The week in health tech, explained in plain English.Get the free newsletter →
September 25, 2026

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

Government

KFF Reporters Tackle FDA Sunscreen Lag, Rural Dialysis Closures

By Healthcare Technology News ·

KFF Health News reporters made the national media rounds last week to break down two stories that share a common thread: patients losing access to care and products that are routine elsewhere.

The first is the FDA's pace on sunscreen. According to KFF Health News, the United States still lacks many of the newer ultraviolet filters long available in Europe and Asia because federal regulators treat sunscreen ingredients as drugs requiring extensive safety review. The result is that American consumers have fewer modern options for sun protection even as skin cancer rates remain a public health concern.

The second is the closure of rural dialysis clinics in Nebraska. KFF Health News reported that shutdowns force kidney patients, who typically need treatment three times a week, to drive long distances or go without. For people with end-stage renal disease, missed sessions can be life-threatening.

Both stories underscore how policy decisions and market economics translate directly into narrower choices for patients.

Sources

More in Government

Government

AMA, AHA Push to Exempt Doctors From $103K H-1B Fee

The AMA and AHA are asking DHS to exempt clinicians from a proposed $103,265 H-1B visa fee they say would gut physician recruiting in underserved areas.

Why it matters: Hospitals depend on foreign-trained physicians to staff rural and underserved communities, and a six-figure visa fee could deepen existing shortages.

Government

DOJ Accuses UCSF Medical School of Racial Discrimination

The DOJ's Civil Rights Division accused UCSF's medical school of race-based discrimination in admissions from 2023 to 2025, the latest in a wave of federal findings against medical schools.

Why it matters: Federal scrutiny of medical school admissions could reshape how the next generation of physicians is selected and the diversity of the clinical workforce.

Government

Experts Shift Suicide Prevention Toward Limiting Gun Access

Mental health experts are pushing suicide prevention toward broadly limiting firearm access, arguing individual risk prediction is unreliable.

Why it matters: Firearms drive most US suicide deaths, so means restriction could save more lives than screening tools that struggle to predict who is at risk.