Latest Morning Briefing Stories
‘Better Than the Hospital’: Pandemic Boosts Care for Serious Illnesses at Home
Covid-19 and dozens of other illnesses now qualify for home treatment under a new federal effort aimed at freeing up hospital beds during public health emergencies.
Corporations Encourage Employee Vaccination but Stop Short of Mandates
Public health officials fear that requiring jabs on the job would create a noisy, counterproductive backlash.
KHN Journalists Comment on Abortion Case, Wasted Covid Doses
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.
Stark Racial Disparities Persist in Vaccinations, State-Level CDC Data Shows
Black Americans’ vaccination rates still trail all other groups, while Hispanics show improvement. Native Americans show the strongest rates nationally.
Despite Pandemic, Newsom Declines to Boost Local Public Health Budgets — Again
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has, for the third consecutive year, rejected new state funding for local public health departments. Frustrated legislative leaders and public health officials are trying to change his mind.
Homicides Surge in California Amid Covid Shutdowns of Schools, Youth Programs
California endured a brutal spike in homicides in 2020 across large swaths of the state, registering the largest year-over-year increase in victims in three decades. Experts cite as one significant factor a rise in gang violence fueled by pandemic shutdowns of schools, sports leagues and programs for at-risk youth.
Has agregado a tus hijos a tu plan de salud. ¿Y tu mamá?
Un proyecto de ley en California exigiría que los planes de salud regulados por el estado cubran a los padres dependientes de los asegurados. Según activistas, la medida reduciría el número de personas sin seguro; pero grupos empresariales advierten sobre el aumento de las primas.
You’ve Added Your Kids to Your Health Plan. What About Mom?
A bill in the California legislature would require state-regulated health plans to cover policyholders’ dependent parents. Advocates say the measure would reduce the number of uninsured people, while business groups warn of premium increases.
Covid Fears Keep Many Latino Kids out of Classrooms
Latinos got hit disproportionately hard by covid-19. When faced with the choice of sending their kids back to school or keeping them in online classes, many Latino parents say their kids are safer at home.
El miedo a covid mantiene a muchos niños latinos fuera de las aulas
En California, los latinos constituyen el 39% de la población del estado, pero representan el 47% de las muertes por covid, según el Departamento de Salud Pública estatal. A nivel nacional, su riesgo de morir por covid es 2,3 veces mayor que el de los blancos no hispanos.
Covid Testing Has Turned Into a Financial Windfall for Hospitals and Other Providers
Because there are no caps on cost, consumers and insurers often get billed hundreds of dollars for the most reliable PCR covid test. Prices are rising and they can’t fight back.
Salesforce, Google, Facebook. How Big Tech Undermines California’s Public Health System.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has outsourced his way through the covid-19 pandemic, tasking his private-sector allies in Silicon Valley and the health care industry with fundamental public health duties such as testing, tracing and vaccination. Among the losers: the state’s weakened public health system.
Hit by Higher Prices for Gear, Doctors and Dentists Want Insurers to Pay
The costs of personal protective equipment and disinfecting offices while seeing fewer patients have some doctors and dentists demanding that insurance companies step up.
Covered California Says Health Insurance Just Got Too Cheap to Ignore
Californians who passed up health coverage in the past may be pleasantly surprised by the lower prices available thanks to the new federal relief act.
As Vaccine Demand Slows, Political Differences Go on Display in California Counties
California officials are optimistic they can vaccinate millions more before hitting a hard wall of vaccine resistance.
Journalists Track Biden’s First 100 Days
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.
The Vulnerable Homebound Are Left Behind on Vaccination
Even as the nation has moved on to vaccinating everyone 16 and older, the vast majority of people homebound due to frailty or age — and among the most vulnerable to covid’s devastation — have not yet been vaccinated. California offers a sharp lens on the challenges.
Some County Jail Inmates See Vaccination as Ticket to a Better Life — In the State Pen
In the Los Angeles County Jail system, many inmates hope being vaccinated will get them transferred more quickly to state prison. Some just want to protect themselves against covid, while others are distrustful and refuse vaccination.
You Don’t Have to Suffer to Benefit From Covid Vaccination — But Some Prefer It
In the times of smallpox, vaccination was accompanied by blood, sweat, fire and brimstone. Nowadays, a slight fever may make you feel as if you’ve earned the reward of immunity from covid. But you’re protected even without a nasty reaction to the vaccine.
‘We’re Coming for You’: For Public Health Officials, a Year of Threats and Menace
Local health officials have become the face of government authority as they work to stem the pandemic. That has made them targets for chilling threats from some of the same militia groups that stormed the U.S. Capitol. Santa Cruz leaders are among those whose daily routines now incorporate security patrols, surveillance cameras and, in some cases, firearms.
