Delicate Covid Vaccines Slow Rollout — Leading to Shots Given Out of Turn or, Worse, Wasted
By Rachana Pradhan
January 14, 2021
KFF Health News Original
“Thaw. Rest 15 minutes. Do not shake. Do not refreeze.”Do not shake. Do not refreeze.” Moderna’s vaccine comes with complicated instructions. And both available vaccines are good for only six hours once the vial is open. So at day’s end, health workers are left to either throw out precious doses or get shots into any arm that’s available.
A $200 Debit Card Won’t Do Much for Seniors’ Drug Costs
By Harris Meyer
October 30, 2020
KFF Health News Original
President Donald Trump wants to send seniors $200 apiece. Beyond the legal and logistical problems, health care experts point out it does little to help someone with even typical prescription costs.
Why Black Aging Matters, Too
By Judith Graham
Photos by Heidi de Marco
September 3, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Older Blacks are perishing quietly, out of sight, victims of the pandemic and a lifetime of racism and its attendant adverse health effects.
Majority Of Voters In 3 Battleground States Think Insurers Should Be On Hook For Surprise Medical Bills, Poll Finds
September 18, 2019
Morning Briefing
There are several options that lawmakers are considering when it comes to surprise medical bills, including a bipartisan measure that would put a federally mandated rate cap on the amount that insurers have to pay doctors for out-of-network emergency care.
Furloughed Feds’ Health Coverage Intact, But Shutdown Still Complicates Things
By Julie Appleby
January 18, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Some federal employees face insurance paperwork glitches that affect their health coverage and add pressure to the stress of going without pay.
Lack of Covid Data on People With Intellectual Disabilities ‘Comes With a Body Count’
By Katheryn Houghton
February 12, 2021
KFF Health News Original
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are more likely to have medical conditions that make covid especially dangerous. But a lack of federal tracking means no one knows how many people in disability group housing have fallen ill or died from the virus.
In Search Of Insurance Savings, Consumers Can Get Unwittingly Wedged Into Narrow-Network Plans
By Steven Findlay
November 1, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Restrictive lists of doctors and hospitals expose people to larger out-of-pocket costs, but trend appears to be slowing.
Medi-Cal Agency’s New Head Wants to Tackle Disparities and Racism
By Samantha Young
July 30, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Will Lightbourne, the new director of the California Department of Health Care Services, says government must address the racial disparities laid bare by COVID-19 and improve care for the state’s most vulnerable residents.
Mired In Medical Debt? Federal Plan Would Update Overdue-Bill Collection Methods
By Michelle Andrews
May 31, 2019
KFF Health News Original
More than half of Americans contacted about an overdue bill said it related to medical debt. A federal agency has proposed new guidance for what debt collectors are allowed to do when pursuing many types of overdue consumer bills, including medical debt. But some consumer advocates have panned the effort.
Legal Promise Of Equal Mental Health Treatment Often Falls Short
By Graison Dangor
June 7, 2019
KFF Health News Original
The Affordable Care Act and other federal laws sought to put mental health care on an equal footing with physical health. But patients are still finding that’s not the case.
Pandemic Backlash Jeopardizes Public Health Powers, Leaders
By Anna Maria Barry-Jester and Hannah Recht and Michelle R. Smith, The Associated Press and Lauren Weber
December 15, 2020
KFF Health News Original
At least 181 public health leaders in 38 states have resigned, retired or been fired amid the turmoil of the pandemic. The departures come as backlash against public health is rising with threats to officials’ personal safety and legislative and legal efforts to strip their governmental public health powers.
They Cared for Some of New York’s Most Vulnerable Communities. Then 12 Died.
By Danielle Renwick, The Guardian
August 27, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Immigrant health workers help keep the U.S. health system afloat — and they’re dying of COVID-19 at high rates.
How Families Are Keeping Halloween From Turning Into a COVID Nightmare
By Priscilla Blossom
September 23, 2020
KFF Health News Original
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.
As Hospitals Post Sticker Prices Online, Most Patients Will Remain Befuddled
By Julie Appleby and Barbara Feder Ostrov
January 4, 2019
KFF Health News Original
The new rule took effect Jan. 1 but, for consumers seeking hospital price information, using it to find answers may be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Clots, Strokes and Rashes: Is COVID a Disease of the Blood Vessels?
By Will Stone
November 13, 2020
KFF Health News Original
COVID-19 can cause symptoms that go well beyond the lungs, from strokes to organ failure. To explain these widespread injuries, researchers are studying how the virus affects the vascular system.
Blue Shield Spent Years Cultivating a Relationship with Newsom. It Got the State Vaccine Contract.
By Samantha Young and Angela Hart
March 19, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Insurance giant Blue Shield of California has made millions in charitable and political donations to Gov. Gavin Newsom over nearly two decades, largely to his dearly held homeless initiatives. In turn, Newsom has rewarded the insurer with a $15 million no-bid contract to lead the state’s covid vaccination distribution.
As Californians Get Older and Less Mobile, Fires Get Hotter and Faster
By Rachel Scheier
October 14, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Retirement areas are increasingly being built in the idyllic wooded fringe of towns and cities. Being close to nature also means being in the path of wildfires.
Texas Lawmakers Take Aim At Surprise Medical Bills
By Ashley Lopez, KUT
March 1, 2019
KFF Health News Original
A proposed state law with bipartisan, bicameral support is on the move in Texas. It would force hospitals and insurers to settle surprise bills — instead of relying on patients to start the mediation process. The KHN/NPR “Bill of the Month” series is a catalyst for the effort.
Coronavirus Deranges the Immune System in Complex and Deadly Ways
By Liz Szabo
March 4, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Researchers are testing treatments to overcome autoimmune reactions that begin when the body’s defenses respond to the coronavirus.
Can Ordinary COVID Patients Get the Trump Treatment? It’s OK to Ask
By JoNel Aleccia
October 20, 2020
KFF Health News Original
If you or a loved one has COVID-19, here’s what to consider before seeking experimental treatments.