Need Amid Plenty: Richest US Counties Are Overwhelmed by Surge in Child Hunger
By Laura Ungar
March 18, 2021
KFF Health News Original
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.
Hospitals, Insurers Invest Big Dollars to Tackle Patients’ Social Needs
By Phil Galewitz
June 22, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Eager to control costs, health systems and insurers are trying to address patients’ social needs such as food insecurity, transportation and housing. Yet, after years of testing, there’s slim evidence these efforts pay off.
Sen. Alexander Releases Bipartisan Plan To Lower Health Costs, End Surprise Bills
By Rachel Bluth
May 23, 2019
KFF Health News Original
The Republican’s legislation, prepared with Sen. Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on Alexander’s health committee, would be an ambitious lift because it also deals with prescription drug patents, health transparency and vaccine messaging.
Covid ‘Decimated Our Staff’ as the Pandemic Ravages Health Workers of Color
By Danielle Renwick, The Guardian
January 5, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Covid-19 has taken an outsize toll on Black and Hispanic Americans — and those disparities extend to medical workers.
Pandemic Erects Barriers for Prized Bloc of Voters in Nursing Homes, Senior Facilities
By Rachel Bluth
October 9, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Voting is a point of pride for many older Americans, and senior living facilities in past years have encouraged the civic act by hosting voting precincts, providing transportation to the polls and bringing in groups to help explain election issues. But fears of the spread of the coronavirus among this vulnerable population make voting more difficult this year.
Fighting COVID And Police Brutality, Medical Teams Take To Streets To Treat Protesters
By LJ Dawson
June 11, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Off-duty medical professionals joined protests in Denver and elsewhere sparked by George Floyd’s death to treat injured protesters, risking injury themselves.
Injuries Mount as Sales Reps for Device Makers Cozy Up to Surgeons, Even in Operating Rooms
By Fred Schulte
August 9, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Aggressive sales tactics have allegedly led surgeons to use defective or wrong-size implants, screws or other products on patients, including former Olympian Mary Lou Retton.
COVID Vaccine Trials Move at Warp Speed, But Recruiting Black Volunteers Takes Time
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
September 16, 2020
KFF Health News Original
The National Institutes of Health has suggested minorities should be overrepresented in COVID-19 vaccine trials — perhaps at rates that are double their percentage of the U.S. population. But efforts to recruit patients from racial minority groups are just beginning, while some trials have already advanced to phase 3.
Kaiser Permanente, Big Player in State Vaccine Effort, Has Had Trouble Vaccinating Own Members
By Bernard J. Wolfson
March 4, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Older patients in several states where the California-based managed care giant operates complain they’ve had difficulty scheduling appointments and spotty communication from the health system. Some report it’s getting better, though.
Sorting Out How Politics, Policies Figure in Flap Over New York Nursing Home Covid Death Rates
By Michelle Andrews
March 2, 2021
KFF Health News Original
The debate begins with the covid death tallies. But the issues go beyond basic numbers.
As Patients Fell Ill With Covid Inside Hospitals, Government Oversight Fell Short
By Lauren Weber and Christina Jewett
Photos by Heidi de Marco
December 23, 2021
KFF Health News Original
A KHN investigation finds that hospitals with high rates of covid patients who didn’t have the diagnosis when they were admitted have rarely been held accountable due to multiple gaps in government oversight.
On Vacci-Dating: Singles Seem Enamored of Sharing Vaccination Status Online. Is That Wise?
By Victoria Knight
March 8, 2021
KFF Health News Original
When considering whether to meet up with someone who is vaccinated versus unvaccinated, vaccinated sounds somewhat safer. But before you give pandemic dating a shot, heed these warnings from experts.
Calling All Vaccinators: Closing the Next Gap in Covid Supply and Demand
By Julie Appleby
February 23, 2021
KFF Health News Original
In the herculean effort to vaccinate America, the emphasis so far has been on trying to increase the number of vaccine doses available. Soon there could be a shortfall in people to administer the shots.
Community Health Workers, Often Overlooked, Bring Trust to the Pandemic Fight
By Michele Cohen Marill
February 8, 2021
KFF Health News Original
As the pandemic brings long-standing health disparities into sharper view, community health workers are being asked to help the public health response. This fast-growing workforce helps fill the gaps between health care providers and low-income communities by offering education, advocacy and outreach.
Moved by Plight of Young Heart Patient, Stranger Pays His Hospital Bill
By Laura Ungar
October 8, 2020
KFF Health News Original
A retired college professor in Las Vegas saw Matthew Fentress’ story and felt called to help. So she paid off $5,000 of his medical bill. “When you help other people, it gives you joy,” the Good Samaritan said.
A Recipe for Trouble? Reversal of California Outdoor Dining Ban Has Heads Spinning
By Anna Almendrala
February 4, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Who knows whether banning outdoor dining was a good idea in the first place. But even the experts aren’t sure it was smart to bring it back.
Amid COVID and Racial Unrest, Black Churches Put Faith in Mental Health Care
By Aneri Pattani
December 1, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Black Americans are less likely to receive mental health treatment than the overall population. But as needs soar this year, faith leaders are tapping health professionals to share coping skills churchgoers and the community can use immediately.
KFF Health News Awards and Honors
By Kathleen Hayden
January 28, 2021
Page
KFF Health News has been recognized repeatedly by our peers in journalism with an increasing number of awards honoring our reports on the American health care system. 2024 AHCJ Award for Excellence in Health Care Journalism Health Policy, large division: David Hilzenrath of KFF Health News and Jodie Fleischer of Cox Media Group for “Overpayment […]
Demand for COVID Vaccines Expected to Get Heated — And Fast
By JoNel Aleccia
December 7, 2020
KFF Health News Original
With two vaccines against coronavirus disease poised for release within weeks, experts say they expect attitudes to shift dramatically from hesitancy to “Beanie Baby”-level urgency.
In California, Blue Shield’s Vaccination Takeover Fixes What Wasn’t Broken
By Rachel Bluth
April 1, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Rural Mendocino County had finally figured out its vaccination program. But now the community clinics that helped make it happen are changing course as Blue Shield of California takes over the state vaccine program.