Latest KFF Health News Content

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Hospitals Must Report COVID Data Or Risk Medicare, Medicaid Funding

Morning Briefing

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.

Prognosis for Rural Hospitals Worsens With Pandemic

KFF Health News Original

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.

KFF Health News Original

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.

LA Hospital Seeks Vaccine Trial Participants Among Its Own High-Risk Patients

KFF Health News Original

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.

Six States Set Out To Track COVID Infections From Sturgis Motorcyle Rally

Morning Briefing

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

Morning Briefing

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.

Judge Blocks Florida Requirement To Hold In-Class Instruction

Morning Briefing

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

Morning Briefing

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.

Analysts Say Insurers’ Record Profits Will Be Tempered In Coming Months

Morning Briefing

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

Morning Briefing

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.