Latest KFF Health News Stories
As Pandemic Squeezes Insurers, More Companies May Start To Spring Up
In other health industry news: a look at hospital ranking systems; Cook County Health’s financial struggles; Quorum Health rebounds from bankruptcy; and more.
Coronavirus Concerns At Odds With GOP Convention Plans
The Republican National Convention initially was supposed to take place in North Carolina but the state’s governor refused to lift public health restrictions designed to curb the spread of COVID-19. Now, after moving the event to Jacksonville, Florida, GOP planners are facing sky-rocketing case rates in the area while a number of high-ranking officials are balking at attending.
Chief Justice Hospitalized For Night In June After Injuring Forehead In A Fall
Chief Justice John Roberts fell while exercising at a Maryland country club on June 21. “His doctors ruled out a seizure,” Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathleen Arberg said in a statement. “They believe the fall was likely due to light-headedness caused by dehydration.”
Lawmakers Should Allow States To Expand Medicaid, Experts Say
In a report Monday, the Bipartisan Policy Center called on Congress to make primary care a top priority. Also: what to do about your Medicare coverage if you move during the pandemic.
The President Says It’s Time To Go Back To School
The White House launched a full-court press on governors and local officials to reopen brick-and-mortar schools this fall. President Donald Trump argued that keeping schools physically closed was for political reasons.
Court Action Continues Around Trump Policies To Separate Detained Immigrant Families
The spread of the coronavirus among this population played into a recent order by a federal judge.
Some ICUs Are Running Out Of Beds As Hospitalizations Spike In Most States
In Florida, 56 intensive care units are at or over capacity while 35 others are nearing it. And doctors in Texas and Arizona voice deep concerns about their ability to treat enough patients.
Trump Makes Official The U.S. Exit From World Health Organization
The president has vowed for months to end U.S. participation in the World Health Organization, which he has criticized over its response to the pandemic. However, public health experts warn the move may leave the U.S. at a disadvantage.
Researchers Hail WHO Decision To Acknowledge That Airborne Transmissions Pose A Serious Threat
“Hopefully this will lead to greater emphasis on wearing of face coverings and avoiding the three Cs: close contact, closed and poorly ventilated spaces, and crowds,” said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech.
3 Million And Counting: Number Of COVID Cases Reported In U.S. Continues To Accelerate
A new single-day record of 60,000 cases reported Tuesday pushed the U.S. over the dire 3 million mark. Texas — which reported its own new record of 10,400 cases confirmed in one day — and Florida are at the center of the spikes.
Fauci Warns Against ‘False Narrative’ Over Death Rates While Trump Says U.S. Is In A ‘Good Place’
As some other Trump administration officials point to the dropping number of deaths as a positive sign in the pandemic fight, Dr. Anthony Fauci warns against “false complacency” in a new round of comments.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
In Texas, Individual Freedoms Clash With Efforts To Slow The Surge Of COVID Cases
In Houston, now a hot spot for COVID cases, not everyone agrees on how to deal with the pandemic.
Analysis: How A COVID-19 Vaccine Could Cost Americans Dearly
The United States is the only developed nation unable to balance cost, efficacy and social good in setting prices.
COVID Cuts A Lethal Path Through San Quentin’s Death Row
Executions have been on hold in California since 2006, stalled by a series of legal challenges. But COVID-19 is proving a lethal presence on San Quentin’s death row.
COVID-Tracking Apps Proliferate, But Will They Really Help?
Public health authorities had hoped digital technology would supplement the work of contact tracers seeking to control the spread of COVID-19. But technical uncertainties and public health failures have dimmed the apps’ potential.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health care topics and others.
Editorial pages focus on these pandemic topics and others.
China Issues Bubonic Plague Health Alert; One Australian City Locked Down Again
Global developments related to the coronavirus pandemic and other public health issues are reported from China, Australia, Canada, India, the UK, Saudi Arabia, France, Amsterdam, Chile, South Korea and other nations.
‘Needs To Happen Immediately’: Judges Press California Governor To Reduce Prison Populations
Over the weekend, four prisoners died at San Quentin, where there have been more than 1,500 confirmed infections. Other California news focuses on ICE detention facilities, rising hospitalizations, the Assembly’s recess and closures of more businesses, among other things.