Latest KFF Health News Stories
‘Essential Not Disposable’: Concern For Grocery Workers Ratchets Up Amid Deaths Across The Country
Grocery workers are being constantly exposed to potentially infected people, and yet not all of them have proper protections to ensure they remain safe while doing their jobs. The United Food & Commercial Workers union and Albertsons Cos. launched a national campaign to have supermarket employees designated as extended first responders, which would give them priority in testing and protective gear.
Treating Uninsured Could Cost Hospitals $42B, And As Layoffs Increase That Number Could Soar
The Trump administration has said the $100 billion emergency fund created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act could be tapped to reimburse hospitals for treating uninsured COVID-19 patients. Meanwhile, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont issues an executive order on billing for treatment of the uninsured.
California’s venture capital firm Fifty Years is offering $25,000 loans with fewer payback demands to firms making hand sanitizers for hospital workers and at-home test kits. Also, Twitter and Square CEO Jake Dorsey says he’s committing a third of his wealth to fight the pandemic. News from the technology world is on telemedicine, as well.
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic topics and others.
Overwhelming Sense Of Failure Consumes Health Care Workers In Italy, Spain As Outbreak Continues
Advocates in Italy call on the government for a nationwide response for the mental health needs of medical professionals. “You can not get used to it [dying patients],” said Italian nurse Maria Berardelli. A similar response is occurring in Spain. Global pandemic news is from other parts of Europe and Japan, as well.
The suspension reflects an alarming trend playing out across the country, where workers on the front lines are butting heads with hospital administrators who are trying to contain the messaging about how prepared the facilities are. In other news on health care workers: custody battles, hotel rooms-turned-dormitories, a day in the life of NYC’s first responders, foreign workers, and more.
From that initial warning in November, the sources described repeated briefings through December for policymakers across the federal government as well as the National Security Council at the White House. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump denies that he saw reports from his top trade adviser in warning him of the threat in late January.
Mentions Of Anecdotal Success Of Malaria Drug Scrapped From CDC’s Website
Experts had asked why the anecdotal reports would be mentioned on CDC’s site at all without warnings that the treatment hasn’t been scientifically proven as sound. The website has been updated to reflect that “there are no drugs or other therapeutics approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to prevent or treat COVID-19.”
‘Allow It, Encourage It’: Advocates Push To Let Vulnerable Food Stamp Recipients Shop Online
As states prepare for an influx of food stamp recipients, very few offer options for online shopping. California is one state asking the USDA for permission to build a program offering that feature. New York became the first state to introduce a program for online grocery orders only last year. It was followed by Washington, Alabama, Iowa and Oregon. More news related to putting food on tables reports on the stress on food banks and families with special dietary needs.
Navy Chief Resigns Amid Uproar Over His Insulting Response To Aircraft Carrier Crisis
His critics said Thomas Modly’s apology for calling Brett Crozier, Captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, ”stupid” or ”naive” didn’t go far enough. In the face of continuing backlash, Modly resigned his position as acting Navy secretary on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Reuters reports that Modly’s aides warned him his trip to Guam to address the crew might worsen the situation.
Wuhan Lockdown Ends: Still-Fearful Residents Finally Spend Time With Parents, Go Outside
As China ended the lockdown Wednesday for 11 million residents in the city where the virus started, the rest of the world watches to see how and when lifestyles and economies will return to normal.
As Eli Lilly Lowers Insulin Costs To $35 A Month Some Wonder Why Drugmaker Didn’t Do It Earlier
Eli Lilly said that during these tough financial times it would lower costs for anyone with commercial insurance or with no insurance at all. While some advocates cheer the decision, others wonder why the drugmaker had taken steps to cut costs now when diabetic Americans were rationing their supplies even before the pandemic.
States are both fighting and joining forces in their efforts to acquire more ventilators and medical equipment amid global shortages. Meanwhile, doctors lay out the gut-wrenching choices they’ll have to make if they have to ration ventilators. And some critical care physicians question if ventilators are being overused, considering how high the mortality rate is for patients who go on the machines.
State leaders, health officials and advocates across the country are alarmed by the disproportionately high number of black Americans who are being infected and dying of COVID-19. But the numbers are hard to track without nationwide data. “This pandemic just magnifies what we already knew: Access to health care, environmental issues in certain communities, air quality, water quality,” said Michigan state Rep. Tyrone Carter. “We think about Flint and think about my district who has air issues, asthma.”
Health privacy laws already grant broad exceptions for national security purposes, but critics see a national database containing sensitive health data as a step too far, comparing it to the Patriot Act enacted after the 9/11 attacks.
‘We Decided Enough’s Enough’: California Secures 200M Masks A Month At Cost Of $1B
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that his government has struck a deal with a consortium of suppliers to receive 200 million N95 respiratory and surgical masks for front line workers. In other news from the state, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti orders all city residents to wear a mask or bandana when shopping. And news outlets report developments from other areas of the state, as well.
Parts of rural America aren’t seeing the booms like in New York, D.C., and other urban areas, but cases in those parts of the country are now speeding up. Yet, more remote areas also tend to be the places that are already struggling in terms of what their health systems can bear. Media outlets look at how the virus is spreading in the states.
New York reported the biggest jump in deaths on Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 5,489. The New York Times takes a deep dive into the early response in the state, finding that both the federal government’s missteps as well as early confidence by state leaders played a role in the rapid spread. New Jersey also reported its greatest daily increase of deaths.
Wisconsin Democrats turned out to the polls after a whirlwind back-and-forth debate over whether the primary should be delayed. Many voters braved a pandemic, along with long lines and terrible weather to cast their ballots, but critics say that they should never have been put in that position in the first place and that mail-in-voting needs to be implemented for November.
Congress Could Pass $250B Legislation Targeted At Helping Small Businesses As Early As This Week
Heavy requests for the previously approved $350 billion in loans push lawmakers to consider augmenting the original $2.2 trillion package with a smaller bill geared to help small businesses. Meanwhile, the Small Business Administration struggles with an aging system while under immense strain from the influx of emergency loan requests. In other news: Democrats eye Medicaid incentives for the next stimulus package; a comparison of the stimulus packages to the 2008 bailout; how much Trump hotels could benefit; and more.
