HealthCare, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security

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Tiny patients, big fight: NICU parents win leave in 2 states and push for more Colorado became the first state to adopt paid neonatal intensive care unit leave. Illinois will soon guarantee unpaid leave for NICU parents. Read more.

Why this matters: Parental leave for parents with newborns in intensive care often doesn’t account for the time their newborns spend in the NICU. Many choose to keep working while the baby is in the NICU to save parental leave for when the baby comes home. While advocates want more states to adopt NICU leave, a major focus now is galvanizing support for a federal bill to add NICU leave to the Family and Medical Leave Act.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Mom of a preemie crochets colorful yarn octopi for tiny tots at Detroit hospital NICU

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💊 Obesity drug overload

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images

Next month's launch of a Medicare program providing weight-loss drugs for $50 a month could become one of the biggest drug rollouts ever, Axios' Tina Reed writes. Why it matters: It's expected to unleash pent-up demand for Wegovy, Zepbound and other blockbuster treatments — and create new bottlenecks at doctors' offices. The new program is part of a deal President Trump struck with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to cut prices for their diabetes and anti-obesity drugs in exchange for access to more patients. Providers are bracing for an onslaught beginning July 1, with roughly 14 million Medicare beneficiaries overweight or obese, according to KFF. Keep reading.

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Medicare for All gets new life

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

The success of Democratic socialists and progressives in this year's primaries is a sign of new enthusiasm for Medicare for All, Axios' Maya Goldman writes. Why it matters: Frustration with the medical system is fueling appetite for big-government fixes to drug prices, premiums, and long-term care costs. Zoom in: Melat Kiros, a 29-year-old DSA-backed attorney, unseated 15-term Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado, accusing her of being too cozy with pharma and insurers despite DeGette's own support for Medicare for All. Brad Lander and Claire Valdez beat establishment favorites in NYC primaries the week before. Lander leaned on his fight, as NYC comptroller, against shifting retired city workers onto a privatized Medicare Advantage plan. Valdez ran explicitly on Medicare for All. Before that, Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Maine's Graham Platner touted their support for a single-payer system in winning Senate primaries over more moderate opponents. Keep reading ...