Latest KFF Health News Stories
Administration Eases Rules to Give Laid-Off Workers More Time to Sign Up for COBRA
Under the federal COBRA law, people who lose health coverage because of a layoff or a reduction in their hours generally have 60 days to decide whether to pay to maintain that coverage. But under new regulations, the clock won’t start ticking until the government says the coronavirus national emergency is over, and then consumers will have 120 days to act.
For COVID Tests, the Question of Who Pays Comes Down to Interpretation
Additional guidance issued late last month by the Trump administration added to the confusion. Some consumers may find themselves unexpectedly on the hook for the cost of a test.
An Ickier Outbreak: Trench Fever Spread by Lice Is Found in Denver
Three people around Denver have confirmed cases of trench fever, and another person is suspected of having the rare disease, carried by body lice. A scourge during World War I, the illness is the latest problem to emerge as everyone’s attention is diverted to COVID-19.
As Coronavirus Patients Skew Younger, Tracing Task Seems All But Impossible
Although younger people are hospitalized and die less frequently than their elders when infected with COVID-19, their cases are harder to trace. As a result, the virus is spreading uncontrollably throughout much of Southern California. Even hospital staffs are affected by community spread.
KHN’s Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber drills through the vital health care policy stories of the week, so you don’t have to.
Trump Administration’s Sudden Shift on COVID Data Leaves States in the Lurch
Missouri Hospital Association says the switch of data collection from the CDC to a new HHS contractor is “a major disruption.” In Kansas, the move likely will delay hospitalization data.
Editorial pages focus on the controversy around mask wearing and other public health issues.
How Other Countries Are Faring With COVID
Pandemic news from across the globe with a little bit of good news thrown in.
Different Takes: Dangerous War Is Being Waged On Science; Taking Data Away From CDC Is A Mistake
Opinion writers weigh in on these public health issues and others.
Minorities In US Face More Discrimination Due To COVID, Study Finds
New research finds evidence that racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. have experienced increased incidents of discrimination during the pandemic. Other examples of race-based disparities in the health system are also reported.
Nursing Home Virus Outbreaks In Texas Shoot Up By 60% In Just Weeks
Pandemic-related nursing home news from Texas, Georgia, Virginia, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
N.H. Joins List Of States That Allow Prescription Drugs From Canada
In other state news: New York cracks down on alcohol sales; Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf cuts funding to county that defied shutdown orders; Missouri will spend $15 million in coronavirus relief funds on promoting tourism; and more.
‘A Disaster Every Single Day’: Nation’s Health Systems Showing Strain
Officials raise concerns that hospitals may hit a breaking point if the trajectory of ever-growing caseloads doesn’t change. Plus, a look at the effect of the coronavirus surge on hospitals in Georgia and school nurses in Texas.
Stay In Port: CDC Extends No-Sail Order To Cruise Lines
The previous order was set to expire next week on July 24. Other public health news on church-related illnesses, a rapid decline and death toll, a double pandemic threat, the NCAA’s guide for college sports and more.
Georgia Governor Files Suit Against Atlanta Mayor Over Mask Requirement
The suit says Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ order is “void and unenforceable.” She argues the suit is a waste of state money that could be used more effectively fighting the virus.
Shoddy Surgical Masks Bear ‘Meaningless’ FDA Certificate
An NPR analysis finds that many surgical masks, most imported, tout FDA certificates that don’t have any regulatory meaning. Often the products don’t meet safety standards for health care workers. Meanwhile, more big chains in the U.S. announce mask requirements.
Cases Spike In California Day Care Centers
Even facilities practicing safe practices were not immune. Other news about children’s health includes restraint bans and a rare polio-type illness.
CDC Delays Release Of Documents On Reopening Schools
A spokesman told CNN he doesn’t have a clear idea of when they’ll be ready. Public health news is on a growing number of Americans opposing reopenings, and more.
Novartis Will Sell Older Drugs At Cost To Poor Countries To Fight COVID
The drugs include antibiotics and a steroid that has been shown to be effective in treating the coronavirus. Also, a new firm will look into making antibodies to fight the disease.
New CDC Guidance Expected: COVID Patients Don’t Need To Be Retested
With the U.S. coronavirus system again under strain, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to release guidelines saying that coronavirus patients don’t need to be tested again — after symptoms clear — in order to prove they are no longer contagious.