Weekly Edition: April 24, 2020
OSHA Probing Health Worker Deaths But Urges Inspectors To Spare The Penalties
By Christina Jewett and Shefali Luthra
Former officials from the federal agency criticize OSHA for a slow and timid response to a “worker safety crisis of monstrous proportions” unfolding in hospitals, nursing homes.
Amid Pandemic, FDA Seizes Cheaper Drugs From Canada
By Phil Galewitz
Many Americans order drugs from Canada and other countries because they are cheaper, but U.S. authorities appear to be cracking down on the practice.
‘An Arm And A Leg’: Am I Protected If I Need COVID-19 Care?
By Dan Weissmann
“An Arm and a Leg” is back sharing stories about the ways COVID-19 intersects with the cost of health care. To tackle a listener’s question about health coverage, Dan Weissmann spoke with one of the country’s top insurance nerds.
In Fine Print, HHS Appears To Ban All Surprise Billing During The Pandemic
By Emmarie Huetteman
Language in the CARES Act says providers who take emergency funding cannot balance-bill coronavirus patients ― and “every patient” is considered a possible COVID-19 patient.
Seniors With COVID-19 Show Unusual Symptoms, Doctors Say
By Judith Graham
Older bodies respond to infection in different ways. Seniors may sleep more or stop eating. They may be confused or dizzy. They might simply collapse.
‘It Hurts Our Soul’: Nursing Home Workers Struggle With Thankless Position
By Anna Almendrala
Poorly rated long-term care facilities stand out in the COVID-19 crisis — but even the best are affected.
Before ‘Tidal Wave’ Of Illness, Nursing Home Thought It Had COVID-19 Contained
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
Though it already had one staff member testing positive for the coronavirus, the Gallatin Center for Rehabilitation and Healing did not tell 911 operators this fact as it called ambulances to take residents in respiratory distress to the hospital, a WPLN investigation reveals.
The Inside Story Of How The Bay Area Got Ahead Of The COVID-19 Crisis
By Angela Hart and Anna Maria Barry-Jester
An early morning text. A lawyer-filled meeting on a Sunday afternoon. Emotional journal entries. And, ultimately, action. In the 24 hours before San Francisco Bay Area public health officials issued the country’s first stay-at-home order, they debated how to tackle the alarming rise in COVID-19 infections. Their decision set the course for the nation.
San Francisco Quick To Fight COVID-19, Slow To Help Homeless
By Brian Krans
San Francisco Mayor London Breed won nationwide praise for taking drastic early measures against COVID-19. But her hesitation over how to care for the homeless came back to bite her.
Coronavirus Crisis Opens Access To Online Opioid Addiction Treatment
By Phil Galewitz
Under the national emergency, the government has waived a law that required patients to have an in-person visit with a physician before they could be prescribed drugs that help quell withdrawal symptoms, such as Suboxone. Now they can get those prescriptions via a phone call or videoconference with a doctor. That may give video addiction therapy a kick-start.
Coronavirus Fuels Explosive Growth In Telehealth ― And Concern About Fraud
By Fred Schulte
“Unscrupulous providers” could take advantage of the boom in treatment delivered via voice or video calls.
Born Into A Pandemic: Virus Complicates Births For Moms And Babies
By JoNel Aleccia and Laura Ungar
COVID-19 is changing medical care, not only for vulnerable elders but also for pregnant women and their babies entering the world.
Vaping, Opioid Addiction Accelerate Coronavirus Risks, Says NIDA Director
By Shefali Luthra
Dr. Nora Volkow, who heads the National Institute on Drug Abuse, details how emerging science points to added challenges for these patient populations and the public health system.
Anti-Vaccine Activists Latch Onto Coronavirus To Bolster Their Movement
By Liz Szabo
Activists failed to convince state legislators that diseases like measles aren’t serious enough to require vaccination. Now they’re joining with conservatives and other anti-lockdown demonstrators who contend the coronavirus isn’t dangerous enough to justify staying home.
Abbott’s Fast COVID Test Poses Safety Issues, Lab Workers Say
By Rachana Pradhan
HHS said this test would “save personal protective equipment.” But Abbott’s very design ― devised for mobile testing — means those working with specimens need even more protection, experts warn.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Whom Do We Trust For COVID Info?
The messaging from the White House coronavirus press briefings is becoming more confusing as President Donald Trump and his science advisers appear to not see eye to eye. Meanwhile, Congress is ready to approve more money to address both the health and economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. And the virus is taking an almost unimaginable toll on the nation’s nursing homes and putting strain on patients and health care providers with non-COVID ailments. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Jennifer Haberkorn of the Los Angeles Times and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more.
Biden Says OSHA Isn’t Doing Enough To Protect Workers’ From COVID-19
By Victoria Knight
Labor unions have called for the agency to issue an emergency standard that would define what steps employers must take to protect their workers from the coronavirus. It has not done that, although it offered guidance that it said does not create a “new legal obligation” for employers.
The Other COVID Risks: How Race, Income, ZIP Code Influence Who Lives Or Dies
By Liz Szabo and Hannah Recht
Federal officials have known for nearly a decade which counties are most likely to suffer devastation ― both in loss of lives and jobs ― in a pandemic.
In The Middle Of The Country, A Hospital And Its Community Prepare For The Surge
By Sandy West
Because the surge of COVID-19 cases hasn’t yet hit all parts of America, some hospitals are able to learn lessons from the hot spots and prepare for the onslaught. In Wichita, Kansas, Ascension Via Christi hospitals converted a portion of a hospital cafeteria into a grocery store and offered alternative housing and child care for staff members working long hours in a stressful setting. The hospital group is also working with local aircraft manufacturers and 3D-printing hobbyists to produce face shields and other safety materials.
Pandemic Stresses Already Fragile Rural Health Care Systems
KHN Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber joined Newsy’s "Morning Rush" and WAMU’s “1A” show to talk about the challenges facing rural America during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listen: Battling The Coronavirus While Reopening The Economy
KHN’s Julie Rovner discusses the Trump administration’s blueprint for reopening the economy and its effect on public health on WBUR’s “On Point.”
A Switch To Medicaid Managed Care Worries Some Illinois Foster Families
By Christine Herman, Side Effects Public Media
Illinois is moving thousands of children into its Medicaid managed-care program. Proponents say the approach can cut costs while increasing access to care. But after a phase-one rollout of the new health plans caused thousands to temporarily lose coverage, some question whether it’s the right move.
How Climate Change Is Putting Doctors In The Hot Seat
By Melissa Bailey
Health care providers are seeing the effects of climate change in hospitals across the U.S. ― and urging their peers to take action.