitz. “And part of the reason, I think, is that it’s not easy to get your kid to do things, especially if they’re not excited about doing it.” SPACE is unique because it focuses entirely on parent involvement and changing parental behavior—children are not involved in the sessions. For example, parents learn how to use supportive messages that convey confidence that their child can tolerate and manage distress. “It might sound like a parent saying to a child, ‘I get that this is really hard for you, but I know that you can handle it,’” Lebowitz says. The program also works with parents to identify the ways in which they are accommodating anxious behaviors. “We’ll pick one thing that parents are doing that is an accommodation and help them make a detailed plan for how they’re going to change that,” Lebowitz explains. Treating Anxiety in Children and Adolescents Much of the existing research on SPACE has focused on parents of children under age 14. Ongoing studies are now exploring its use with parents of older teens. “Both anxiety and accommodation can interfere with normative developmental shifts during the teen years, including increased autonomy and individuation from parents,” says Rebecca Etkin, PhD, associate research scientist in the Child Study Center. “In this sense, SPACE may be particularly well-suited for anxious teens and their parents. We want to see whether it is effective during this distinct developmental window.” Unfortunately, many families in need of CBT face barriers, including limited availability of services and geographic constraints. One way to improve access is digital interventions. Silverman and her team are developing an evidence-based digitized intervention program for parents that they can access directly from their computer or smart phone. “The work we’re doing will be one of the very few parent interventions that is digitized and importantly tested for effectiveness,” she says. Creating interventions for anxiety-related challenges Silverman and Lebowitz recently received a generous gift to develop and test other interventions that help parents reduce other child anxiety-related behavioral and emotional difficulties, such as restrictive eating and unexplained somatic symptoms. One of these projects in particular focuses on understanding the risks of social media and its potential benefits, including offering a sense of connection. “A lot of research has focused on the idea that social media is harmful and the less of it the better,” says Lebowitz. “But we actually see is that this is not quite right—there are negatives, but there are also positives. So, we’re trying to get a little bit more nuanced of a picture.” The team is working with teens with social anxiety and their parents over an extended period to better understand their social media habits and how their anxiety levels affect engagement with different platforms. The teens will answer questions sent to an app on their phones about mood and social media usage in an effort to capture emotional responses as they unfold. “We hope to develop interventions that can help make the best of social media while protecting against the more problematic effects,” Lebowitz says. The brain’s role in anxiety Researchers are also testing therapies to address anxiety at the neurological and molecular levels. In collaboration with Dylan Gee, PhD, professor of psychology in Yale's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and Hilary Blumberg, MD, John and Hope Furth Professor of Psychiatric Neuroscience at Yale School of Medicine, Lebowitz and Silverman are using brain imaging to identify changes in a child’s brain before and after parents enroll in SPACE. In one study, children viewed anxiety-inducing images while undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); the researchers conducted scans with and without the children’s parents nearby. Before SPACE, children’s brains were better able to activate the regulatory circuitry needed to turn off an anxious response when their parents were nearby. But after SPACE, children could activate this circuitry even without the parent around. “As parents work on gradually reducing some of their accommodations, you can see a child get better at regulating their own fear system in the brain,” Lebowitz says. “It’s remarkable.” Research into the molecular underpinnings of anxiety can also inform new childhood anxiety treatments. In a recent study, Lebowitz, Silverman, and Flora Vaccarino, MD, Harris Professor in the Child Study Center, discovered that a protein known as fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) could be protective from the toxic effects of stress. FGF2 levels in children and their parents were linked to the children’s risk of developing anxiety and depression, the study showed. The findings could help explain why some children who are exposed to early life trauma such as poverty or abuse are more prone to developing mental health disorders. And FGF2 could be a target for treatment. “This is very novel because it starts to give a clue to what is the molecular chain that connects those lived experiences to the actual psychological outcomes,” Lebowitz says. New ways to study and treat childhood anxiety Michael Crowley, PhD, associate professor in the Child Study Center, collaborates with Silverman and Lebowitz to study the role that attention plays in development and maintenance of childhood anxiety. There is a large body of research that shows that anxious children, like anxious adults, are prone to focus on threatening stimuli such as angry faces compared with neutral faces. This has led to innovative interventions that involve attention retraining. The idea is that if experts train children to look away from threatening stimuli, it may reduce their anxiety—especially children with social anxiety who are most prone to attend to threats. The researchers have just completed a clinical trial for attention retraining with 10- to 14-year-olds with social anxiety disorders and are currently analyzing the findings. Besides this innovative attention retraining research, as Crowly notes, “I like to design tasks that are engaging to kids,” Crowley says. “My goal is to assess something without the kids knowing what we are assessing.” With this goal in mind, Crowley has created a virtual game, named Boom, to study threat processing in children with anxiety disorders. The game is similar to that of hot potato—the child and three digital players take turns virtually passing a ball to each other’s gloves. At some point, the ball turns into a bomb, and as the bomb lands in each player’s glove, the outline of the glove turns yellow. The goal is to avoid having the bomb go off in your glove. What isn’t obvious is that the game is designed to measure different types of threatening stimuli, both ambiguous and direct. In the game, the direct threat occurs as the bomb is traveling towards your glove. The ambiguous threat is the yellow outlined glove as it is unknown where the bomb will travel next. While children play the game, Crowley’s team measures their brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG). The researchers have discovered that in kids with anxiety, the brain reacts more strongly to ambiguous threats than it does in their peers, but less strongly to direct threats. They believe that the initial abnormally large brain response to not knowing where the bomb is going impairs the brain's ability to properly respond when the threat is actually traveling the child’s way. “The brains of children with anxiety are unable to differentiate between threats you need to do something about and those that are not your problem.” Michael Crowley, PhD, develops innovative games for studying anxiety in children and adolescents.Credit: Matt Bradbury Based on these insights, Crowley hopes to study whether interventions like attention training could restore appropriate threat processing. Crowley’s team is also working on a test called the Balloon Risk Avoidance Task, which evaluates risk-taking and avoidance behaviors. It features a digital balloon that is full of air and about to burst. Kids have six seconds to let air out of the balloon. The more air they let out, the less risk they face that the balloon will pop. But at the same time, the balloon becomes less valuable as it deflates. “The more air you keep in the balloon, the more points you get,” Crowley explains. So far, the researchers have found that when the balloons pop unexpectedly, teens with social anxiety show distinct brain responses. Studying these responses can help psychologists understand the underlying pathways driving the various manifestations of anxiety. The genetics of anxiety When Thomas Fernandez, MD, associate professor in the Child Study Center and of psychiatry, was still in training, there was a lot of excitement about understanding the genetics associated with autism spectrum disorder. Since then, scientists have identified around 250 genes associated with autism. The genetic contribution to anxiety disorders, on the other hand, has historically received less attention. Anxiety is less heritable than autism, but the genetic contribution for anxiety disorders that emerge in childhood may be higher than for anxiety disorders overall. While scientists estimate the heritability of anxiety disorders in general to be around 30% to 50%, some studies suggest higher heritability for certain childhood-onset anxiety presentations. “I saw firsthand how researchers in the field went about finding vulnerability genes for autism,” Fernandez says. “So, we’re using a very similar playbook for childhood anxiety.” “I saw firsthand how researchers in the field went about finding vulnerability genes for autism. So, we’re using a very similar playbook for childhood anxiety.” Thomas Fernandez, MD Associate Professor In the Child Study Center and in Psychiatry Now, Fernandez and Emily Olfson, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Child Study Center, are studying children and their parents to identify genetic changes that are present in the child but not the parents, known as “de novo mutations.” “All of us have some de novo mutations—maybe about 50 to 100 sprinkled throughout the genome,” Olfson says. “But when they occur within the coding regions of genes, they can be really disruptive.” Previous research shows that people with autism have higher rates of damaging de novo mutations than the general population. In 2022, Olfson, Lebowitz, Silverman, and Fernandez published a study on 68 children and their families that found that children with anxiety had similarly high levels of these mutations. Studying de novo mutations can help point the researchers to where they should be looking for genes associated with anxiety. “The end game is using the genes to steer us toward the right part of biology that we can then target to come up with better treatments,” Fernandez says. Building on those findings, the team is now studying more families to better understand how these de novo mutations, along with other genetic and environmental factors, shape pediatric anxiety disorders. They recently received a National Institutes of Health grant to enroll 750 new families over the next five years. Olfson is the principal investigator, with co-investigators Lebowitz, Fernandez, Silverman, and Shuangge Steven Ma, PhD, department chair and professor of biostatistics at Yale School of Public Health. Neurodevelopment, Risk Genes, and Mental Health Conditions - The Olfson Lab Joel Gelernter, MD, Foundations Fund Professor of Psychiatry, is interested in how different anxiety disorders differ genomically. “We are studying social phobia, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, working to understand why people differ in their risk to these specific anxiety disorders and evaluating various risk factors,” he says. Gelernter was recently involved in one of the largest studies to date of the genomics underlying anxiety disorder. The study included around 122,000 people with anxiety disorders and around 730,000 without. It found that some genetic differences associated with anxiety were linked to signaling that helps reduce overactivity in the nervous system. Many anxiety medications available today work by targeting this process. “It’s nice when the biology that you get out of a large genome-wide study ratifies things that we already know because that can help increase confidence in further findings from the study,” Gelernter says. Uncovering the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders John Krystal, MD, Robert L. McNeil, Jr. Professor of Translational Research and chair of the Department of Psychiatry, is interested in the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), of which anxiety is a major symptom. In the late 1980s, Krystal’s team discovered that the drug yohimbine activated symptoms in patients with PTSD. “This was the first time we could link a specific biological mechanism to the symptoms of PTSD,” Krystal says. At the time, he adds, this finding was highly controversial. “A lot of people felt that PTSD was a purely psychological syndrome that didn’t have an underlying biology.” Since then, Krystal has dived deep into understanding the neurobiology of PTSD to learn how to better treat it. His team is evaluating the use of ketamine and psychedelics. These would be among the first treatments to be developed specifically for PTSD. They may also be applicable for other disorders including anxiety disorders, Krystal adds. An important gap in PTSD treatment is the absence of biological tests that inform how to best help patients manage their PTSD symptoms. A doctor doesn’t diagnose cancer based on how they feel. Rather, they use tests of the biology of the cancer to determine the best course of treatment. “And we can’t do that in any psychiatric disorder other than Alzheimer’s disease,” Krystal says. “But now we are building a foundation for this approach to the treatment of anxiety disorders for the first time.” Source: Yale School of Medicine
Minnesota health insurance premiums set to soar 17% next year
Minnesota health insurance rates will rise 17% in 2027 as hospital consolidation drives up medical costs.
Averly Health launches in UK to advance cardiometabolic care
Averly aims to improve patient care and access tenets surrounding cardiometabolic conditions, including obesity and type 2 diabetes.
The challenge of measuring clinical value in mental health
Clients need assurances that high-cost medications flooding the system are aligned with the clinical support needed to improve mental health.
Doctors Should Keep an Eye on Your Mix of Medication. If They Don’t, You Should.
There’s a term for reducing unnecessary or harmful drugs: “deprescribing.” Especially as patients age, experts say, it’s important to regularly review the medications they’re taking.
MO nonprofit launches campaign focused on abortion options before vote
A new campaign helps Missourians navigate abortion access and medication options ahead of the November vote on Amendment 3.
TempraMed Announces VIVI Cap Smart Connectivity with Apple Health and Google Fit, Providing Better Health Outcomes and Data Tracking
VIVI Cap Smart transforms injectable medication protection into a connected health-data layer, enabling patients, caregivers and digital-health platforms to capture medication-use, temperature and adherence signals.Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2026) - TempraMed Technologies Ltd. (CSE: VIVI) (OTCQB: TMPTF) (FSE: 9DY) ("TempraMed" or the "Company"), a medical technology company transforming the storage, protection and management of temperature-sensitive medications, is pleased to
Key to Medicare home health reform is determining program's objective: report
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Fairfax Behavioral Health opens Lynnwood outpatient clinic
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Doctors, insurers sue Newsom over health insurance premium increases
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How Americans’ Financial Health Is Faring In The “K-Shaped” Economy
Hey all, Jason here. Money20/20 is still two weeks away, but I’ve already started packing (not procrastinating for once!). My calendar is already filling up with various sessions I want to catch, meetings, and of course happy hours, dinners, and other side events. If you’ll be in Vegas and want to catch up, let me know by replying to this email, and we can try to find a time amidst the chaos of the Venetian. A big if not totally unexpected piece of news dropped on Friday: the Independent Community Bankers of America, a trade group that represents smaller U.S. banks, filed a lawsuit against the OCC and Comptroller Jonathan Gould, arguing that the regulator’s move to grant trust bank charters to firms seeking to use them to conduct substantial non-fiduciary activities exceeds the authorities granted to the OCC by Congress. I haven’t had time to fully digest the legal filing or speak to folks in my network about it, but you can expect to see coverage and analysis on it in next week’s newsletter. Subscribe or Support by Upgrading The NerdCon agenda just dropped. It’s stacked. Partner content: Nubank built an AI-first bank. Chime built its own banking core. Figure and Valon are rebuilding the mortgage stack. At NerdCon, you’ll hear from the people behind those bets: what they chose, what they learned, and what they’re still figuring out. The agenda is live, with leaders from Nubank, Chime, OpenAI, Remitly, Mercury, Figure, Valon and more. Follow the mainstage conversations, bring the problem your team is wrestling with to a hands-on workshop, or pull up a chair at a roundtable. Pick your quests. Meet us in San Diego, November 18–20. Fintech Business Weekly readers save 20% with code FBW20. Explore the Agenda Things To Know & Other Good Reads Federal Reserve Board finalizes changes to enhance the transparency and public accountability of its stress test and reduce volatility in its stress test-related capital requirements (Federal Reserve Board of Governors) FDIC Announces Conclusion of Independent Monitorship (FDIC) Modernizing Financial Regulation: Initial Observations from eSLR (Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman) The Data Version of Godzilla versus Kong: FRED Takes on AI (Fed Governor Christopher Waller) Financing the AI buildout (Brookings) Q3’26: Rules for Banks but Not for Crypto (Fintech Takes Banking) The Inevitability of Local Stablecoins (Lombard Notes) Delusions of AI Governance: The Human-in-the-Loop Comfort Blanket (Fintech Snark Tank) Stripe agrees to acquire Parafin to expand revenue opportunities for platforms and help small businesses grow (Stripe) Listen: Fighting Fraud in the Age of AI, with SEON’s Tamas Kadar (Fintech Business Weekly) How Americans’ Financial Health Is Faring In The “K-Shaped” Economy If there is one overarching theme across the economy and politics in the U.S. at the moment, it’s “affordability.” The term is vague enough to encompass a panoply of factors shaping Americans’ day-to-day lives: rising costs for the hallmarks of being “middle class,” including healthcare, housing, childcare, and education, inflation and rising interest rates, and a job market with the specter of AI hovering over it. At the same time, policy shifts under the Trump administration have resulted in reduced subsidies to those who get health insurance under the Affordable Care Act and new restrictions on qualifying for Medicaid and SNAP, the impacts of which have yet to be fully felt. These factors are contributing to declining consumer confidence and general dissatisfaction with the economy, despite continuing GDP growth and stock market records. This divergence is encapsulated in the idea of the “K-shaped” economy, in which a small proportion of Americans have seen their wealth balloon, while the majority of American households struggle to preserve the lifestyle they have. Perhaps the greatest determinant of which branch of the “K” a household is on is whether their wealth and income are primarily derived from employment vs. from assets. Nearly two decades of low interest rates and, more recently, elevated rates of inflation have benefited asset owners, while those whose income is primarily or solely derived from labor have largely seen real purchasing power stagnate or decline. This is reflected in recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing that labor share of U.S. GDP — the fraction of economic output that accrues to workers as compensation in exchange for their labor — dropped to just 52.8% in Q2 2026, the lowest since the BLS began keeping records. In 1947, approximately 2/3rds of economic output accrued to workers; even as recently as 2001, labor’s share of GDP was 64.1%. Against this backdrop, we’ve seen the rise of more credit and credit-like products: cash advance apps, “no-fee” overdraft, earned wage access, and buy now pay later, which are often used as small-dollar short-term borrowing mechanisms to meet immediate consumption needs or pay other bills (eg utilities, cell phone, other debt payments). With the markers of a middle class existence and, increasingly, basic financial stability seemingly out of reach for many, it should be no surprise there’s been an increase in “financial nihilism,” something industry peers like Alex Johnson and Frank Rotman have discussed and analyzed the roots of. The explosion of gambling and gambling-adjacent products and services — often marketed under the guise of being an “investment” — is inextricably intertwined with the rise of financial nihilism. Crypto, sports betting, and, more recently, prediction markets offer an escape or even hope of sorts, like a contemporary, digital version of a scratch-off lottery ticket, while leaving the overwhelming number of people who use such products worse off. Share of Households That Are Financially “Vulnerable” Ticks Up The Financial Health Network’s 2026 Financial Health Pulse® report adds context on how American households are faring. (I linked to this report in last week’s newsletter, but wanted to take time to further unpack the data in the report this week.) The Financial Health Network publishes the report annually, providing insight into how Americans’ financial circumstances are changing over time. The 2026 report is derived from a survey fielded in April and May 2026. The report leverages survey responses to assess indicators of financial health across spending, saving, borrowing, and planning/protecting and to determine a zero to 100 “FinHealth” score. Those with scores between 0 and 39 are considered “Financially Vulnerable,” consumers with scores ranging between 40 and 79 are defined as “Financially Coping,” and those with scores of 80 to 100 are “Financially Healthy.” The report found that moderate improvements in 2025 were reversed, with the share of respondents considered financially “vulnerable” rebounding to 17%. The longitudinal data reflect the impact of pandemic-era programs, like expanded unemployment, cash stimulus payments, and pauses of federal student loan payments. The positive impacts of those programs, as reflected in the Financial Health Pulse reports, had largely disappeared by 2023. While pandemic-era inflation — to be fair, in part caused by the various support and stimulus measures — had come down from as high as 9% in 2022, it has rebounded since the start of Trump’s second term, with tariffs and energy market disruptions owing to the war in Iran pushing prices back up. Specific indicators in the survey that deteriorated from 2025 to 2026 include the share of respondents spending less than their income over the past 12 months, the share paying all bills on time over the past 12 months, the share that have a manageable amount or no debt, the share that are “moderately” or “very” confident their insurance is adequate to cover them in an emergency, and the share that “somewhat” or “strongly” agree that their household plans ahead financially. Unsurprisingly, lower- and moderate-income households are more likely to struggle to pay their bills on time and have any funds leftover to save. The share of low-income households whose income exceeded their spending dropped from 35% in 2025 to 31% in 2026, while the share of upper-income households whose income exceeded expenses remained unchanged at 63%. Households with student loans or revolving credit card debt reported having “a bit more” or “far more” debt than was manageable at rates far higher than those not carrying these types of debts. The share of those with student loan debt indicating their debt load was too high to manage increased from 50% in 2025 to 55% in 2026, while the share of those with revolving credit card debt saying the same ticked up from 51% in 2025 to 54% in 2026. Households that had student loans were markedly more likely to be financially “coping” or “vulnerable” vs. those without student loans. In 2026, 27% of households with student loans were considered financially vulnerable, a jump of 6% points vs. 2025. Households without student loans saw just a 1% point increase (not statistically significant) in those considered financially vulnerable. Households’ perception of the affordability of categories of goods and services paints a stark picture, with less than one-fourth considering higher education affordable, about a third deeming childcare affordable, and less than half viewing healthcare as affordable. Fintech Business Weekly is made possible by the generous support of paying subscribers — bringing you independent analysis of banking, fintech, and crypto without fear or favor. You can support my work by becoming a paying subscriber if you aren’t already. Paying subscribers enjoy: access to the entire archive of nearly six years of newsletters extended versions of the weekly newsletter, with additional content and analysis and (for founding member tier) quarterly personal 1:1 fintech Q&A / strategy calls with me, tapping into my unparalleled knowledge of the intersection of banking and fintech and experience working in the sector, including helping to launch Goldman Sachs’ retail bank Marcus Support Fintech Business Weekly You can also support Fintech Business Weekly by sponsoring a newsletter or podcast, putting you in front of 93,000+ of the most influential decision makers in banking, fintech, and crypto. Learn more about sponsor opportunities or request a media kit by dropping me an email. Democratic Senate Report Highlights How Iran Uses Tether to Evade U.S. Sanctions Iran uses stablecoins, specifically Tether, to evade sanctions, fund regional proxies, and to purchase military drones, a report released last week by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations says. The report was authored by committee ranking member Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and the minority staff. Crypto and stablecoin proponents will often push back on criticism that criminals make use of these assets by arguing that, on an absolute dollar basis, far more illicit funds flow through traditional banking systems and payment rails than via crypto and stablecoins. And while that is likely true, it elides the reality presented in news story after news story: whether state actors — Russia, Iran, North Korea — or criminal groups, those looking to engage in illicit transactions increasingly favor stablecoins and, specifically, Tether (USDT). The report from the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released last week adds context to how Iran uses Tether has a lynchpin in its shadow banking system. The report analyzed 846 wallets that have been sanctioned or targeted for seizure, finding that 84% of them transacted exclusively or primarily in Tether. The ability to create near limitless, anonymous wallets and to move funds effectively instantaneously and irreversibly have made crypto a favored financial mechanism for bad actors. Stablecoins solved key drawbacks of bitcoin, namely, the original cryptocurrency’s highly volatile value in dollars. And while Tether (the company) has the technical ability to “freeze” or destroy funds, the company is often limited and reactive in its approach to doing so, the Senate report argues. Tether, which is nominally based in crypto-friendly El Salvador, “has stated that its compliance with OFAC sanctions is ‘voluntary’ and that it follows ‘OFAC guidelines,’” the Senate report says. Owing to these favorable attributes, Tether “became a primary cryptocurrency for Iran, Hamas, Hizballah, and the Houthis beginning in 2023 and has expanded in scale since,” according to the report. Tether’s role in Iran’s shadow banking system, the report says, is enhanced by crypto exchanges like Bybit, Kyrrex, OKX, Gate, and Binance, and through “over the counter” exchanges and hawala networks. The consequences of these financial flows aren’t hypothetical. The Senate report links Tether as a funds transfer mechanism to Iranian proxies in the region, including Hizballah, the Houthis, and Hamas. Tether has also been used to make payments to secure components necessary to manufacture drones, the report says. The report concludes by arguing that “[s]tablecoin issuers with a significant nexus to the United States, particularly those that offer dollar-denominated stablecoins, should be subject to American sanctions law rather than being allowed to hide behind foreign jurisdictions.” Stablecoin issuers like Tether must be held accountable for repeated failures to prevent illicit finance and sanctions violations by law enforcement, the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and OFAC, the report argues. [Paying Subscriber Exclusive] OUSD Goes Live, Make Your Own Neobank, U.S. Sanctions Russia’s A7 Network As “Transnational Criminal Organization” OpenUSD, the stablecoin issued by the Open Standard consortium that includes Stripe, Visa, Mastercard, core providers, crypto firms, and numerous banks, went live last week. Social commerce platform Whop raised eyebrows in fintech by offering creators on its platform the ability to launch their own neobanks, which the company describes as “great businesses that are easy to run,” in just 15 minutes. And OFAC and FinCEN target Russia’s “shadow banking” A7 Network — more on these stories after the paywall.
Florida's dengue outbreak is now the largest in the continental US in decades
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Insurance Reform Is the Bipartisan Opportunity Washington Should Seize
Both parties in Congress are advancing legislation that would improve health-care transparency.
Michigan got $173M to transform rural health. Where is it going?
Rural hospital leaders in Michigan say the federal program is unable to augment day-to-day operations to support frontline medical care, and is instead flowing to programs on the periphery of where the system is experiencing the most strain.
Michigan got $173M to transform rural health. Where is it going?
Rural hospital leaders in Michigan say the federal program is unable to augment day-to-day operations to support frontline medical care, and is instead flowing to programs on the periphery of where the system is experiencing the most strain.
Menopause is a major health milestone, yet health records barely track it, new research finds
The findings reveal a major gap in how clinicians capture basic information about women's health.
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The 4 biggest red flags to look for in your family medical history
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Ray J suffers cardiac health scare, hospitalized for second time
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