Latest KFF Health News Stories
Look-Up: Check Out Infection Records Of 15,000 U.S. Nursing Homes
This online map shows which of the 15,000 nursing homes in the U.S. have been cited for infection-control violations and how serious those infractions are.
Opinion writers weigh in on topics surrounding efforts under way to combat the spread of coronavirus.
Editorial pages focus on health and mental health care topics surrounding the coronavirus.
Anti-Transgender Bills In Dozens Of States Fuel Debate Over Parental Rights, Government Interference
Laws criminalizing medical professionals who prescribe hormone treatments to minors and preventing people from changing their birth certificates make it more difficult to protect LGBTQ people, said Chase Strangio, a lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union. Public health news is on baby formula, suicide, food insecurity, transplants, high blood pressure and supplements, as well.
Co-Founder Of Juul Leaves Board As It Comes Under Increasing Scrutiny For Role In Teen Vaping
James Monsees helped launch the company in 2007 and expressed pride in the role the company played for helping adults switch from smoking cigarettes. He said he looks forward to spending time with his family. Altria Group Inc., which owns a 35% stake in Juul, said in January it would be expanding and diversifying its board.
New Plan Claiming To Cap Insulin Costs For Seniors Is More Complicated Than It Looks
Stat examines the limited role the policy, hailed by many political leaders this week, would play for seniors requiring insulin. Industry news also looks at Kymera’s fund-raising efforts for blood cancer treatments and Danish efforts to enforce transparency on trials.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will isolate himself for 14 days after his wife tested positive for the virus. Other high-profile people and politicians, including President Donald Trump, have been either exposed or infected with the coronavirus.
“Ultimately, diseases are about biology, not geography,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, who help lead the U.S. response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Africa. Descriptions of coronavirus that are winning praise in some GOP circles are racist, potentially undermine efforts to prevent spread of the disease and and threaten to harm relationships with China, health advocates say.
Life Takes Drastic Turns From Shop Owners In Small Kentucky Town To Commuters In New York City
From social distancing to disinfecting, media outlets report on efforts under way across the nation to deal with slowing the spread of the virus in communities small and large.
Experts are recommending that anyone who can practice social distancing–like working from home and avoiding large public gatherings–should do so to help curb the coronavirus outbreak, which left uncheck has the potential to spread like wildfire through the states. Meanwhile, organization, companies, universities and state leaders are instituting policies that keep people from congregating in tight spaces together.
Those are the worst-case scenarios that experts are forecasting, but even scaled back numbers that account for the protective measures that are being implemented are still grim. Meanwhile, experts say the reason the numbers aren’t higher in the U.S. is because of a lack of testing, not because the virus isn’t here and circulating.
How Much Will It Cost If You Get Coronavirus?
Federal and state officials are working to figure out the complexity of costs facing a patient who is exposed to or contracts COVID-19, from testing to treatment. Meanwhile, Lyft and Uber drivers sue over sick leave benefits.
President Donald Trump has been hesitant to declare an emergency as it might contrast with his optimistic messaging in the early days of the crisis. Meanwhile, the travel ban he announced this week is criticized by public health experts. And, former Trump administration officials have been sounding the alarm even while their former colleagues project a rosy outlook. Media outlets also take a peek inside the White House’s slowly shifting views on the coronavirus outbreak.
A vaccine for broad public use is still 12 to 18 months away. Anyone promising anything faster “will be cutting corners that would be detrimental,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Meanwhile drugmakers are working non-stop to try to find a treatment for the illness.
The legislation will include measures to boost paid family leave and unemployment insurance, ensure free coronavirus testing, and strengthen nutritional aid like food stamps. The final sticking points between House Democrats and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, the administration’s point person on the deal, involved paid sick leave. The House is expected to vote on Friday, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) canceled the Senate’s weeklong recess next week to assess the legislation.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
The Coronavirus, The Congressman And Me
When four KHN reporters were possibly exposed to COVID-19, they tried to take preventive steps. But even for health care journalists, getting tested for the virus ― and figuring out what to do next — is an uphill task.
How Well Does Your Nursing Home Fight Infections? Look It Up Here
More nursing homes have been faulted for failing to follow practices designed to prevent and control infections than for any other type of error. Such lapses have become matters of heightened concern with the spread of the coronavirus this spring, especially as the virus is a bigger threat to the elderly.
Trump Wrongly Said Health Insurers Will Pay For All Coronavirus Treatment
There are important distinctions between how insurance companies will cover the test and the treatment. This makes the president’s statement an exaggeration, at best.
Coronavirus Pushes Hospitals To Share Information About Stocks Of Protective Gear
There is currently no central coordination of the supply of protective garb and masks in U.S. hospital inventories. A CDC project wants hospitals to share that information for the good of all.