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June 11, 2026

Takeaways from the most recent news in the technology and policies shaping healthcare.

Government

What Has Changed in Ebola Response Since the Last Big Outbreak

By Healthcare Technology News ·

The tools available to fight Ebola look very different than they did during the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak that killed more than 11,000 people, STAT News reports in its Morning Rounds roundup. Back then, responders had no licensed vaccine and no approved drugs. Today public health agencies can deploy Merck's Ervebo vaccine and antibody treatments cleared for use, changing how quickly a flare-up can be contained.

That shift matters because speed and supply now drive outcomes as much as case detection. A faster vaccination ring strategy and proven therapeutics give responders options that did not exist a decade ago, even as logistics, funding, and local trust remain hard problems.

The same STAT briefing surfaces two other stories worth watching: a federal report on alcohol that was suppressed before release, and what STAT calls an "inevitable" development in how data from consumer wearables will be collected and used. Both point to growing tension over who controls health information and how government findings reach the public.

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More in Government

Government

Judge Strikes Down Trump's $100K H-1B Visa Fee

A federal judge struck down Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee as an unlawful tax, a win for hospitals that rely on foreign-trained physicians.

Why it matters: Hospitals depend on H-1B visas to recruit foreign-trained doctors, especially in rural and underserved areas, so the fee could have worsened staffing shortages.

Government

HHS Czar Blames Provider Taxes for Healthcare Costs

HHS affordability czar Casey Mulligan says distorted incentives like provider taxes, not coverage gaps, are the root of high US healthcare costs.

Why it matters: The framing signals federal scrutiny of Medicaid financing tools that hospitals and states depend on, with potential ripple effects for payers and employers.

Government

2014 Ebola Leader Warns U.S. Is Less Ready Now

A leader of the 2014 U.S. Ebola response says the country is far less prepared for outbreaks today after the dismantling of USAID.

Why it matters: Global outbreak response depends on experienced personnel and funding pipelines that the U.S. has largely dismantled, leaving the world more exposed when the next emergency hits.