Missourians to Vote on Medicaid Expansion as Crisis Leaves Millions Without Insurance
By Cara Anthony
July 30, 2020
KFF Health News Original
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.
With Medical Safety Gear Scarce, The Public Is Stepping Up. Here’s Help On Ways To Help.
By Barbara Feder Ostrov
March 23, 2020
KFF Health News Original
If you or your company have useful supplies and want to donate them, here are some answers to questions you might be asking.
Sheltered At Home, Families Broach End-Of-Life Planning
By JoNel Aleccia
March 31, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Barbara Dreyfuss died March 1 after contracting COVID-19 at a Seattle-area nursing home. Her earlier decision to document her final wishes may offer an example for families as the deadly virus spurs interest in end-of-life care.
Distritos escolares lidian con cuarentenas, mascarillas y miedo
By Anna Almendrala
February 19, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Los distritos pisan territorio desconocido cuando aplican reglas federales a sus cuerpos estudiantiles. Y muchas veces toman decisiones sin orientación oficial.
India’s Covid Variant May Be Cause Of Faster Spread
May 19, 2021
Morning Briefing
Scientists try to understand the variant that might be behind the fast and uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus in India. Nepal is also getting hit.
With Caveats, Hopeful News for Preschools Planning Young Kids’ Return
By Anna Almendrala
August 6, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Hundreds of thousands of essential workers have kept their kids in day care during the pandemic out of necessity and, so far, these centers haven’t been big disease spreaders. But the evidence remains incomplete.
Tinnitus, Hearing Damage Linked To Coronavirus Infections In Study
March 22, 2021
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, the CEO of the Texas Roadhouse restaurant chain has died by suicide after suffering post-covid symptoms, including severe tinnitus. Other reports note children can be long-haul covid patients, too, and research shows 17% of U.K. covid patients had a skin rash as the first symptom.
Officials Seek To Shift Resources Away From Policing To Address Black ‘Public Health Crisis’
By Anna Almendrala
June 25, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Local governments around the country are declaring racism a public health crisis. That could be lip service, or it might lead to shifting resources from policing to health care, housing and other services, experts say.
COVID + Influenza: This Is a Good Year to Get a Flu Shot, Experts Advise
By Julie Appleby Michelle Andrews
August 28, 2020
KFF Health News Original
A robust sign-up for flu shots could help head off a nightmare scenario in the coming winter of hospitals stuffed with both COVID-19 patients and those suffering from severe effects of influenza. Plus, no one knows how flu and COVID might interact if a patient got both.
How to Weigh Evacuation Options With Both Wildfires and COVID at Your Door
By Jenny Gold
August 28, 2020
KFF Health News Original
As the twin disasters of COVID-19 and fire season sweep through California, thousands of residents are weighing difficult options, pitting risk against risk as they decide where to evacuate. Amid a virulent pandemic, where can you safely relocate?
Going The Distance By Bus Through A Pandemic
By Heidi de Marco
May 27, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Transit ridership has plummeted because of COVID-19, but millions of Americans still rely on buses and trains to get around, often because they have no other choice.
Coronavirus Crisis Dominates Biden’s First 100 High-Stakes Days
April 26, 2021
Morning Briefing
From the pandemic response and vaccination program to the expansion of access to Obamacare, President Joe Biden has made a flurry of moves that impact U.S. health care policy. News organizations audit his first 100 days in office.
Millions Stuck At Home With No Plumbing, Kitchen Or Space To Stay Safe
By Laura Ungar Elizabeth Lucas
May 12, 2020
KFF Health News Original
In 470,000 American homes spread across every state, washing hands to prevent COVID-19 may not be as easy as turning on a faucet. They don’t have showers or toilets or, in some cases, even water piped into their homes. Nearly a million U.S. homes don’t have complete kitchens and millions more are overcrowded, making it much tougher for people to shelter in place and avoid infection.
Biden Administration Taps Gayle Smith As Global Coronavirus Coordinator
April 6, 2021
Morning Briefing
Smith is the former director of the U.S. Agency for International Development. In other White House news, U.S. officials reportedly are helping AstraZeneca find a new manufacturing partner after the mix-up at Emergent BioSolutions’ plant in Maryland.
Antibody Drugs Prove Effective As Protection Against Covid Breakthrough Cases
November 18, 2021
Morning Briefing
Reports say monoclonal antibodies reduce risk of hospitalization by 77%, and that AstraZeneca’s antibody drug offers 83% protection over six months against covid. Meanwhile, science shows masks are the single most effective anti-covid public health measure. Also reports on covid antibody protection, Roma DNA and coronavirus in deer.
California Hospitals Face Surge With Proven Fixes And Some Hail Marys
By Angela Hart Anna Maria Barry-Jester
April 1, 2020
KFF Health News Original
California is entering the most critical period in its battle against COVID-19, and may need thousands of hospital beds and ventilators to accommodate a surge of critically ill patients. Hospitals are taking extreme measures, such as using 3D printers to make ventilator parts and turning cafeterias into wards.
2021 Health Plans Granted Leeway To Limit Consumers’ Benefit From Drug Coupons
By Michelle Andrews
July 6, 2020
KFF Health News Original
A rule finalized this spring by the Trump administration permits employers and insurers not to apply drug company copayment assistance toward enrollees’ deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums for any drug.
The Nation’s 5,000 Outpatient Surgery Centers Could Help With The COVID-19 Overflow
By Cara Anthony Liz Szabo
March 27, 2020
KFF Health News Original
A coalition of anesthesiologists wants to repurpose the country’s more than 5,000 surgery centers to serve as emergency overflow amid the coronavirus pandemic. The centers have trained medical staff largely sitting idle, anesthesia machines that could be turned into ventilators, and empty medical space. But obstacles such as federal payment rules, logistics and some skepticism are getting in the way.
What Does Recovery From COVID-19 Look Like? It Depends. A Pulmonologist Explains.
By Judith Graham
April 9, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Reports offer a glimmer of hope, especially for older adults.
Don’t Count on Lower Premiums Despite Pandemic-Driven Boon for Insurers
By Bernard J. Wolfson
July 31, 2020
KFF Health News Original
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.
