Wildfire Health Response: CMS expanded Medicare flexibilities after HHS declared a public health emergency for Washington state wildfires near Spokane, including help replacing damaged durable medical equipment and waivers for providers. Court Limits Surprise Billing Rules: A federal appeals court vacated parts of the No Surprises Act tied to how qualifying payment amounts are calculated, including “ghost rates” and treatment of bonuses, with CMS reviewing next steps. Vaccines Under Scrutiny: Trump’s vaccine executive order drew concern from Washington health officials, who warned it could fuel confusion and lower childhood immunization coverage. Medicaid Policy Shift: CMS finalized a rule ending federal Medicaid/CHIP funding for “sex-rejecting” interventions for minors, effective Oct. 13, 2026, while Florida’s Medicaid termination process faced skeptical judges in a due-process challenge. Mental Health in the Military: Families and lawmakers renewed pressure over a reported mental health crisis aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, including multiple sailors attempting to jump overboard during an extended deployment. Lyme Vaccine Progress: Pfizer and Valneva said the EMA validated the marketing authorization application for their 6-valent OspA Lyme vaccine candidate, moving it into review. Hospital Quality Updates: Fairview St. John’s Hospital climbed in U.S. News rankings, and Avera hospitals earned American Heart Association stroke-care recognition. Food Safety: Illinois shoppers were warned about a recall of certain Reese’s and Almond Joy ice cream bars due to nutritional labeling errors. Tech & Health Policy: A court cleared thousands of social media addiction lawsuits against Meta and TikTok to proceed, keeping focus on harms to young users.