A Fair to Remember: County Fairs Weigh Risk of Outbreak Against Financial Ruin
The threat of COVID-19 forced many county fairs to cancel this year. But some rural communities that depend on the annual economic and cultural boost decided to go ahead despite a pattern of outbreaks.
How Families Are Keeping Halloween From Turning Into a COVID Nightmare
Parents are turning to spooky scavenger hunts, pumpkin-carving and movie nights as alternatives to trick-or-treating. Health professionals have their own advice on how to safely celebrate Halloween during the pandemic.
It’s Not Just Insulin: Lawmakers Focus on Price of One Drug, While Others Rise Too
While insulin is the poster child for outrageous prescription costs, patients are paying ever more to treat depression, asthma, HIV, cholesterol and more. And the pandemic has overtaken efforts to force the issue in Congress.
Election Gift for Florida? Trump Poised to Approve Drug Imports From Canada
The Trump administration is primed to approve a plan designed to help lower costs of some prescription drugs by allowing states to import them from Canada. The announcement could come before Election Day, and Florida appears to be in line to go first.
COVID Exodus Fills Vacation Towns With New Medical Pressures
As people leave COVID-stricken cities to settle semi-permanently in vacation communities, locals assess how these new residents are changing demands on medical services.
New Dental Treatment Helps Fill Cavities and Insurance Gaps for Seniors
A new treatment for tooth decay is cheaper, quicker and less painful than getting a filling. Originally touted as a solution for kids, silver diamine fluoride is poised to become a game changer for treating cavities in older adults or those with disabilities that make oral care difficult.
As Threat of Valley Fever Grows Beyond the Southwest, Push Is On for Vaccine
Efforts are underway to bring to market a vaccine for valley fever, a fungal infection with COVID-like symptoms that occurs in the deserts of the Southwest. The illness is getting more attention as cases rise and a warming climate threatens to spread it through the West.
Opposition to Obamacare Becomes Political Liability for GOP Incumbents
Control of the U.S. Senate this election hinges on a handful of vulnerable GOP incumbents. Their opposition to the Affordable Care Act could be their undoing.
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.
Namaste Noir: Yoga Co-Op Seeks to Diversify Yoga to Heal Racialized Trauma
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.
Where Mask-Wearing Isn’t Gospel: Colorado Churches Grapple With Reopening
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.
Listen: Outbreak of Trench Fever Grips Coloradans
KHN senior Colorado correspondent Markian Hawryluk joined KUNC’s Henry Zimmerman on “Colorado Edition” to discuss his recent story on an outbreak of trench fever around Denver.
Ever Heard of a Surgical Assistant? Meet a New Boost to Your Medical Bills
A college student’s bill for outpatient knee surgery is a whopper — $96K — but the most mysterious part is a $1,167 charge from a health care provider she didn’t even know was in the operating room.
An Ickier Outbreak: Trench Fever Spread by Lice Is Found in Denver
Three people around Denver have confirmed cases of trench fever, and another person is suspected of having the rare disease, carried by body lice. A scourge during World War I, the illness is the latest problem to emerge as everyone’s attention is diverted to COVID-19.
Listen: Colorado Cuts Back Health Care Programs Amid Dual Crises
KHN senior Colorado correspondent Markian Hawryluk joined KUNC’s Erin O’Toole on “Colorado Edition” to discuss his recent story on health care cuts that many states, including Colorado, are having to take amid the pandemic.
Colorado, Like Other States, Trims Health Programs Amid Health Crisis
Across the country, the recession has cut state revenues at the same time the COVID-19 pandemic has increased costs, forcing state lawmakers into painful decisions about how to balance their budgets. Health care is one of the targets even in the midst of a health care crisis.
Listen: What Counts In Measuring The Full COVID Death Toll? It’s Complicated
KHN senior Colorado correspondent Markian Hawryluk joined KUNC’s Erin O’Toole on “Colorado Edition” and appeared on WNHN’s “The Attitude with Arnie Arnesen” to discuss his recent story on how difficult it is to measure the full death toll from the pandemic.
Sweeps Of Homeless Camps Run Counter To COVID Guidance And Pile On Health Risks
Authorities continue to dismantle homeless encampments despite recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to hold off during the pandemic to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
The Hidden Deaths Of The COVID Pandemic
Counting deaths caused by the coronavirus pandemic is easier said than done. Without widespread testing, officials must sort through presumed COVID deaths and those who died with infections rather than from them. Then there are the indirect deaths of people who died from circumstances created by the pandemic.
Public Health Officials Face Wave Of Threats, Pressure Amid Coronavirus Response
Public health officials are confronting growing pressure — and threats — across the country as the backlash to the coronavirus response continues. At least 27 state and local health leaders have resigned, retired or been fired since April across 13 states.
