Read today’s Kaiser Health News
In other news:
2025 Milliman Medical Index: Healthcare costs for the average person increased 6.7%, from $7,378 in 2024 to $7,871 in 2025. Outpatient facility care and pharmacy are the primary drivers of this increase, with pharmacy costs rising 9.7% and outpatient facility care costs rising 8.5%. Together, these service categories contributed to 69% of the year-over-year cost increase for the average person.
About Covid-19
CDC tweaks — but does not remove — COVID-19 vaccine recommendation for kids: Rather than recommending routine COVID-19 vaccination for healthy children aged 6 months to 17 years, the CDC’s website now says that patients in this age group “may receive COVID-19 vaccination, informed by the clinical judgment of a health care provider and personal preference and circumstances.” A note at the top of the relevant page indicates that the update was made May 29.
About the public’s health
Dietary Sugar Intake and Incident Type 2 Diabetes [T2D] Risk: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies: These findings suggest that dietary sugar consumed as a beverage (SSB [non-diet sugar-sweetened beverages] and fruit juice) is associated with incident T2D risk. The results do not support the common assumption that dietary sugar (i.e., total sugar and sucrose), irrespective of type and amount, is consistently associated with increased T2D risk.
About healthcare IT
HHS names new national coordinator for health IT: Thomas Keane, MD, has been appointed assistant secretary for technology policy and the ninth national coordinator for health information technology at the Department of Health and Human Services.
This role, according to Politico, is responsible for drafting regulations for EHRs and helps shape the department’s data, technology and AI strategies.
Dr. Keane, according to HHS’ website, previously served within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and was a senior advisor to the deputy secretary of HHS.