Drug overdose deaths fall for third straight year; rural cancer patients struggle to afford care, skip medications; CMS freezes new hospice and home health Medicare enrollment – Morning Medical Update

Drug overdose deaths fell nearly 14% in 2025 for third straight year of decline

Nearly 70,000 Americans died from drug overdoses last year, down from more than 81,000 in 2024, according to provisional CDC data.

Drug overdose deaths in the United States dropped nearly 14% in 2025, marking the third consecutive year of declines, according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). An estimated 69,973 people died from overdoses last year, compared with 81,313 in 2024. Deaths involving opioids fell to an estimated 44,564 from 55,296 the prior year, with synthetic opioids including fentanyl remaining the single largest contributor to overdose deaths nationwide. Experts attribute a significant portion of the decline to the wide availability of naloxone (Narcan), the overdose-reversing medication. While most states showed year-over-year declines, New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado each saw increases of 10% or more compared with the same period in 2024.

More than half of rural cancer patients struggle to afford care, survey finds

Forty-four percent said cancer costs have affected their ability to buy food; nearly a quarter have skipped or delayed prescribed medications.

More than half of cancer patients and survivors in rural communities (53%) report difficulty affording their cancer care, and half have incurred medical debt as a result, according to a new survey from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). The findings are drawn from 1,436 cancer patients and survivors nationwide — 44% said cancer costs have at some point affected their ability to buy food, 23% have skipped or delayed recommended care, and the same share have skipped or delayed prescribed medications.

Geographic hurdles compound the financial ones, as more than a third of rural respondents travel over an hour to reach their primary oncology provider, and 34% have had to sleep away from home during treatment, with most paying for lodging out of pocket. Rural respondents were also less likely to be current on recommended cancer screenings and more likely to face barriers accessing follow-up care.

"When facing a cancer diagnosis, where you live shouldn't determine if you live," said ACS CAN President Lisa A. Lacasse.

CMS freezes new hospice and home health enrollment for six months in fraud crackdown

The nationwide moratorium halts new Medicare enrollment in two categories CMS calls among the highest-risk for fraudulent billing.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has imposed a six-month nationwide moratorium on new Medicare enrollment for hospices and home health agencies, citing systemic fraud in both sectors and building on a similar freeze earlier this year covering durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers. The moratorium, announced Tuesday, covers new enrollment applications and certain changes in majority ownership, but does not affect existing providers, who may continue serving Medicare beneficiaries.

CMS said it has already suspended payments to 773 hospices and 23 home health agencies suspected of fraud in Los Angeles alone, representing $70 million in suspended funds. During the six-month period, the agency said it will intensify investigations, deploy data analytics,= and accelerate removal of providers suspected of fraud. Additional enforcement actions have included revoking or deactivating hundreds of providers, conducting nationwide hospice site visits, and expanding pre- and post-claim review of home health agency claims in six states.

"Today we're shutting the door on fraud," said CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, M.D., MBA. The agency now has three separate moratoria in place.