Kids Are Missing Critical Windows for Lead Testing Due to Pandemic
By Brie Zeltner
September 11, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Inspections for lead hazards and blood testing for lead have dropped significantly just as kids are spending more time in the places where their exposure to the poisonous metal is highest: their homes.
Even With ACA’s Fate in Flux, Open Enrollment Starts Soon. Here’s What’s New.
By Julie Appleby
October 22, 2020
KFF Health News Original
The Affordable Care Act’s future is uncertain and there’s no end in sight to the pandemic. Still, the 2021 insurance year is marked by stability.
Senators Unveil Legislation To Protect Patients Against Surprise Medical Bills
By Rachel Bluth
September 19, 2018
KFF Health News Original
The measure is designed to help people getting emergency care from hospitals or doctors that are not part of their insurance network.
‘It Seems Systematic’: Doctors Cite 115 Cases of Head Injuries From Crowd Control Devices
By Jordan Culver, USA Today
September 14, 2020
KFF Health News Original
In the most comprehensive tally of such injuries to date, the Physicians for Human Rights scoured publicly available data — including social media, news accounts and lawsuits — to document and name victims of summer protests. Still, the group cautions, it’s likely an undercount.
COVID Data Failures Create Pressure for Public Health System Overhaul
By Harris Meyer
August 14, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Poor information-sharing between hospitals and public health agencies has hurt the response to the pandemic. Some health care systems and IT companies are making inroads, but an overhaul would cost billions.
Black Women Turn to Midwives to Avoid COVID and ‘Feel Cared For’
By Rachel Scheier
September 17, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Midwifery was a tradition among slaves from Africa, but in more recent decades, pregnant Black women have generally shunned the approach. Now, home births and midwives are making a comeback in the Black community.
Cities Brace For ‘Collision Course’ Of Heat Waves And COVID-19
By Brett Dahlberg, WXXI
June 25, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Rochester, New York, and other cities have already weathered the first blasts of excessive heat, and they have done it while cooling centers and spray parks have been closed due to the pandemic.
Administration Eases Rules to Give Laid-Off Workers More Time to Sign Up for COBRA
By Michelle Andrews
July 20, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Under the federal COBRA law, people who lose health coverage because of a layoff or a reduction in their hours generally have 60 days to decide whether to pay to maintain that coverage. But under new regulations, the clock won’t start ticking until the government says the coronavirus national emergency is over, and then consumers will have 120 days to act.
Drug Overdose Deaths Showed a One-Year Decline in 2018. But There’s More to the Story.
By Julie Appleby
August 27, 2020
KFF Health News Original
The statistic is accurate but experts say other factors make it difficult to say indicators to think about that make it hard to say it’s a “huge win.”
What Seniors Should Know Before Going Ahead With Elective Procedures
By Judith Graham
July 6, 2020
KFF Health News Original
People who put off care as COVID-19 surged are easing back into the medical system. Here’s how to know if it’s safe.
Patients Going To In-Network Hospitals Are Still Receiving Eye-Popping Surprise Medical Bills
April 1, 2019
Morning Briefing
The nationwide phenomenon of surprise medical bills, which is starting to gain more attention, comes often times from a doctor being out-of-network yet still working in a hospital that’s in-network. States are increasingly passing laws to protect patients from these charges, such as limiting the dollar amount of out-of-network fees.
GOP Senate Ad Misrepresents Montana Governor’s Stance
By Victoria Knight
August 18, 2020
KFF Health News Original
The race between Steve Bullock and Steve Daines reflects a trend in campaigns nationwide. Republicans often paint Democrats as left of the general public and health care has often been one of the issues the GOP highlights in that effort. In this case, the National Republican Senatorial Committee is leaping to conclusions with its claims.
How A Company Misappropriated Native American Culture To Sell Health Insurance
By Fred Schulte
May 20, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Maine investigators find one patient’s saga with O’NA HealthCare offers a cautionary tale for anyone looking for cut-rate coverage online.
Pandemic Hampers Reopening of Joint Replacement Gold Mine
By Bernard J. Wolfson
August 10, 2020
KFF Health News Original
The COVID-19 pandemic brought knee and hip replacements to a virtual halt because they aren’t usually considered emergency procedures. But they are profitable, and hospital systems are now counting on the surgeries to help restore their financial health.
Post-COVID Clinics Get Jump-Start From Patients With Lingering Illness
By Julie Appleby
September 30, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Pop-up care facilities bring together a range of specialists to address the needs of patients who survive but continue to wrestle with COVID-19’s physical or mental effects, including lung damage, heart or neurological concerns, anxiety and depression.
Injured And Uninsured, Protesters Get Medical Aid From LA Doctor
By Jackie Fortiér, LAist
June 19, 2020
KFF Health News Original
A Los Angeles ophthalmologist’s offer on Instagram has ballooned into a loose network of physicians providing medical care to protesters who were injured while rallying against police brutality and racism. While clashes with the police have died down in some parts of the country, some protesters are seeking care for festering wounds from days-old injuries.
Year One Of KHN’s ‘Bill Of The Month’: A Kaleidoscope Of Financial Challenges
December 21, 2018
KFF Health News Original
A crowdsourced investigation in which we dissect, investigate and explain medical bills you send us.
‘More Than Physical Health’: Gym Helps 91-Year-Old Battle Isolation
By Heidi de Marco
June 30, 2020
KFF Health News Original
For Art Ballard, the local gym was like his second home. The 91-year-old former jeweler relied on his near-daily workouts to stay healthy and for social interaction. But when California instituted its stay-at-home order, Ballard’s physical health suffered. So did his mental health.
Could Labs That Test Livestock Ease COVID Testing Backlog for People? Well … Maybe.
By Julie Appleby
August 5, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Experts say aid from certain veterinary labs could relieve some of the pressure on commercial and hospital-based labs to lessen the current delays in COVID-19 testing and results, but it is unlikely to be a game changer.
Pandemic-Stricken Cities Have Empty Hospitals, But Reopening Them Is Difficult
By Nina Feldman, WHYY
April 2, 2020
KFF Health News Original
In Philadelphia, New Orleans and Los Angeles, former safety-net hospitals sit empty in the middle of the city. But reopening a closed hospital, even in the midst of a pandemic when health resources are scarce, is not easy or cheap.