Jordan Rau

Visit kff.org to read Jordan's bio.

jrau@kff.org

Despite Covid, Many Wealthy Hospitals Had a Banner Year With Federal Bailout

KFF Health News Original

As the crisis crushed smaller providers, some of the nation’s richest health systems thrived, reporting hundreds of millions of dollars in surpluses after accepting huge grants for pandemic relief. But poorer hospitals — many serving rural and minority populations — got a smaller slice of the pie and limped through the year with deficits and a bleak fiscal future.

College Tuition Sparked a Mental Health Crisis. Then the Hefty Hospital Bill Arrived.

KFF Health News Original

A student sought counseling help after feeling panicked when she had trouble paying a big tuition bill. A weeklong stay in a psychiatric hospital followed — along with a $3,413 bill. The hospital soft-pedaled its charity care policy.

Medicare Cuts Payment to 774 Hospitals Over Patient Complications

KFF Health News Original

Renowned medical centers are among the quarter of general hospitals that will lose 1% of Medicare payments for one year because their patients have high rates of bedsores, sepsis and other preventable complications.

If This Self-Sufficient Hospital Cannot Stand Alone, Can Any Public Hospital Survive?

KFF Health News Original

New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, N.C., makes money and does not require taxpayer subsidies. But the county is selling the public hospital because officials say it needs more capital to compete. Civic leaders say the change will lead to higher health care costs.

Nursing Homes Still See Dangerously Long Waits for COVID Test Results

KFF Health News Original

The Trump administration hailed rapid tests as the way to halt COVID’s spread in nursing homes. A KHN analysis of federal data shows they’re not being used, as questions linger about accuracy and best practices.

Feds Approve Fractious Georgia Plan to Change ACA Marketplace

KFF Health News Original

Under the plan pushed by Gov. Brian Kemp, the healthcare.gov website will no longer provide options for Georgia starting next fall, and consumers will need to rely on private brokers, insurance companies, agents and commercial websites.

Medicare Fines Half of Hospitals for Readmitting Too Many Patients

KFF Health News Original

The penalties are the ninth round of a program created as part of the Affordable Care Act’s broader effort to improve quality and lower costs. The average reduction in federal payments is 0.69%, with 613 hospitals receiving a penalty of 1% or more.

Urban Hospitals of Last Resort Cling to Life in Time of COVID

KFF Health News Original

Rural hospitals have been closing at a quickening pace in recent years, but a number of inner-city hospitals now face a similar fate. Experts fear that the economic damage inflicted by the COVID pandemic is helping push some of these urban hospitals over the edge at the very time their services are most needed.

Most Adults Wary of Taking Any Vaccine Approved Before the Election

KFF Health News Original

About 60% of poll respondents are worried that federal regulators will rush to allow a vaccine because of political pressure. Opposition to getting a vaccine that might be authorized before the November election is strongest among Republicans.

Packed Bars Serve Up New Rounds Of COVID Contagion

KFF Health News Original

State officials are pointing to reopened bars as a cause of local spikes in coronavirus cases. Bars are tailor-made for the spread of the virus, with a cacophony of conversations that require raised voices and alcohol, which can impede judgment.

Federal Help Falters As Nursing Homes Run Short Of Protective Equipment

KFF Health News Original

More than 3,000 nursing homes reported less than a week’s worth of supplies, and 653 said they had run out entirely at some point. Stopgap FEMA equipment has not reached many facilities, and packages that have arrived have fallen short of promises.

COVID-Plagued California Nursing Homes Often Had Problems In Past

KFF Health News Original

Nursing homes with COVID-19 infections tend to violate health rules more often and have more complaints and fines, records show. But infections also plague highly rated facilities — while sparing some low-ranked ones.