Latest KFF Health News Stories
Hospitals Must Report COVID Data Or Risk Medicare, Medicaid Funding
In new emergency rules, the Trump administration warned hospitals that it would revoke Medicare and Medicaid dollars if coronavirus patient data and test results are not reported to HHS. The reporting program was previously voluntary.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Trump Again Claims He’s Bringing Down Drug Prices, But Details of How Are Skimpy
During his Monday speech at the Republican National Convention, President Donald Trump pointed to his two of his recent executive orders as likely to lead to big reductions in prescription drug costs.
Prognosis for Rural Hospitals Worsens With Pandemic
Rural hospitals were already struggling before the coronavirus emerged. Now, the loss of revenue from patients who are afraid to come to the emergency room, postponing doctor’s appointments and delaying elective surgeries is adding to the pressure.
Feeling Anxious and Depressed? You’re Right at Home in California.
In a series of July U.S. Census Bureau surveys, nearly half of California adult respondents reported levels of anxiety and gloom typically associated with diagnoses of generalized anxiety disorder or major depressive disorder, a stunning figure that rose through the summer alongside the menacing spread of the coronavirus.
Two Navajo Sisters Who Were Inseparable Died of COVID Just Weeks Apart
Cheryl and Corrina Thinn’s deaths devastated their families and their community.
LA Hospital Seeks Vaccine Trial Participants Among Its Own High-Risk Patients
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center serves patients who are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus: They are essential workers, have chronic diseases and are members of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. When the safety-net hospital kicks off enrollment for its COVID-19 vaccine trial Wednesday, it will look to those patients to participate.
Many People of Color, Immigrants Among Over 1,000 US Health Workers Lost to COVID
The Guardian and KHN release new figures showing that, among health care workers, a disproportionate number of immigrants and minorities have died.
Republican Convention, Day 1: A Campaign-Style Trump Speech and More
Republicans kicked off the first day of their convention with a wide-ranging speech by President Donald Trump in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Editorial pages focus on these public health topics and others.
Different Takes: Pros, Cons Of FDA’s Plasma Decision; Trump Plays Defense On Health Care Policies
Opinion writers weigh in on these health care topics and others.
Threat Of Resurgent COVID Shutters Most Schools In Seoul
Also in global headlines: Germany’s travel warning for Paris and the French Riviera; questions of herd immunity in Brazil; virus lockdown in Gaza; and more.
Six States Set Out To Track COVID Infections From Sturgis Motorcyle Rally
Cellphone data shows 61% of the counties in the U.S. have had visits from someone who attended the Sturgis, S.D., rally. State news is from Minnesota, Nebraska, Wyoming, North Dakota, Washington, Louisiana, Texas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Maine and Montana, as well.
‘Roller Coaster’: Northern Californians Face More Dangerous Wildfires
The state was spared another round of fire-starting lightning storms, but residents are warned to stay away from homes in Northern California fire zones. California news is on masking up, nursing homes, progress on COVID, and more.
Some Good News About Mosquitoes And Ticks: They Can’t Spread COVID
In other public health news: peaches pulled for possible salmonella; breastfeeding pods in Walmart stores; and a breakthrough in cartilage research.
Judge Blocks Florida Requirement To Hold In-Class Instruction
The Florida Education Association filed a lawsuit saying the rule violated a provision in Florida’s constitution. School news is from California, New Mexico, Texas, Montana, Alabama and Iowa.
Researchers Probe Long-Term Effects Of COVID On Children
Although the majority of children experience mild illness, some are reporting symptoms that persist for weeks, or the development of post-viral syndromes, according to the Wall Street Journal. News outlets also report that the World Health Organization suggests masks for many kids, scientists are looking into the transmission risk from children and concerns about how to handle school safety.
Learning To Live With The Virus Doesn’t Have To Be Scary
Scientists map out scenarios of how humans might come to coexist with this new threat. News looks at developing immunity, retesting’s value, and more.
Analysts Say Insurers’ Record Profits Will Be Tempered In Coming Months
Moody’s expects profits to deflate as insurers give funds back to customers, Modern Healthcare reports. Also in news about the health care marketplace: Google invests in a telemedicine company going public and a Colorado man learns that an uninsured patient is extremely vulnerable to exorbitant hospital bills.
Uninsured In Texas Flock To Direct Primary Care Practices
Faced with skyrocketing health insurance premiums, families turn to a growing niche of primary care as a stop-gap alternative during the pandemic. News outlets also look at how unemployment and evictions are impacting Americans.