Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Trump tax bill would increase number of uninsured by 11million, CBO says

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office on Wednesdayprojected that President Donald Trump's tax-cut bill, as passedby the U.S. House of Representatives, would increase the numberof uninsured by 10.9 million in ten years. Another 5.1million people would lose access to health insurance over thatperiod under current law, the CBO said.

Surge in new opioids and designer drugs threatens Europe, EUdrug agency warns

Massive shipments of previously unknown recreationaldesigner drugs and potent new opioids are threatening Europe,while traffic of cocaine and cannabis is worsening, according tothe European Union Drugs Agency's annual report published onThursday. Seizures of synthetic cathinones - stimulantschemically akin to the active ingredient in khat, a plant widelyconsumed in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula - reached 37metric tons in 2023, primarily imported from India. Seven newcathinones were identified last year, suggesting their growingprevalence.

Quarter of UK mental ill health benefit claimants expect tolose out from planned reforms, charity says

Around one in four British people with poor mentalhealth who claim welfare benefits expect to lose theirentitlement under proposed government reforms, according toresearch published by a charity on Thursday. Britain'sgovernment aims to save 4 billion pounds ($5.4 billion) a yearby 2029-30 through tightening the rules for claiming a benefitknown as personal independence payment (PIP) designed to coverdisability-related costs, whether a claimant is in work or not.

CDC official resigns from COVID vaccine committee advisoryrole, sources say

Pediatric infectious disease expert Dr. LakshmiPanagiotakopoulos resigned on Tuesday as co-leader of a U.S. CDCworking group that advises outside experts on COVID-19 vaccinesand is leaving the agency, two sources familiar with the movetold Reuters. Panagiotakopoulos said in an email to workgroup colleagues that her decision to step down was based on thebelief she is "no longer able to help the most vulnerablemembers" of the U.S. population.

Indonesian policyholders must pay part of medical insuranceclaims from 2026

Starting next year, Indonesian policyholders will haveto bear some of the cost of their hospital bills throughco-payment, according to a new regulation intended to curboverclaims and curb a rise in medical costs. Under the newrules, policyholders will have to pay at least 10% of theirtotal claim or a maximum of 300,000 rupiah ($18.39) foroutpatient care and 3 million rupiah ($183.94) for inpatientcare.

23andMe seeks new bids after $305 million offer from itsco-founder

Bankrupt genetic testing company 23andMe told a U.S.bankruptcy judge on Wednesday that it wants to re-open biddingon its assets, including customers' genetic data, afterreceiving a $305 million offer from its co-founder AnneWojcicki. 23andMe had previously selected a $256 million bidfrom Regeneron Pharmaceuticals as the lead offer after abankruptcy auction concluded in May.

Canada's Ontario province reports death of child frommeasles

An infant infected with measles has died in southwesternOntario, Canada, the province's chief medical officer of healthsaid in a statement on Thursday. The death was the firstcaused by the contagious disease in Canada in 2025.

Brazil's poultry exports fell in May, hit by bird flu case

Brazil's poultry exports fell in both value and volumein May from a year earlier, government data showed on Thursday,as trade restrictions following a bird flu case weighed on thesector. Herlon Brandao, director of Statistics and ForeignTrade Studies at the Ministry of Development, Industry, Tradeand Services, said at a press conference that poultry exportshad been on the rise before the outbreak, the first on acommercial farm in Brazil.

Judge extends ban on Trump administration canceling COVIDschool aid

A federal judge in Manhattan has extended an injunctionbanning the Trump administration from canceling unspent fundingto help elementary and high schools in 16 U.S. states andWashington, D.C., address the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S.District Judge Edgardo Ramos' preliminary injunction blocksEducation Secretary Linda McMahon from rescinding unspent aid,originally totaling more than $1.1 billion, from the AmericanRescue Plan Act while the states' lawsuit is pending.

Brazil's BRF confident bird flu crisis will be over soon

Brazilian food processor BRF is confident localcompanies will be able to circumvent chicken trade bans in amatter of days as local authorities have so far been able tocontrol a bird flu outbreak in the world's largestchicken-exporting nation. Speaking at an industry event inSao Paulo on Thursday, BRF's vice president for quality, FabioStumpf, said a combination of well-trained farm workers, strictbiosecurity protocols and efficient state and federal farmagencies contributed to delaying the arrival of bird flu onBrazilian poultry farms.

Story withdrawn on New York, other states urge FDA to expandaccess to abortion pill

Reuters is withdrawing the June 5 article "New York,other states urge FDA to expand access to abortion pill." Apetition underlying the states' reported activity has not beenfiled. There will not be a replacement article.STORY_NUMBER: L2N3S80C0

Brazil agriculture minister: signs show efficient control ofbird flu outbreak

Brazil's Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro said onWednesday there were strong indications that the world's biggestchicken exporter had efficiently contained a bird flu outbreakwhich was reported on a commercial chicken farm in mid-May.Brazil's first-ever case of the highly pathogenic avianinfluenza was reported on a commercial farm in Rio Grande do Sulstate, prompting dozens of trade partners to place countrywideand regional level trade bans on Brazilian poultry exports.

Humana to back curbs to Medicare Advantage billingpractices, WSJ reports

Humana has told congressional staffers that it willsupport moves that would curtail billing practices worthbillions in extra payments to the industry, the Wall StreetJournal reported, citing staffers and a document viewed by it.The company is willing to back new limits on lucrativepayments insurers can gain from diagnoses recorded by nursepractitioners who visit millions of enrollees in their homes,according to a one-page policy overview shared with thestaffers, the WSJ reported on Thursday.

Health Rounds: Roche's Tecentriq reduces recurrence, deathsfor certain colon cancer patients

Hello Health Rounds Readers! We've got one more studyfrom the just-concluded American Society of Clinical Oncologymeeting in Chicago to report and it's a potential game-changerfor certain colon cancer patients. We also highlight a studythat could change clinical recommendations following a commonheart procedure and one on possible eye risk linked to GLP-1drugs. Roche drug improves colon cancer survival