Latest KFF Health News Stories
‘You Pray That You Got The Drug.’ Ailing Couple Gambles On Trial For COVID-19 Cure
Josie and George Taylor of Everett, Washington, are two of the first people in the U.S. to recover from novel coronavirus infections after joining a clinical trial for the antiviral drug remdesivir.
‘Staying Away From Grandma’ Isn’t An Option In Multigenerational Homes
About 1 in 5 U.S. residents live in multigenerational households. Many of those have three or more generations all under one roof. While the living arrangement has financial and emotional benefits, those families face a unique set of challenges as COVID-19 continues to spread.
Long-Standing Racial And Income Disparities Seen Creeping Into COVID-19 Care
Many health officials around the nation have not released data on the ethnic and racial demographics of people tested for the new coronavirus. But public health experts said the anecdotes are adding up, and they fear the response to the pandemic will result in predictable health care disparities.
Mysterious Heart Damage, Not Just Lung Troubles, Befalling COVID-19 Patients
Most of the attention in the COVID-19 pandemic has been on how the virus affects the lungs. But evidence shows that up to 1 in 5 hospitalized patients have signs of heart damage and many are dying due to heart problems.
‘You’ve Been Served’: Wisconsin Hospitals Sued Patients Even During Pandemic
Wisconsin hospitals had filed at least 104 lawsuits in small claims court since the state declared a public health emergency March 12. Most now say they are suspending the cases; one hospital has dismissed them after a reporter’s calls.
As Coronavirus Spreads, Workers Could Lean On ACA Coverage Protection
KHN’s Julie Rovner discusses the role of the Affordable Care Act in helping to provide coverage to people affected by the virus’ economic repercussions.
Trump Administration Uses Wartime Powers To Be First In Line On Medical Supplies
As states scour the world for masks and other protective medical equipment, the federal government has repeatedly invoked a little-known clause in the Defense Production Act to step to the front of the line for sought-after health supplies.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don’t have to.
Medicaid en el “ojo de la tormenta” por nuevos desempleados que buscan cobertura
Hay más de 6.6 millones que han perdido sus empleos a causa de la crisis económica que ha generado la pandemia. Muchos de estos nuevos desempleados pueden recurrir a Medicaid para sus familias.
Each week, KHN finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic topics and others.
Federal investigators sent a letter to Life Care Center of Kirkland in Seattle saying it could also lose federal funding for violating guidelines to reduce the spread of disease in the nation’s first-known outbreak. One nurse reported concerns as early as Feb. 12 about a fast spreading respiratory illness, but administrators thought it was the flu. Nursing home news is also from New York.
Although the record-breaking number of unemployment claims for last week–6.6. million–were a stark reality check, there’s many who remain uncounted. Some have lost jobs or income did not initially qualify for benefits, and others, encountering state unemployment offices that were overwhelmed by the deluge of claimants, were unsuccessful in filing.
HHS Waives HIPPA Privacy Rules On Data In Order To Speed Communication About Infected Patients
“The CDC, CMS, and state and local health departments need quick access to COVID-19 related health data to fight this pandemic,” said Roger Severino, director of HHS Office For Civil Rights. Other news on technology looks at how tech giants are seeking “opportunistic” changes.
As unemployment surges, Medicaid will likely see a reflective wave of new enrollees. But hefty investments into the program will be needed to absorb those extra costs. “You definitely see in the data that as unemployment goes up, the Medicaid rolls go up,” said Josh Bivens, of the Economic Policy Institute. “That’s good, and it’s supposed to happen: It’s a safety net. But this is a quick enough shock that it could be a huge financial burden on Medicaid systems across the states.”
Doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists are leaving their states to help Tulane Medical Center and other Louisiana hospitals, but red tape is slowing the relief effort. “I literally could have arranged a trip to West Africa and been in a hospital over there in the time that it’s taken me to do this in the United States,” said Dr. James Pettey, an orthopedic surgeon from Kentucky. Media outlets report on news from California, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Texas, Pennsylvania, Georgia and District of Columbia, as well.
Rush To Find Rooms, Care For Homeless: LA, Seattle Scramble To Protect Most Vulnerable
Advocates say relocating the nation’s estimated 560,000 homeless people to indoor shelters will connect them to health care services key to detecting and combating outbreaks. In Los Angeles, officials install hand-washing stations and try to spread the word about social distancing to people who are used to sharing. Other public health news is on easing blood-donation restrictions for gay men, disruptions in cancer treatments, primer on coronavirus vs. other ailments, mental health, and tracing how travelers quickly spread the virus, as well.
Getting goods to consumers is a complicated process that is impacting truck drivers around the world. In some states, there’s no place open to find a meal or spend the night. In other countries, long wait times at borders and public system changes delay deliveries. But one things clear: fewer drivers on the roads makes some trips faster. News on the supply chain is also on delays in shipments of fruits, controversial hiring of seasonal workers, infected Amazon facilities and an oversupply of milk, as well.
While there’s no approved treatment for the coronavirus, patients are still receiving medication to ease some of the symptoms, such as medications used to keep airways open. With the surge in demand, those drugs could be the next fronts of the shortages war.
New York state and New York City in particular have emerged as the epicenter of the outbreak in the country. The sharp rise in demand for medical equipment to deal with the crisis has forced state officials to pay about 15 times the usual price for some things. Meanwhile, state lawmakers want to protect doctors who are on the front lines of the pandemic from criminal suits.