Latest KFF Health News Stories
Pandemic-Related Paid Sick Days and Leave to Expire Dec. 31 — With No Extension in Sight
Enacted in March, an emergency measure covers about half of full-time workers nationwide, permitting 10 days of paid sick leave for all who fall ill or need to quarantine, and 50 more days of extended leave for parents who need to care for a child at home due to COVID-related school or day care closures.
More Americans — Of All Political Persuasions — Are Donning Masks
Half the public believes the worst of the pandemic is yet to come, but most are prepared to continue to take measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 until vaccines are distributed.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: All I Want for Christmas Is a COVID Relief Bill
Congress seems on the verge of finishing a long-delayed COVID-19 relief bill, which will reportedly include neither of the things each party wanted most — for Republicans, liability protections; for Democrats, funding for states and localities. That bill is likely to be tied to a package to fund the federal government for the rest of the fiscal year and, possibly, include a fix for “surprise” medical bills that patients receive when they inadvertently receive care outside their insurance network. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call and Mary Agnes Carey of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner talks to Elizabeth Mitchell, president and CEO of the Pacific Business Group on Health, about the future of employer-provided health insurance.
Trusted Messengers May Help Disenfranchised Communities Overcome Vaccine Hesitancy
Persuading vulnerable low-income and ethnic communities hit hard by the coronavirus to take a new vaccine may be challenging. But established local health leaders, like a group in Rochester, Minnesota, may be one answer.
With Vaccine Delivery Imminent, Nursing Homes Must Make a Strong Pitch to Residents
More than half of long-term care residents have cognitive impairment or dementia, raising questions about whether they will understand the details about the fastest and most extensive vaccination effort in U.S. history.
Alzheimer’s Inc.: Colleagues Question Scientist’s Pricey Recipe Against Memory Loss
Dr. Dale Bredesen is a well-known, well-respected neurologist. But his colleagues think the comprehensive Alzheimer’s program he’s marketing through a private company is a mixture of free-for-the-asking common sense and unproven interventions.
As Congress Bickers Over Pandemic Relief, Flight Attendant’s Life Is in a Holding Pattern
The coronavirus pandemic has hit hard for Troy Muenzer of Chicago. He had a “suspected case” of COVID in the spring, was billed nearly $1,000 after he unsuccessfully sought to get tested for COVID-19 and has been furloughed after the airline he worked for saw a major decline in passengers.
Lie of the Year: The Downplay and Denial of the Coronavirus
It’s no worse than the flu, and other deadly disinformation about the coronavirus
‘An Arm and a Leg’: Shopping for Health Insurance? Here’s How One Family Tried to Pick a Plan
Host Dan Weissmann gives us an inside look at his family’s quest to pick health insurance for next year. COVID-19 makes it more complicated.
Trump’s Wrong. 15% ‘Herd Immunity’ Is Not on Par With Strength of a Vaccine
Experts agree that more than 70% of a population needs to be inoculated to reach “herd immunity.”
High-Poverty Neighborhoods Bear the Brunt of COVID’s Scourge
COVID infection rates in California are consistently higher in low-income neighborhoods than more affluent areas, according to an analysis by ZIP code. Our findings underscore the heightened risks borne by millions of low-wage workers whose jobs are deemed essential.
Pediatricians Want Kids to Be Part of COVID Vaccine Trials
Some years from now, infants and school-aged children will probably be the mainstay of a universal vaccination program against COVID-19 in the United States. But first, doctors want to be sure that newfangled vaccines won’t harm them.
Pandemic Backlash Jeopardizes Public Health Powers, Leaders
At least 181 public health leaders in 38 states have resigned, retired or been fired amid the turmoil of the pandemic. The departures come as backlash against public health is rising with threats to officials’ personal safety and legislative and legal efforts to strip their governmental public health powers.
In COVID Hot Zones, Firefighters Now ‘Pump More Oxygen Than Water’
Firefighters are often thrust into front-line health emergencies. During the COVID pandemic, they’ve paid an especially high price.
Hospitals Scramble to Prioritize Which Workers Are First for COVID Shots
Even as the federal Food and Drug Administration engaged in intense deliberations ahead of Friday’s authorization of the nation’s first COVID vaccine, and days before the initial doses were to be released, hospitals have been grappling with how to distribute the first scarce shots. Their plans vary broadly.
Supply Is Limited and Distribution Uncertain as COVID Vaccine Rolls Out
Hospitals and nursing homes must decide who gets the initial doses as the U.S. heads into the biggest vaccination effort in history. There’s a lot left to figure out.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Vaccines Coming Soon but COVID Relief Bill Still Stalled
Even as the Food and Drug Administration nears emergency authorization for the first vaccine to protect against COVID-19, Congress remains at loggerheads over a COVID relief bill that could also provide the funding to fully distribute the vaccines. Meanwhile, President-elect Joe Biden announced the first members of his health team. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Kimberly Leonard of Business Insider and Mary Ellen McIntire of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Michael Mackert of the University of Texas-Austin, an expert on communicating public health information.
Dialysis Industry Spends Millions, Emerges as Power Player in California Politics
Over the past four years, the dialysis industry has spent $233 million on both political offense and defense in California. Most of it went toward protecting its revenues against ballot initiatives, but the industry also strategically worked the corridors of the state Capitol.
It’s Time to Scare People About COVID
Our public messaging about the virus should explain the real costs — in graphic terms — of catching the virus.
With Pandemic Surging, Ohio Gov. DeWine Dials Back His Aggressive Response
The governor won praise around the state for his early efforts to combat the coronavirus, but as the crisis wore on and President Donald Trump played down the threat, Ohio Republicans began to grow restless with DeWine’s stance, and concerns for his reelection campaign in 2022 are rising.
