Latest KFF Health News Stories
What’s To Become Of The 2020 Elections?
The coronavirus outbreak has upended the election season, and it’s hard to know how the following months will play out when it comes to politics and voting. Meanwhile, the outbreak has both deepened the partisan divide and created a shared experience for Americans to unify over. Meanwhile, 2020 Democratic front-runner Joe Biden criticizes President Donald Trump’s response to the crisis.
Governors Tread Lightly Following Trump’s Comments About Leaders Needing To Show Proper Appreciation
Governors worry that they could inadvertently hurt their state’s residents, and so they’re making an effort to ignore President Donald Trump’s more aggressive style in handling states’ requests for medical equipment and supplies. “I don’t have the energy to respond to every slight,” said Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who bore the brunt of Trump’s attention over the weekend. Meanwhile, California said it received broken ventilators from the national stockpile.
Public health experts have long known that a ventilator shortage is a vulnerability in the system. The government tried to rectify the problem, but efforts stalled. The New York Times takes a deep-dive into what went wrong. Meanwhile, manufacturers across the country say they lack federal guidance on where to ship new products. In other news, President Donald Trump blames hospitals for hoarding or mishandling ventilators and masks, though cited no evidence to back up the statement.
Facing grim figures from his health care advisers and other experts, President Donald Trump reversed course on earlier “aspirational” hopes that the country could re-open in two weeks. Meanwhile, experts across the country try to figure out how to ease off on physical distancing restrictions when the time is right. And psychologists and advocates worry about the mental toll the guidelines are taking on Americans.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
What Takes So Long? A Behind-The-Scenes Look At The Steps Involved In COVID-19 Testing
A common complaint about the testing process is the long turnaround time for results.
Addiction Is ‘A Disease Of Isolation’ — So Pandemic Puts Recovery At Risk
People in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction have to weather a new storm of depression, anxiety and isolation during the pandemic, just as the social supports of Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs move online.
Federal Judge Rules Medicare Patients Can Challenge ‘Observation Care’ Status
Hundreds of thousands of people will be able to appeal hospitals’ decisions to classify them as “observation care” patients instead of inpatients, under a ruling last week in a class action suit.
‘Red Dawn Breaking Bad’: Officials Warned About Safety Gear Shortfall Early On, Emails Show
As President Donald Trump called the nation “in good shape” to handle COVID-19, a cache of emails released by officials in Washington state show that top public health authorities feared gear shortages and doctor safety in the early epicenter of sickness and deaths.
The Nation’s 5,000 Outpatient Surgery Centers Could Help With The COVID-19 Overflow
A coalition of anesthesiologists wants to repurpose the country’s more than 5,000 surgery centers to serve as emergency overflow amid the coronavirus pandemic. The centers have trained medical staff largely sitting idle, anesthesia machines that could be turned into ventilators, and empty medical space. But obstacles such as federal payment rules, logistics and some skepticism are getting in the way.
Trump Swiftly Signs Historic $2.2T Stimulus Legislation After House Passage
The U.S. House passed the unprecedented financial rescue measure by voice vote to accommodate those lawmakers who couldn’t make it back to Washington. The bill represents the largest stimulus package in modern American history.
Listen: How Hospitals Are Preparing For Surge In COVID-19 Patients
With coronavirus cases growing at a faster rate than anticipated, hospitals are scrambling to boost medical supplies and beds.
Centros de salud comunitarios enfrentan al coronavirus, bajo presión financiera
Alrededor de 29 millones de personas en el país dependen de estos centros, que ofrecen atención médica a pacientes de bajos ingresos y sin seguro. Millones de latinos utilizan estas clínicas.
Para luchar contra el coronavirus, médicos y enfermeras retirados vuelven a trabajar
En Nueva York, California, Illinois y Colorado, los gobernadores han hecho un llamado a los profesionales de salud jubilados para que den un paso adelante. Miles han respondido.
Resurge la telemedicina, por miedo al coronavirus y cambios en los pagos
Millones de estadounidenses buscan atención conectándose electrónicamente con un médico, muchos por primera vez. Una práctica segura para atender a ciertas condiciones y seguimientos.
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.
Médicos temen por sus familias, mientras luchan contra COVID-19 con poca armadura
Miles de médicos de todo el país escribieron una apasionada carta al Congreso pidiendo que se libere el equipo de protección personal de la Reserva Nacional Estratégica, para aquellos en la primera línea de batalla.
Coronavirus Has Upended Our World. It’s OK To Grieve.
To weather uncertain times, it’s important to acknowledge and grieve losses — even if they seem small in the scheme of the global pandemic, psychologists and grief experts say.
Longer Looks: Public Housing, Small Pox Experts, Climate Change In The Time Of Coronavirus, And More
Each week, KHN finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Opinion writers express views about these health care issues during the pandemic.