Latest KFF Health News Stories
Initial guidance released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to safely reopen schools was the target of a critical tweet from President Donald Trump. Shortly after, Vice President Mike Pence announced that the agency would release additional guidance. And the CDC’s director weighed in on the role kids may play in virus transmission.
Supreme Court Rules Some Employers Can Opt Out Of Health Law’s Birth Control Mandate
The Supreme Court settled — at least for now — a decade’s worth of litigation over the women’s health provisions of the Affordable Care Act, ruling 7-2 that employers with a “religious or moral objection” to providing contraceptive coverage to their employees may opt out without penalty.
Trump Administration May Use Infectious-Disease Risk As Reason To Deny Asylum To More Immigrants
A proposed rule would allow federal agencies to block people from countries with widespread communicable disease from seeking asylum in the U.S. “It is difficult to predict the impact that another emerging or re-emerging communicable disease would have on the United States public health system,” reads the regulation notice.
Trump Tulsa Rally Now Eyed As Possible Trigger For Virus Surge
In other news at the intersection of political campaigning and public health, flexibility becomes the buzz word for planners of the Republican National Convention while the Texas state GOP convention — scheduled for this week in hot-spot Houston — has been cancelled.
Nearly 60,000 Cases In One Day: U.S. Sets Another Daily COVID-19 Record
Over 3.1 million cases have now been confirmed in the U.S. and the death toll is nearing 135,000. By Election Day, that number could grow to 200,000, according to a new projection. Florida and Texas continue to be two hot-spot states in the latest surge. Worldwide, known coronavirus infections pass the 12 million mark.
As COVID Testing Soars, Wait Times For Results Jump To A Week — Or More
The delays can be excruciating, with some extreme cases running more than 20 days. People getting tested at urgent care centers, community health centers, pharmacies and state-run drive-thru or walk-up sites are often waiting a week or more to find out if they tested positive for the coronavirus.
Amid Surge, Hospitals Hesitate To Cancel Nonemergency Surgeries
Unlike earlier in the year, most hospitals are not proactively canceling elective surgeries, even in some places seeing spikes in coronavirus patients.
When It Comes To Coronavirus, The U.S. Leads The World … But Not In A Good Way
The United States is in first place in the number of COVID-19 deaths and cases, but Secretary of State Mike Pompeo maintains the U.S. is also leading in terms of its response. His position highlights the tensions between some administration officials — including the president — and public health experts.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Behind The Byline: ‘Everybody Hit Record’
Check out KHN’s video series — Behind The Byline: How The Story Got Made. Come along as journalists and producers offer an insider’s view of health care coverage that does not quit.
Could Trump’s Push To Undo The ACA Cause Problems For COVID Survivors? Biden Thinks So.
The speech by the presumptive Democrat presidential nominee was delivered the same day the Trump administration reaffirmed its support of a lawsuit that would invalidate all of the Affordable Care Act, including the law’s preexisting condition protections.
Shingles Vaccination Rate Soars But Leaves Many Behind
A federal study finds 35% of people 60 and older were vaccinated for shingles by 2018, up from 7% in 2008, but low-income people and those who are Black or Hispanic are far less likely to get vaccinated.
¿Funcionarán las aplicaciones de rastreo para COVID?
Para que los celulares puedan ayudar a frenar la propagación del coronavirus, muchas personas deben usar las aplicaciones. Y eso todavía está en duda.
High Court Allows Employers To Opt Out Of ACA’s Mandate On Birth Control Coverage
In a 7-2 ruling in a case involving the Little Sisters of the Poor, the court said employers with a “religious or moral objection” to contraceptives should not be forced to insure women for those services.
Trump May Force Pharmaceutical Companies To Make Drugs In USA
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical developments and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic issues and others.
Opinion writers focus on these health care issues and others.
Perspectives: Regeneron Suit Highlights Medicare’s Heartless, Senseless Anti-Kickback Rules
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Global news is from Brazil, Israel, South Africa, Australia, Serbia, Spain, China, Japan, and South Korea.
Operation Warp Speed Invests $1.6B Into Novamax’s Potential COVID-19 Vaccine In Its Biggest Deal Yet
In return for the massive development funding, Novamax will supply the U.S. government by early 2021 with 100 million doses of its vaccine that is in clinical trials. The Maryland-based company is the seventh drugmaker to strike such a deal with the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed initiative. Other vaccine news from GSK is also reported.