Latest KFF Health News Stories
KHN senior correspondent Jordan Rau takes a spin through this week’s essential health care news.
Social Media Fears About Lack Of Coverage For Protest Injuries Are Overblown
After some protests over the death of George Floyd resulted in violence, online discussions raised concerns that health plans might deny medical coverage. Although plans do sometimes make exclusions for “illegal acts” or riots, experts say concerns by people who are protesting Floyd’s death may be overstated.
COVID-19 Overwhelms Border ICUs
Some California hospitals near the Mexican border have received so many COVID-19 patients the past few weeks that they have had to divert some to other facilities. Hospital officials say most of the infected patients are U.S. citizens or legal residents who live in, or recently traveled to, Mexico and came to the U.S. for care.
COVID-19 abruma a las terapias intensivas en la frontera
A pesar que la mayoría de los hospitales de California no tuvieron un aumento dramático de pacientes, algunas instalaciones cerca de la frontera con México se han visto desbordadas.
In Hard-Hit Areas, COVID’s Ripple Effects Strain Mental Health Care Systems
In areas hit hard by the coronavirus, such as Detroit, behavioral health care workers have been overburdened and forced to scale back services at the same time people battling mental health disorders became more stressed and anxious.
California AG Seeks More Power To Battle Merger-Hungry Health Care Chains
Xavier Becerra has made battling health care consolidation a priority since he became attorney general. Now that COVID-19 threatens vulnerable health care practices, he’s pushing to expand his authority to slow health care mergers.
Antibody Tests Were Hailed As Way To End Lockdowns. Instead, They Cause Confusion.
Some communities considered community antibody testing as a way out of lockdown. But they’ve pulled back as they realized antibody testing is the Wild West in an oversight vacuum.
COVID-Like Cough Sent Him To ER — Where He Got A $3,278 Bill
A dad in Denver tried to do everything right when COVID symptoms surfaced. Still, he ended up with a huge bill from an insurer that had said it waived cost sharing for coronavirus treatment. What gives?
KHN executive editor Damon Darlin wades through mounds of health care policy stories — so you don’t have to.
El Congreso dijo que los tests de COVID-19 debían ser gratuitos, pero ¿quién paga?
A fines de marzo, el Congreso aprobó dos leyes, que esencialmente establecieron no solo que las pruebas para COVID tenían que estar cubiertas, sino que los pacientes no debían pagar un centavo.
Congress Said COVID-19 Tests Should Be Free — But Who’s Paying?
Some large employers interpreted themselves as exempt from new federal laws that say tests for the coronavirus should be free to patients. Large academic medical centers are holding back from sending bills to these patients to avoid a backlash over surprise billing.
Científica genera imágenes del coronavirus para que todos vean al “enemigo invisible”
Algunas de las imágenes más impresionantes del coronavirus, que es 10,000 veces más pequeño que el ancho de un cabello humano, provienen del microscopio de Elizabeth Fischer.
Scientist Has ‘Invisible Enemy’ In Sights With Microscopic Portraits Of Coronavirus
As an electron microscopist at the National Institutes of Health’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Montana, Elizabeth Fischer has captured stunning images of emerging pathogens such as Ebola, the MERS coronavirus and now SARS-CoV-2.
How A Company Misappropriated Native American Culture To Sell Health Insurance
Maine investigators find one patient’s saga with O’NA HealthCare offers a cautionary tale for anyone looking for cut-rate coverage online.
Por la cuarentena, hay menos accidentes de tránsito y faltan órganos para donaciones
Del 8 de marzo al 11 de abril, el número de donantes de órganos que murieron en accidentes de tránsito disminuyó un 23% en todo el país, en comparación con el mismo período del año pasado.
Médicos forenses buscan rastros de COVID-19 en muertes inexplicables
Durante la pandemia, muchas personas enfermas se quedaron en casa y murieron en sus hogares en lugar de ir a hospitales abrumados por pacientes con coronavirus.
Fewer Traffic Collisions During Shutdown Means Longer Waits For Organ Donations
Accident deaths are typically the biggest source of donor organs nationwide. But when the coronavirus forced Californians indoors, accidents declined.
The Pandemic Is Hurting Pediatric Hospitals, Too
Children’s hospitals were generally in good shape before COVID-19, but now their revenues are plunging as beds they reserved to assist in the pandemic effort remain empty.
‘Last Responders’ Seek To Expand Postmortem COVID Testing In Unexplained Deaths
Early in the outbreak, some coroners and medical examiners didn’t have enough tests to use for people who died unexpectedly at home to see whether the coronavirus was a factor. Now, as testing gradually becomes widely available, more such mysteries could be solved.
‘An Arm And A Leg’: Angst And Advice From A Health Insurance Insider
A podcast listener who works in the health insurance industry says that when you’re trying to untangle a problem with your health insurance company ask the representative on the phone to slow down. And if need be, don’t hesitate to ask to speak with a supervisor.
