Latest KFF Health News Content

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Students’ Mass Migration Back to College Gets a Failing Grade

KFF Health News Original

Epidemiologists and disease modelers tried to predict what would happen when students moved back to campus. Although some universities listened to their advice, that didn’t stop outbreaks from happening.

Urban Hospitals of Last Resort Cling to Life in Time of COVID

KFF Health News Original

Rural hospitals have been closing at a quickening pace in recent years, but a number of inner-city hospitals now face a similar fate. Experts fear that the economic damage inflicted by the COVID pandemic is helping push some of these urban hospitals over the edge at the very time their services are most needed.

Black Women Turn to Midwives to Avoid COVID and ‘Feel Cared For’

KFF Health News Original

Midwifery was a tradition among slaves from Africa, but in more recent decades, pregnant Black women have generally shunned the approach. Now, home births and midwives are making a comeback in the Black community.

Testing Cost Varies Widely; Phone App Might Aid Tracing

Morning Briefing

The Journal Of General Internal Medicine reports less than 10% of tests cost insurers more than $306, but some bills were as high as $14,750. News is on fast turnarounds for employers, rapid antigen tests, the UK’s shortage of tests during a second wave and more.

Health Philanthropist Bill Gates Sr., Father Of Microsoft Founder, Dies At 94

Morning Briefing

As co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he helped direct billions in grants for projects that included children’s vaccines; clean water in developing countries; bed netting to reduce mosquito-borne malaria; the promotion of contraceptives and single-use syringes; and more. Upon his death, the family announced that Gates Sr. had suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.

‘Especially Tragic’: LGBTQ Advocates Push Back Against Texas Curriculum

Morning Briefing

The board, expected to make a final decision in November, rejected mandates requiring students to learn about the differences between gender identity and sexual orientation as well as a proposal to teach middle schoolers about consent. Public health news is on eye exams, COVID among LSU football players, quarantine at NYU, online learning in Northern Virginia, and more.

‘People Will Die’: Biden Campaign Lashes Out At Trump’s Maskless Rallies

Morning Briefing

In other news: Democratic nominee Joe Biden calls the president “a fool” for insinuating that he’s on drugs; his wife, Jill, discusses health care at an event in Michigan; and more. Also, for the first time in its 175-year history, Scientific American makes a presidential endorsement—for Joe Biden.

Jon Stewart: Congress Abandoning Vets Exposed To Toxins In Burning Pits

Morning Briefing

Burn pits were used to incinerate hazardous material and chemical compounds at military sites throughout Iraq and Afghanistan. Stewart, the former “Daily Show” host, previously backed a bill to help 9/11 first responders get health care through 2092.

House To Stay In Session Until COVID Relief Deal Done, Pelosi Says

Morning Briefing

Despite the pledge from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, there are no other signs of progress in stalemated negotiations between Democratic leaders and the White House over the next stimulus package.