COVID Stalks Montana Town Already Saddled With Asbestos Disease
Residents of a small Montana community exposed to decades of asbestos contamination are taking extra precautions to keep COVID-19 away.
Mountain States Bureau
KFF Health News tells the stories of Colorado, Montana, and the rest of the region.
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KHN on the Air This Week
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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Distrusting Trump, States Plan to Vet COVID Vaccines Themselves. Bad Idea, Say Experts.
California and at least five other states have said they may independently vet any vaccines. Experts warn that could needlessly confuse the public.
By JoNel Aleccia and Liz Szabo -
Fighting for Patient Protections While Attacking ACA — Hard to Have It Both Ways
Montana’s Matt Rosendale and many other Republican congressional candidates face the challenge of convincing voters they support safeguards on preexisting conditions even as they oppose the Affordable Care Act, which codifies those safeguards.
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Not Pandemic-Proof: Insulin Copay Caps Fall Short, Fueling Underground Exchanges
Although sharing prescription medicines is illegal, many people with diabetes are turning to underground donation networks when they cannot afford their insulin. Caps on insulin copays enacted in Colorado and 11 other states were designed to help. But the gaps between insulin costs and many patients’ financial realities are only widening amid the economic crisis of the COVID pandemic.
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Thousands of Minks Dead as COVID Outbreak Escalates on Utah Farms
COVID-19 is killing minks. So far, it appears infections likely spread from people to minks, not from minks to people.
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The Mask Hypocrisy: How COVID Memos Contradict the White House’s Public Face
When in public, President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence join crowded rallies where many do not wear masks. Behind the scenes, the White House is recommending states adopt mask mandates and even fines — leaving it up to local officials to handle the consequences.
By Lauren Weber and Katheryn Houghton -
Efforts to Keep COVID-19 out of Prisons Fuel Outbreaks in County Jails
Montana sheriffs say the state’s decision to halt prison transfers has led to overcrowding that makes it difficult to quarantine inmates and clean facilities.
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Health on Wheels: Tricked-Out RVs Deliver Addiction Treatment to Rural Communities
Even when COVID-19 forced many addiction treatment clinics to scale back, Colorado continued to serve patients with addiction problems through an innovative program that married low-tech with high-tech. The state brought clinics on wheels to remote, underserved towns and used telehealth to connect patients with doctors.
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A Fair to Remember: County Fairs Weigh Risk of Outbreak Against Financial Ruin
The threat of COVID-19 forced many county fairs to cancel this year. But some rural communities that depend on the annual economic and cultural boost decided to go ahead despite a pattern of outbreaks.
By Justin Franz -
How Families Are Keeping Halloween From Turning Into a COVID Nightmare
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.
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Native Americans Feel Double Pain of COVID and Fires ‘Gobbling Up the Ground’
Tribal leaders have worked to keep the coronavirus off their reservations because of its deadly impact on Native populations. But careful avoidance of the COVID virus has handcuffed the tribes as they face a devastating fire season.
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It’s Not Just Insulin: Lawmakers Focus on Price of One Drug, While Others Rise Too
While insulin is the poster child for outrageous prescription costs, patients are paying ever more to treat depression, asthma, HIV, cholesterol and more. And the pandemic has overtaken efforts to force the issue in Congress.
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Election Gift for Florida? Trump Poised to Approve Drug Imports From Canada
The Trump administration is primed to approve a plan designed to help lower costs of some prescription drugs by allowing states to import them from Canada. The announcement could come before Election Day, and Florida appears to be in line to go first.
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Lack of Antigen Test Reporting Leaves Country ‘Blind to the Pandemic’
A KHN review found more than 20 states either don’t count or have incomplete data on the use of COVID-19 antigen tests, leaving the public in the dark about the true scope of the pandemic.
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New Dental Treatment Helps Fill Cavities and Insurance Gaps for Seniors
A new treatment for tooth decay is cheaper, quicker and less painful than getting a filling. Originally touted as a solution for kids, silver diamine fluoride is poised to become a game changer for treating cavities in older adults or those with disabilities that make oral care difficult.
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Obamacare Co-Ops Down From 23 to Final ‘3 Little Miracles’
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.
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Altered Mindsets: Marijuana Is Making Its Mark on Ballots in Red States
Voters in Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and several other conservative-leaning states will decide in November whether to legalize medical or recreational marijuana.
By Justin Franz -
As Threat of Valley Fever Grows Beyond the Southwest, Push Is On for Vaccine
Efforts are underway to bring to market a vaccine for valley fever, a fungal infection with COVID-like symptoms that occurs in the deserts of the Southwest. The illness is getting more attention as cases rise and a warming climate threatens to spread it through the West.
By Jim Robbins -
Listen: Control of U.S. Senate Could Hinge on Obamacare Positions
KHN senior Colorado correspondent Markian Hawryluk joined KUNC’s Erin O'Toole on “Colorado Edition” to discuss how the growing favorability of the Affordable Care Act could play a role in determining who wins control of the U.S. Senate this fall.