Latest KFF Health News Stories
Parents Complain That Pediatricians, Wary of COVID, Shift Sick Kids to Urgent Care
Referrals of children to urgent care clinics or emergency rooms have become so prevalent that the American Academy of Pediatrics came out with interim guidance on how practices can safely continue to see patients. The academy recommended that pediatricians strive “to provide care for the same variety of visits that they provided prior to the public health emergency.”
“Todo lo que quieres es que te crean”: el prejuicio inconciente en la atención de salud
Los latinos y los afroamericanos suelen ser menos propensos a recibir analgésicos o atención avanzada que los pacientes blancos no hispanos con las mismas quejas o síntomas.
‘All You Want Is to Be Believed’: The Impacts of Unconscious Bias in Health Care
One woman shares her experience trying to get care in a Bay Area hospital for COVID symptoms. At nearly every turn, a doctor dismissed her complaints. Is bias part of why people of color are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus?
‘No Mercy’ Chapter 3: Patchwork of Urgent Care Frays After a Rural Hospital Closes
Fort Scott, Kansas, went without an ER for 18 days, after the local hospital shut down. Documenting local trauma during that “dark period” helped investigative reporter Sarah Jane Tribble unravel some of the complications that come after a rural hospital closes.
‘You’re Going to Release Him When He Was Hurting Himself?’
Daniel Prude’s family knew he needed psychiatric care and tried to get it for him. Instead, his encounter with police hours after he was released from Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York, proved fatal.
With No Legal Guardrails for Patients, Ambulances Drive Surprise Medical Billing
Studies show that at least half of ground ambulance rides across the nation leave patients with “surprise” medical bills. And a $300-a-mile ride is not unusual. Yet federal legislation to stem what’s known as balance billing has largely ignored ambulance costs.
Veteran’s Appendectomy Launches Excruciating Months-Long Battle Over Bill
An uninsured Colorado man owed $80,232 after two surgeries — the second to correct a complication from the first. After months of negotiating with the hospital, he still owes far more than most insurers would pay for the surgery he had.
‘Is This When I Drop Dead?’ Two Doctors Report From the COVID Front Lines
Two emergency room doctors, one in New York and the other in Houston, discuss their cities’ coronavirus outbreaks — and responses.
Trabajadora esencial recibe una factura pandémica de $1,840 por COVID
Ten cuidado si tu médico te envía a la sala de emergencias para una prueba de COVID, porque cualquier atención adicional que recibas allí podría tener un alto precio.
Essential Worker Shoulders $1,840 Pandemic Debt Due To COVID Cost Loophole
Carmen Quintero had symptoms of COVID-19, couldn’t get tested and ended up with a huge bill. She also was told to self-isolate and assume she had the coronavirus — which is hard when you live with elders.
Doctor en Los Angeles ayuda a los manifestantes heridos y sin seguro de salud
El doctor Amir Moarefi posteó en Instagram que ayudaría a los heridos. Ha recibido cientos de pedidos y su posteo en Instagram fue compartido por grupos de protesta de todo el país.
Injured And Uninsured, Protesters Get Medical Aid From LA Doctor
A Los Angeles ophthalmologist’s offer on Instagram has ballooned into a loose network of physicians providing medical care to protesters who were injured while rallying against police brutality and racism. While clashes with the police have died down in some parts of the country, some protesters are seeking care for festering wounds from days-old injuries.
Fighting COVID And Police Brutality, Medical Teams Take To Streets To Treat Protesters
Off-duty medical professionals joined protests in Denver and elsewhere sparked by George Floyd’s death to treat injured protesters, risking injury themselves.
For EMTs, There’s No ‘Rule Book’ For Facing A Pandemic And Protests At Once
Emergency medical technicians, who have been on the front lines against the coronavirus, also play a key role in helping provide care during protests sparked by the death of George Floyd.
Tear-Gassing Protesters During An Infectious Outbreak ‘A Recipe For Disaster’
Health researchers are among the voices calling for police to stop using tear gas and pepper spray on protesters, because these chemical irritants can damage the body in ways that can spread the coronavirus and increase the severity of COVID-19. One example: Tear gas and pepper spray can sow confusion and panic in a crowd, causing people to rip off their masks and touch their faces, leading to more contamination.
Tirarle gas lacrimógeno a manifestantes en medio de la pandemia es un “desastre”
Su uso generalizado, mientras que una enfermedad infecciosa, para la cual no hay vacuna, continúa propagándose en los Estados Unidos, ha sorprendido a expertos y médicos.
COVID-19 Overwhelms Border ICUs
Some California hospitals near the Mexican border have received so many COVID-19 patients the past few weeks that they have had to divert some to other facilities. Hospital officials say most of the infected patients are U.S. citizens or legal residents who live in, or recently traveled to, Mexico and came to the U.S. for care.
COVID-19 abruma a las terapias intensivas en la frontera
A pesar que la mayoría de los hospitales de California no tuvieron un aumento dramático de pacientes, algunas instalaciones cerca de la frontera con México se han visto desbordadas.
Nearly Half Of Americans Delayed Medical Care Due To Pandemic
Of those who went without seeing a doctor or other medical provider, 11% experienced a worsened medical condition, according to the poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation. In addition, nearly 40% said stress related to the coronavirus crisis has negatively impacted their mental health.
Casi la mitad de las personas han retrasado su atención médica por la pandemia
La mayoría espera recibir atención en los próximos tres meses. Casi el 40% dijo que el estrés relacionado con el coronavirus ha afectado negativamente su salud mental.
