Latest KFF Health News Stories
Navajo Nation Faces Unbearable Grief After Virus ‘Spreads Like Wildfire’ Through The Tribe
If the Navajo Nation were a state it would have the highest rate of coronavirus cases per capita after New York. And yet it continues to struggle to get help from the federal government.
White House Recommends All Nursing Home Residents, Staff Be Tested In Next Two Weeks
When asked why testing wasn’t ordered at the facilities where about a third of all deaths have occurred, President Donald Trump said “I would certainly consider that. I will mandate it if you’d like.” Nursing home news is from New Jersey, California, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and California.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has been working on another relief package, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) hasn’t shifted from his wait-and-see approach. Dubbed CARES 2, the legislation is expected to adhere largely to the contours of the first CARES Act by providing help to medical providers, small businesses, workers and families most affected by the crisis.
Republican States Quietly Expanding Mail-In Voting Despite National Right-Wing Rhetoric
Even as President Donald Trump voices concerns about mail-in voting, some red states are accepting the inevitable amid the pandemic. Meanwhile, Democrats are starting to take steps toward moving its national nominating convention online.
The Latest Debate In Rationing Care: Which Patients Get Treated With Limited Supply Of Remdesivir?
Doctors and hospitals lobbed criticism at the Trump administration for its distribution of the experimental drug, which has been found to cut hospitalization stays. But once facilities have the medication, providers will have to make tough decisions about which patients get it.
Experts say that if the human trials were done right–and in controlled settings–that the reward in creating an effective vaccine faster is worth the risk. Meanwhile, WHO says scientists are working to cut the development time of a vaccine with the help of billions pledged from countries across the globe. And many experts look ahead to the inevitable shortages that will come with producing enough dosages of the vaccine.
Johns Hopkins To Offer Free Five-Hour Class To Teach People How To Become Contact Tracers
Contact tracing is viewed as one of the key components of reopening the country. But building the massive workforce needed to make the efforts effective will be a Herculean task for overstretched public health departments.
Medicaid Expansion Advocates Hope Pandemic Will Boost Support In Southern States
There are still 14 states that still haven’t expanded Medicaid, but two–Oklahoma and Missouri–will likely have ballot initiatives go in front of voters this year. Advocates hope the outbreak will nudge anyone on the fence toward supporting the expansion.
The effects of the reopenings will not be immediately apparent, especially in the absence of widespread testing, experts say. But it will be measured in lives lost in the months to come. Meanwhile, an outbreak scare in the White House offers a prime example of the challenges employers face in bringing workers back to the office. And new hot spots emerge across the country.
All West Wing Employees Will Be Required To Wear Masks After Outbreak Scare At White House
But President Donald Trump is still bucking CDC guidelines and does not plan to wear one. The mask has become a visual symbol at the center of political and cultural tensions stoked by groups that want to reopen the country earlier than public health experts advise.
Trump Takes Victory Lap On Testing Despite The Fact That America Still Lags Behind Many Countries
President Donald Trump said the country has prevailed on testing, saying that anyone who needs a test can get a test. But the capacity still isn’t there to test most Americans. Trump deflected the question when asked why Americans should feel secure going back to work if they can’t get tested frequently like White House staffers will be.
Fauci Expected To Warn Senate That Reopening Too Early Will Cause ‘Needless Suffering And Death’
Dr. Anthony Fauci will testify at a Senate hearing today along with Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the CDC; Dr. Stephen Hahn, the commissioner of the FDA; and Adm. Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary for health. Some of the session will be conducted virtually, because the officials and Senate chairman are self-quarantining.
U.S. Death Toll Tops 80,000 As New Report On NYC Fatalities Highlights Problems With Undercounting
A new study on excess year-over-year deaths suggests that the New York City death toll should actually include about 5,300 more cases. The data reinforces what scientists and experts have been saying over the past weeks: that the number of COVID-19 cases is likely higher than reported.
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic issues and others.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Among the recommendations given to the Office of National Coordinator For Health Information Technology: strengthening infrastructure for public health surveillance and bolstering broadband infrastructure for telemedicine. Other technology news is on a lawsuit over data breaches at Lurie Children’s Hospital.
Financially Strapped Doctors, Hospitals Eyeing Insurers’ Profits With Increasing Distrust
Executives and advisers from eight hospitals across Massachusetts use phrases like “sucking us dry,” “bloodbath” and “shameful,” on background, to describe health insurers, whom they see as sitting on piles of unspent health care premiums that they could be using to keep clinicians afloat. In other news, patient advocates want to make sure the neediest hospitals are getting federal aid.
Dentists, Physicians Offices Hit Hardest During April’s Loss Of 1.4M Health Care Jobs
The industry is usually immune to economic hardships, but closings of dentist offices and eliminating nonessential surgeries and procedures led to many layoffs and furloughs. News on health workers is nursing, paramedics, sports specialists, Doctors Without Borders, medical students, mobile health clinics, residents, mental health and hospice care, as well.
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic issues and others.
States’ Lean Contact Tracing Teams ‘Overwhelmed,’ And Officials Fear There’s Little Help Coming
Contact tracing is viewed by experts as a key component to reopening the country, but it takes time, money and resources — all of which are thin for already overstretched public health departments. Meanwhile, federal virus hunters are hamstrung by an outdated system that relied on fax machines and paper documents. And a promising solution posed by tracing apps could breed a host of other smaller problems.
