Weekly Edition: July 31, 2020

Lost on the Frontline
By The Staffs of KHN and The Guardian “Lost on the Frontline” is an ongoing project by Kaiser Health News and The Guardian that aims to document the lives of health care workers in the U.S. who died from COVID 19, and to investigate why so many are victims of the disease.

Don’t Count on Lower Premiums Despite Pandemic-Driven Boon for Insurers
By Bernard J. Wolfson Early in the pandemic, insurers expected the costs of treating COVID-19 would vastly increase medical spending. Instead, non-COVID care has plummeted and insurers have pocketed the result. Still, few industry observers are predicting broad-based premium cuts in 2021, though some health plans have proposed lowering their rates.

Missourians to Vote on Medicaid Expansion as Crisis Leaves Millions Without Insurance
By Cara Anthony Around the country, Medicaid enrollment is up as people who have lost jobs during the pandemic seek health insurance. Expanding eligibility for Missouri’s program, which could help thousands of recently unemployed residents, will be on the ballot Tuesday.

The COVID-19 Downturn Triggers Jump in Medicaid Enrollment
By Phil Galewitz For the first time since 2017, Medicaid enrollment has begun increasing again, but not by as much as many analysts expected.

In Texas, More People Are Losing Their Health Insurance as COVID Cases Climb
By Ashley Lopez, KUT During the pandemic, nearly 700,000 additional Texans have lost health insurance. The Lone Star State already had more uninsured people than any other. It has given people with COVID symptoms pause before seeking medical care.

Last Thing Patients Need During Pandemic: Being Last to Know a Doctor Left Network
By Michelle Andrews Health plan network changes occur all the time as doctors retire, relocate or leave networks. Unfortunately, patients may be the last to find out about such changes because there are often few requirements that either providers or insurers inform them.

Dental and Doctors’ Offices Still Struggling with COVID Job Loss
By Phillip Reese Newly released employment data underscores the lingering toll the pandemic has taken on a range of outpatient services in California and across the U.S., from pediatric and family medical practices to dental offices, medical labs and home health care.

Biden Is Right. Pay for Home Health Workers Is Paltry.
By Stephanie Stapleton These workers rely on public assistance — and, sometimes, a side gig to get by.

Public Health Experts Fear a Hasty FDA Signoff on Vaccine
By Arthur Allen The FDA must approve any coronavirus vaccine before it’s widely distributed, but political pressure could cloud the decision.

The Color of COVID: Will Vaccine Trials Reflect America’s Diversity?
By JoNel Aleccia Although racial minorities, older people and those with underlying medical conditions are most at risk from COVID-19, they’ve historically been the least likely to be included in clinical trials for treatments for serious diseases. Will that change with COVID-19?

Namaste Noir: Yoga Co-Op Seeks to Diversify Yoga to Heal Racialized Trauma
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield In dealing with her son’s violent murder, fear over the coronavirus pandemic and the stress of coping with systemic racism, Beverly Grant has found strength and peace through yoga. The Denver native is part of a yoga co-op seeking to bring the ancient practice to more diverse communities as a health care tool.

Medi-Cal Agency’s New Head Wants to Tackle Disparities and Racism
By Samantha Young Will Lightbourne, the new director of the California Department of Health Care Services, says government must address the racial disparities laid bare by COVID-19 and improve care for the state’s most vulnerable residents.

Avoiding Care During the Pandemic Could Mean Life or Death
By John M. Glionna Americans are avoiding hospitals and clinics by the millions, even when they shouldn’t, and many experts expect a jump in preventable disease diagnoses after the COVID crisis eases. Paradoxically, the pandemic may have been good for some heart patients, however.

Don’t Fall for This Video: Hydroxychloroquine Is Not a COVID-19 Cure
By Daniel Funke, PolitiFact This statement is taken from a video in which a group of doctors air unproven conspiracy theories about the coronavirus. Dr. Immanuel's claims were among the most inaccurate. And, before it was removed from social media platforms, thee video was viewed millions of times. President Donald Trump retweeted it.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Republicans in COVID Disarray
President Donald Trump’s sobering view of COVID-19 didn’t last long – this week, he was back to pushing hydroxychloroquine, a drug that has been shown not to work in treating the virus. Meanwhile, Republicans on Capitol Hill are still scrambling to agree among themselves and with the White House on the next coronavirus relief bill, as both a moratorium on evictions and extra unemployment payments expire. And the debate over drug prices, which was going to be one of the biggest health issues of this election year, makes a brief appearance. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Mary Ellen McIntire of CQ Roll Call and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, Rovner interviews KHN’s Markian Hawryluk, who wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” story about a surprise bill from a surprise surgical assistant.

‘It’s About Love and Solidarity’: Mutual Aid Unites NYC Neighbors Facing COVID
By Elizabeth Lawrence Mutual aid groups, in which volunteers give their time and resources to help others in the community, are seeing a resurgence in New York with the coronavirus pandemic.

Where Mask-Wearing Isn’t Gospel: Colorado Churches Grapple With Reopening
By Jakob Rodgers Long considered one of the country’s evangelical strongholds, Colorado Springs cautiously returned to church after nearly two months without religious gatherings. But how congregations are handling Colorado’s new mask rules varies in this conservative city.

Employers Require COVID Liability Waivers as Conflict Mounts Over Workplace Safety
By Harris Meyer While Congress negotiates liability protection for reopening businesses as part of its latest pandemic bailout package, some employers are already requiring workers to sign waivers agreeing not to sue if they get COVID-19 on the job.

Analysis: When Is a Coronavirus Test Not a Coronavirus Test?
By Elisabeth Rosenthal If it takes 12 days to get results, testing is basically pointless.

Watch: When a Surprise Helper During Surgery Is Out-of-Network
"CBS This Morning" features the July installment of KHN-NPR's Bill of the Month about a surgical assistant's out-of-network bill for helping during knee surgery.