Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Most Americans back extending ACA tax credits, KFF poll shows

Nearly eight in 10 Americans want Congress to renew enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits set to expire at year-end, even as lawmakers clash over federal spending, a new Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) poll said on Friday. The findings come after an impasse between Republican President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats triggered the 15th U.S. government shutdown on Oct. 1, the latest since 1981.

Situation for mothers and babies in Gaza has 'never been worse', says UNICEF

Mothers and newborn babies in Gaza face dire conditions as Nasser hospital in the south of the enclave is overwhelmed with patients fleeing the north and medical resources running out, UNICEF said on Friday. "The situation for mothers and newborns in Gaza has never been worse. In Nasser hospital, we're seeing hospital corridors lined with women who've just given birth," UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told reporters in Geneva via video link from Gaza.

Humana sees 20% of its members in high-rated Medicare plans for 2026

Humana said on Thursday it has about 20%, or 1.2 million, of its members currently enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans rated 4 stars and above for 2026, based on preliminary data. Shares of the company rose 3.1% to $254.68 after the insurer also said that about 14% of its members were in 4.5-star plans in 2026, up from 3% in 2025, in a regulatory filing.

UnitedHealth to exit Medicare Advantage plans in 109 US counties

UnitedHealth said it will stop offering Medicare Advantage plans in 109 U.S. counties in 2026, impacting 180,000 members, as the company balances higher costs with reimbursement pressure in the insurance program. "The combination of (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) funding cuts, rising healthcare costs and increased utilization have created headwinds that no organization can ignore," said Bobby Hunter, who runs the company's government programs.

US FDA slaps new requirements for Indonesia's shrimp and spices after radioactive contamination

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced new import certification requirements for shrimp and spices from Indonesia after cases of radioactive contamination were detected earlier. In a posting on its website on Saturday, Indonesian time, the agency said that it will implement the import certification requirements from certain regions of Indonesia starting on October 31, 2025.

Exclusive-Trump targets deals in pharma, AI, energy, mining before midterm elections

Eli Lilly was asked to produce more insulin; Pfizer to produce more of its top-selling cancer drug Ibrance and its cholesterol drug Lipitor; and London-based AstraZeneca to consider a new headquarters in the U.S., according to two sources. Pharmaceutical executives are getting near-daily calls from staff at the White House - including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles - and senior figures at agencies like Health & Human Services and the Commerce Department, two sources familiar with the matter said.

Traditional bonesetting is popular in Kashmir, but doctors advise caution

After hospital doctors told Ghulam Mohammad Mir, 60, that surgery on his injured leg following a road accident was too risky, he turned to a more traditional treatment in India's Jammu and Kashmir territory - bonesetting. Mir suffered multiple leg fractures in the accident a year ago and doctors at the hospital in the region's main city of Srinagar advised against surgery due to underlying medical conditions.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)