Weekly Edition: March 19, 2021

Lost on the Frontline: Explore the Database
By The Staffs of KFF Health News and The Guardian As of Wednesday, the KHN-Guardian project counted 3,607 U.S. health worker deaths in the first year of the pandemic. Today we add 39 profiles, including a hospice chaplain, a nurse who spoke to intubated patients "like they were listening," and a home health aide who couldn't afford to stop working. This is the most comprehensive count in the nation as of April 2021, and our interactive database investigates the question: Did they have to die?

Covid-Inspired Montana Health Insurance Proposal Wouldn’t Kick In for 2 Years
By Sara Reardon Montana is looking to join most other states in requiring small businesses to offer laid-off employees temporary continuity of their health care plans. But the bill, if it passes, likely won’t take effect in time to help people directly affected by the pandemic.

The Case for Donating US Covid Vaccines Overseas
By Arthur Allen For now, there’s not enough vaccine for the U.S., but that could change within a few months. Vaccinating other nations will be key to stopping the pandemic – and keeping it away from our shores.

Listen: Crooked Media and KHN Deliver Diagnosis on Pandemic Relief and ACA
KHN and Crooked Media’s “America Dissected” have teamed up for a recurring conversation about the policies that make health care seem so tangled. Join KHN journalists and podcast host Dr. Abdul El-Sayed for his “DC Diagnosis.”

Need Amid Plenty: Richest US Counties Are Overwhelmed by Surge in Child Hunger
By Laura Ungar Hunger among kids is skyrocketing, even in America’s wealthiest counties. But given the nation’s highly uneven charitable food system, affluent communities have been far less ready for the unprecedented crisis than places accustomed to dealing with poverty and hardship.

Doctors Found Jet Fuel in Veteran’s Lungs. He Can’t Get Full Benefits.
By Michael McAuliff Sick with ailments similar to those suffered by 9/11 first responders, military service members exposed to toxic burning garbage in Iraq and Afghanistan may finally see Congress address their plight. President Joe Biden believes his son Beau’s brain cancer may have been caused by such exposure.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: ACA Packs More Benefits — And More Confusion
The covid relief bill signed by President Joe Biden includes a long list of new health benefits for consumers. But many eligible people may have difficulty taking advantage of them because of the interaction with the income tax system and a lack of expert guidance. Meanwhile, Democrats are debating internally about what should come next on the health agenda. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Mary Ellen McIntire of CQ Roll Call and Rachana Pradhan of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

‘Super-Sized’ Vaccine Clinic Offers Food Workers Some Relief
By Lori Basheda Long Beach, which has its own health department, kicked off a vaccination campaign for essential workers by inviting 3,000 food workers to a splashy vaccination event at the city’s convention center.

Landmark Covid Relief Law Pumps More Than $100 Billion Into Public Health
By Steven Findlay The law provides money to enhance coronavirus testing and contact tracing, support federal efforts on vaccine distribution and hire more public health workers. But advocates worry support will wane when the pandemic is over.

Role Reversal: Covid Increases Ranks of Child Caregivers
By Heidi de Marco Millions of teens and preteens help care for ill parents or grandparents. The pandemic has boosted their numbers while making it harder for them to get social and emotional support outside the home.

Doctors Debate Use of Blood Thinners to Prevent Clots in Women After C-Sections
By Harris Meyer One group of maternal health experts in 2016 urged doctors to give all women heparin shots after C-sections, barring specific medical risks for individual patients. But many physicians disagree, questioning whether wide use of the drug is effective, worth the cost and safe, since it carries the risk of bleeding.

Can Vaccination and Infection Rates Add Up to Reach Covid Herd Immunity?
By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez A financial research firm offered its take on when states might be reaching the sought-after status of herd immunity. But some experts say the analysis is oversimplified.

Analysis: The Trump Health Care Policies That Deserve to Stick Around
By Elisabeth Rosenthal President Joe Biden may want to continue the previous administration’s efforts to lower drug prices and make medical costs transparent.

How Covid Has Changed Our Movement, as Revealed by Your Cellphone
By Phillip Reese Californians are venturing out to shop, dine and work far more now than a year ago, when state officials issued the first sweeping stay-at-home order. But we’re still sticking to home way more than before the pandemic, according to mobile phone tracking data.

‘Painless’ Glucose Monitors Pushed Despite Little Evidence They Help Most Diabetes Patients
By Phil Galewitz The numbers of people wearing these monitors are soaring as prices have fallen and device-makers promote them to doctors and patients. But few studies show the devices lead to better outcomes for the nearly 25 million Americans with Type 2 diabetes who don’t inject insulin to regulate their blood sugar.

For Spring Season, Young Athletes Get Back in the Game Despite Covid Risk
By Laura Ungar With schools opening up classrooms, millions of young athletes are also getting out on fields and courts. But pandemic precautions and delays are spurring conflicts among parents, coaches and doctors.

Covid Cases Plummet 83% Among Nursing Home Staffers Despite Vaccine Hesitancy
By Melissa Bailey and Shoshana Dubnow Federal records show a steep decline in staff covid cases since December, when health care workers at thousands of nursing homes began getting their shots. Still, many are reluctant to get vaccinated.

The Boom in Out-of-State Telehealth Threatens In-State Providers
By Matt Volz Health provider conflicts, fraud and access disparity temper the covid telehealth revolution.

A Year Into the Pandemic, Three Huge Losses in One Family
By Will Stone The Aldaco family of Phoenix suffered more than most in this year of unfathomable losses. Three brothers perished in the pandemic: Jose in July, Heriberto in December and Gonzalo in February.

Journalists Explore Covid Relief Bill and Vaccine Issues
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.