Latest KFF Health News Stories
Uninsured Numbers Held Flat Even With Pandemic: Census Bureau
According to Census Bureau findings released Tuesday, 8.6% of Americans were uninsured for all of 2020. In 2019, 8% of people were uninsured during the full year; in 2018, it was 8.5%. Other coverage news related to Medicare and Medicaid is also reported.
Emergency Aid Kept More Americans Above The Poverty Line In 2020
According to new Census Bureau data, the official poverty rate rose slightly to 11.4% last year. But that rate fell to 9.1% when taking into account pandemic stimulus aid and unemployment benefits. The uninsured population also rose slightly.
Justice Department Seeks Temporary Injunction On Texas Abortion Law
The Justice Department requested that a federal judge temporarily block the new Texas abortion restrictions while its lawsuit against the state proceeds.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers tackle these public health issues.
Viewpoints: Is Quarantining Kids In Kansas Illegal?; Mandates May Backfire In Rural Communities
Opinion writers discuss covid, vaccines and vaccine mandates.
Pandemic Put 31 Million More People In Poverty, Gates Foundation Says
The foundation’s fifth annual Goalkeeper report notes the covid pandemic reversed efforts to eliminate poverty globally. Separately, The New York Times reports that a million Afghan children are at risk of starvation. In other news, the U.K. will offer vaccines to kids ages 12 and up.
Report Says Racism, Trauma, Covid Affected Opioid Deaths In Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Inquirer covers efforts to combat opioid deaths in Philadelphia, noting new advice that racism, childhood trauma and the pandemic must factor into city Health Department plans. Separately, reports say Seattle police have intervened in fewer mental health calls under a new approach.
West Nile Virus Alerts Now In 8 States; Rain, Heat Spur Mosquito Swarms
Case reports in animals and humans have seen residents in at least eight states warned over West Nile Virus over the last week. CBS news reports recent high temperatures and storms have created a “breeding ground” for mosquitos. Mental health, anxiety and marijuana use are also in the news.
Lawsuit Alleges Aetna’s Infertility Coverage Biased Against LGBTQ People
A lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York claims Aetna’s infertility treatment coverage rules lead to LGBTQ patients paying tens of thousands of dollars, while heterosexual couples face no cost. Other health care industry news is from Maryland, Vermont, Montana, Louisiana and elsewhere.
Houston Hospitals Near Capacity With Unvaxxed As Tropical Storm Loomed
Nicholas, which made landfall about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday along the Texas coast as a Category 1 hurricane, was downgraded to a tropical storm just hours later. The Houston Chronicle reports on how local hospitals braced for Nicholas despite being close to capacity with covid patients.
Summer Covid Surge May Be Waning, But Worries Over Kids Remain High
In the U.S. the seven-day average number of infections, as well as hospitalizations, are starting to fall. Yet groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics are very concerned by the 240% jump in cases of children getting covid since July, especially as more return to school.
CMS Moves To Roll Back Medicare Coverage Of ‘Breakthrough’ Devices
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposes to repeal a regulation enacted during the Trump administration that requires Medicare to pay for any medical device classified as “breakthrough” technology by the Food and Drug Administration.
DeSantis Threatens $5,000 Fine For Each Employee Facing Vax Mandates
Reports say “millions” of dollars in fines could be levied against local governments in Florida under Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plan to oppose efforts to mandate protection for staff. Separately, two Florida hospitals are worried over staffing for President Joe Biden’s vaccine push.
In Vote Today, Californians Will Have Their Say On Newsom’s Covid Policies
At a rally Monday in support of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, President Joe Biden said, “The decision you’re going to make isn’t just going to have a huge impact on California, it’s going to reverberate around the nation, and quite frankly, not a joke, around the world.”
Will Politicization Of Covid Vaccine Mandates Extend To Other Shots?
Some public health experts worry that the fiery rhetoric over the new federal covid vaccine requirements will threaten other common school and military mandates for inoculation against other viruses.
Covid Rages In School-Age Kids As Officials Wrangle Over Mask Mandates
A federal judge issued a temporary order blocking a law banning Iowa schools from requiring masks. In Kentucky, the governor noted school-age children are catching covid faster than any other group and urged schools to mask-up. And a battle in a Florida county over mask rules also covers stimulus money.
Some Inmates On Home Confinement Now Allowed To Apply For Clemency
Politico reports that those prisoners fall into a specific category: drug offenders released to home under the pandemic relief bill known as the CARES Act with four years or less on their sentences.
Scientists Resist Booster Push, Say Shots Not Needed For Most Right Now
Experts suggest government vaccine efforts would be better spent on reaching the unvaxxed until more data are available. Other reports across the country point to how some people are already seeking boosters, even if they’re healthy.
Supreme Court Asked To Uphold Roe V. Wade In Another Major Abortion Case
In a court brief, a Mississippi abortion clinic and doctor urged the Supreme Court justices to strike down a Mississippi state law that effectively bans the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy and warned of national “chaos” if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
