Public Health

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is adding 13 programs to a list of public benefits restricted to people under certain immigration statuses. Officials say this will reduce the burden on taxpayers.

The number of cases tied to the months-long measles outbreak in Texas has not increased in three weeks, and a spokesman for the Department of State Health Services said, "It appears the height of the measles outbreak is behind us."

While Oklahoma is looking to restrict candy and soft drinks from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the federal government is making changes of its own through President Donald Trump's Big Beautiful Bill Act. The state's waiver has not been approved yet, but federal changes would impact its rollout.

A new county has joined the outbreak list this week. The Department of State Health Services confirmed four outbreak-linked cases in Fannin County. Fannin is next door to Lamar County, where the state confirmed five new measles cases this week.

Oklahoma health care leaders estimate state hospitals will see $6.3 billion in Medicaid reimbursement cuts as funding reductions made to the program through President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" set in.

Republican U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas said he made changes to the Senate’s version of the Trump administration's reconciliation bill to soften the blow of Medicaid cuts on Kansas hospitals. But health care advocates say it won’t be enough.

Many towns in western Kansas lack gyms and fitness centers. Some small communities are building outdoor walking trails to encourage better health and attract new residents.

South Plains Community Action Association, Inc., or SPCAA, serves approximately 114 counties in Texas, with a focus on assisting in rural communities. It is one of many organizations whose programs are under threat in upcoming federal budget proposals.

Texas added seven new confirmed measles cases linked to the outbreak total this week.

On June 9, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, saying the board has lost public trust and this was the only way to restore it.