Latest KFF Health News Stories
After a Deadly COVID Outbreak, Maryland County Takes Steps to Protect Health Workers
Prince George’s County in Maryland is taking action after a coronavirus outbreak left veteran public health worker Chantee Mack dead and several colleagues with lasting medical problems. But some staffers say more still needs to be done to keep public health workers on the front lines of the COVID fight safe.
Lack of Antigen Test Reporting Leaves Country ‘Blind to the Pandemic’
A KHN review found more than 20 states either don’t count or have incomplete data on the use of COVID-19 antigen tests, leaving the public in the dark about the true scope of the pandemic.
Maryland County Pledges Investigation of Health Worker’s Coronavirus Death
The disease intervention specialist at the Prince George’s County Health Department was among at least 20 department employees infected by the coronavirus, union officials say. The outbreak underscores the stark dangers facing the nation’s front-line public health army.
Essential and in Danger: Coronavirus Sickens, Even Kills Public Health Workers
As the coronavirus threatens the nation’s public health army, an outbreak in Maryland reflects the tension between serving the community and protecting workers from a deadly disease.
When A Doctor No Longer Accepts Medicare, Patients Left Holding The Bag
As doctors look for alternative ways to charge patients for care, some Medicare enrollees may lose access to their physicians.
Baltimore’s ‘Squeegee Boys’: ‘If We Don’t Go Out, We Don’t Eat’
The federal government’s relief package left behind many of America’s poorest workers struggling to make ends meet as the coronavirus ravaged and unemployment rose. Baltimore’s “squeegee boys” are among them.
Dispatch From A Country Doctor: Seeing Patients Differently In The Time Of Coronavirus
Emergency rule changes by the federal government and some insurers have made telemedicine a useful tool.
Con reportes parciales de los estados, el panorama de COVID-19 en el país es borroso
Varios estados informan solo resultados positivos de la prueba para COVID-19 de laboratorios privados, una práctica que pinta una imagen engañosa del ritmo de propagación de la enfermedad.
Some States Are Reporting Incomplete COVID-19 Results, Blurring The Full Picture
Maryland, Ohio and others are reporting only positive tests, which skews tracking and an understanding of how the virus spreads.
Listen: The Reverberations of Gun Violence In Baltimore
KHN’s Chaseedaw Giles discusses her story about the West Baltimore barber who cares for his clients in life and death on Baltimore’s news radio station, WBAL.
Baltimore barber Antoine Dow helps bring dignity to young black men whose lives were cut short by gun violence.
Iglesias logran saldar millones en cuentas médicas de miles de personas
Iglesias de Maryland, Illinois, Virginia, Texas, entre otros lugares han logrado negociar con aseguradoras y saldar deudas médicas de sus feligreses… y más.
Churches Wipe Out Millions In Medical Debt For Others
In a mission of forgiveness, churches around the country are buying up medical debt for pennies on the dollar then erasing the debts of strangers. Since the start of 2018, at least 18 churches nationwide have abolished more than $34 million burdening America’s most debt-ridden patients.
Putting Oversized Health Care Costs Upfront — On T-Shirts
The Maryland Health Care Commission has created a consumer education campaign that puts the costs of common health care procedures on a place where people might see them – T-shirts.
‘They Deserve It’: In Foster Homes, Veterans Are Cared For Like Family
With the motto “Where Heroes Meet Angels,” a small Veterans Affairs effort pairs vets in need of nursing home care with caregivers willing to share their homes. Medical foster homes save money, but it’s difficult to find enough spaces for all those who could benefit.
As Proton Centers Struggle, A Sign Of A Health Care Bubble?
Companies pushed proton machines and counted on advertising, doctors and insurers to ensure a steady business treating cancer. But the dollars haven’t flowed in as expected.
Federal Appeals Court Puts Chill On Maryland Law To Fight Drug Price-Gouging
The decision in Maryland’s case could slow momentum for other states that are attempting to take action to curb high drug costs.
Paying Hospitals To Keep People Out Of Hospitals? It Works In Maryland.
The state’s ambitious payment overhaul has begun to demonstrate savings and a change in culture, say new reports.
A Health Plan ‘Down Payment’ Is One Way States Try Retooling Individual Mandate
As states brace for insurance market instability, some — like Maryland — take aggressive action.
Maryland Offers Many Insured Men Free Vasectomy Coverage
But state officials are trying to get assurances from the Internal Revenue Service that the new law does not conflict with federal rules for health savings accounts.
