Ohio’s Amish Suffered a Lot From Covid, but Vaccines Are Still a Hard Sell
Despite high mortality and infection rates, the counties of northeastern Ohio, where many Amish people live, have the lowest vaccination rates in the state.
Midwest Bureau
KFF Health News covers health care in the Midwest, with a bureau headquartered in St. Louis and staff reporters based in Iowa, Michigan, and South Dakota.
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‘Red Flag’ Gun Laws Get Another Look After Indiana, Colorado Shootings
It’s unclear whether “red flag” laws — which allow the seizure of guns from a person deemed dangerous — help prevent mass shootings or should have been applied to the suspects in recent shootings in Boulder, Colorado, and Indianapolis.
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From Hospital Profits to Gender Gaps, Journalists Are on the Case
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
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Virtual Care Spreads in Missouri Health System, Home to ‘Hospital Without Beds’
In 2015, St. Louis-based Mercy health system opened what officials called the world’s first “hospital without beds.” Since the pandemic, Mercy has incorporated telehealth throughout its system, part of a national acceleration in virtual care that proponents laud but critics say is happening too fast.
By Eric Berger -
Michigan’s Outbreak Worries Scientists. Will Conservative Outposts Keep Pandemic Rolling?
The covid outbreak in Michigan stands out on the U.S. contagion map, but odds are it will be repeated elsewhere. How vaccine hesitancy, relaxed restrictions and a coronavirus variant combined to create the worst outbreak in the country.
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Public Health Experts Worry About Boom-Bust Cycle of Support
Congress has poured tens of billions of dollars into public health since last year. While health officials who have juggled bare-bones budgets for years are grateful for the money, they worry it will soon dry up, just as it has after previous crises such as 9/11, SARS and Ebola. Meanwhile, they continue to cope with an exodus from the field amid political pressure and exhaustion that meant 1 in 6 Americans lost their local health department leader.
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Snag a Vaccine Appointment, Then Face the Next Hurdle: How to Get There?
For some, a vaccine appointment a few hours away is no biggie. For others, it’s a major barrier to gaining protection from the coronavirus.
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Missouri ‘Voted for This Lie,’ Says State Rep Trying to Block Medicaid Expansion
Even with extra federal dollars and a flush budget, Show Me State Republicans are putting up roadblocks to the voter-approved constitutional amendment that would give 275,000 people health insurance.
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Families With Sick Kids on Medicaid Seek Easier Access to Out-of-State Hospitals
Many state Medicaid programs pay out-of-state providers much less than in-state facilities, often making it hard for families with medically complex children to get the care they seek.
By Harris Meyer -
Indiana’s Medicaid Expansion — Designed by Pence and Verma — Panned in Federal Report
Indiana’s program seeks to give expansion enrollees “skin in the game,” requiring that they pay small monthly premiums and manage health savings accounts.
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‘It Didn’t Really Stick With Me’: Understanding the Rural Shrug Over Covid and Vaccines
Fort Scott, Kansas, was hit hard by the pandemic, and it no longer has a hospital. But residents remain skeptical about the impact of the coronavirus.
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How One State’s Public Health Defunding Led to Vaccination Chaos
The underfunding of public health and political backlash destabilized Missouri’s vaccine rollout, creating racial inequity and forcing some residents to drive hours to get shots.
By Lauren Weber -
Her Doctor’s Office Moved One Floor Up. Her Bill Was 10 Times Higher.
Same building. Same procedure. Same doctor. But now you’re charged a hospital facility fee. For one Ohio Medicare patient, the copay for a shot that used to cost her about $30 went up to more than $300.
By Lauren Weber -
Inmates’ Distrust of Prison Health Care Fuels Distrust of Covid Vaccines
Many inmates at Western Missouri Correctional Center, like their peers in prisons across Missouri and the nation, are hesitant about getting vaccinated against covid-19 because they don’t trust prison health care.
By Eric Berger -
POSTCARD FROM TERRE HAUTE
Indiana School Goes Extra Mile to Help Vulnerable Kids Weather Pandemic
Many students at Sarah Scott Middle School in Terre Haute, Indiana, deal with poverty, dysfunction and stress. Since the pandemic hit, teachers and administrators have struggled to give kids and families the support they need.
By Giles Bruce -
Need Amid Plenty: Richest US Counties Are Overwhelmed by Surge in Child Hunger
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.
By Laura Ungar -
For Spring Season, Young Athletes Get Back in the Game Despite Covid Risk
With schools opening up classrooms, millions of young athletes are also getting out on fields and courts. But pandemic precautions and delays are spurring conflicts among parents, coaches and doctors.
By Laura Ungar -
University of Missouri Settles Lawsuits Over Knee Surgeries Involving Veterinarian
The University of Missouri settled a collection of 22 medical malpractice and false advertising lawsuits over knee surgeries for $16.2 million. One doctor involved in the cases is among Missouri’s highest-paid state employees; the other is a veterinarian.
By Lauren Weber -
Pfizer’s Newest Vaccine Plant Has Persistent Mold Issues, History of Recalls
After nearly a decade’s worth of federal inspections, reprimands and corrective action plans, has Pfizer fixed the facility that will be filling vials of its covid vaccine?
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Firefighters — ‘Health Care Providers on a Truck’ — Signal Pandemic Burnout
Grappling with stagnant pay and a lack of personal protective equipment, firefighters are even more frustrated to find they are lower down the vaccine priority list than health care workers despite serving on the front lines of the medical system.
By Sandy West