Comparing Death Tolls From Covid to Past Wars Is Fraught
By Will Stone and Carrie Feibel, NPR News
February 5, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Covid-19 has now killed more Americans than World War II did. That fact helps some people put the viral death toll in perspective, while others find it offensive.
Damage to Children’s Education — And Their Health — Could Last a Lifetime
By Liz Szabo
July 1, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Black and Hispanic students have lost up to 12 months of learning, which could lead to lower incomes and shorter, sicker lives.
Head-Scratching Over Newsom’s Choice of Blue Shield to Lead Vaccination Push
By Bernard J. Wolfson
February 1, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s surprising choice of Blue Shield to lead the state’s covid vaccination effort raised questions about the role politics played in the decision — and whether the insurer is up to the task.
To the Bat Cave: In Search of Covid’s Origins, Scientists Reignite Polarizing Debate on Wuhan ‘Lab Leak’
By Arthur Allen
May 19, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Leading virologists, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, are demanding a deeper probe into China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology as they try to identify the source of the deadly coronavirus.
Job-Based Health Insurance Costs Are Up 4% This Year, 55% in Past Decade
By Phil Galewitz
October 8, 2020
KFF Health News Original
A family plan costs, on average, more than $21,000 this year and workers pay nearly $5,600 toward that cost, the annual KFF survey of employers finds.
Obamacare Co-Ops Down From 23 to Final ‘3 Little Miracles’
By Phil Galewitz
September 9, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Once there were 23 of these nonprofit plans across 26 states; in January there will be only three, serving Maine, Wisconsin, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.
‘It’s a Minefield’: Biden Health Pick Must Tread Carefully on Abortion and Family Planning
By Noam N. Levey and Rachel Bluth
February 24, 2021
KFF Health News Original
President Biden vowed to reverse reproductive health restrictions enacted by President Trump. His pick to run HHS, Xavier Becerra, fought the Trump efforts but must now navigate a difficult legal and political landscape.
After Kid’s Minor Bike Accident, Major Bill Sets Legal Wheels in Motion
By Julie Appleby
November 25, 2020
KFF Health News Original
It was a surprise even in a family of lawyers. The process called “subrogation” began with one Nevada family’s health insurer denying their claim for an emergency room visit after 9-year-old fell off his bike.
San Francisco Wrestles With Drug Approach as Death and Chaos Engulf Tenderloin
By Rachel Scheier
January 7, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Covid-19, distrust of police and cheap narcotics have turned parts of the wealthy city into cesspools of filth and drug overdose. City officials and residents profoundly disagree on what needs to be done.
Taking Surprise Medical Bills To Court
By Julie Appleby
December 19, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Some legal experts say contract law could provide consumers another avenue to challenge unexpected hospital bills.
Orange County Hospital Seeks Divorce From Large Catholic Health System
By Bernard J. Wolfson
April 13, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Frustration with the standardization of care across 51 hospitals, loss of local control and restrictions on reproductive health care have pitted Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian against the Providence chain.
Can the US Keep Covid Variants in Check? Here’s What It Takes
By Anna Maria Barry-Jester
January 28, 2021
KFF Health News Original
The U.S. has fumbled almost every step of its public health response in its battle against covid-19. Experts say that must change if we’re going to outflank the variants emerging as the virus continues to mutate.
Sickened By Billing Abuses, Readers And Tweeters Stand Up For Patients’ Rights
September 27, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
‘UVA Has Ruined Us’: Health System Sues Thousands Of Patients, Seizing Paychecks And Claiming Homes
By Jay Hancock and Elizabeth Lucas
September 10, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Over six years, the state institution filed 36,000 lawsuits against patients seeking a total of more than $106 million in unpaid bills, a KHN analysis finds.
The Color of COVID: Will Vaccine Trials Reflect America’s Diversity?
By JoNel Aleccia
July 27, 2020
KFF Health News Original
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?
Feds Look to Pharmacists to Boost Childhood Immunization Rates
By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez
December 3, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Fears over COVID-19 have contributed to a slump in inoculations among children. Now the federal government is looking to pharmacists for help, but many of them do not participate in a program that offers free shots to half the kids in the U.S.
Vaccination Disarray Leaves Seniors Confused About When They Can Get a Shot
By Judith Graham
January 14, 2021
KFF Health News Original
As covid cases and deaths soar, it’s difficult to get up-to-date, reliable information about inoculations, and many older adults don’t know where to turn for help. Navigating Aging columnist Judith Graham answers questions from several readers.
Vaccine Hesitancy Is Fading In US, Elsewhere — According To Facebook
August 19, 2021
Morning Briefing
Though the social network hasn’t shared hard numbers on how frequently vaccine misinformation is being shared, it pointed out its data says more actual vaccine uptake is happening. Meanwhile, smartphone developers are tackling the problem of proving covid vaccine status around the world.
As Schools Spend Millions on Air Purifiers, Experts Warn of Overblown Claims and Harm to Children
By Lauren Weber and Christina Jewett
May 3, 2021
KFF Health News Original
A KHN investigation found that more than 2,000 schools have spent millions of dollars for systems, lured by air purifier companies’ claims that experts say mislead or obscure the potential for harm from toxic ozone.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
By Brianna Labuskes
May 24, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don’t have to.