Postcards

Latest KFF Health News Stories

‘Essential’ Or Not, These Workers Report For Duty

KFF Health News Original

In Los Angeles County and beyond, people continue to toil through the coronavirus pandemic, often in positions that put them in constant contact with the public. Many are low-wage workers who can’t afford to stop working.

Looking For Answers After Coronavirus Contact? Welcome To The Gray Zone

KFF Health News Original

The COVID-19 outbreak has spawned confusion among health officials, doctors and the public, especially for people who fall into the gray area for testing and deciding whether they need to quarantine themselves. Where to turn for answers about isolation and quarantine varies by locale. All this means agencies are sometimes delaying needed advice and giving people incorrect information.

The Coronavirus, The Congressman And Me

KFF Health News Original

When four KHN reporters were possibly exposed to COVID-19, they tried to take preventive steps. But even for health care journalists, getting tested for the virus ― and figuring out what to do next — is an uphill task.

Corralling Hard-To-Reach Voters With Traveling Voting Machines

KFF Health News Original

In advance of the Super Tuesday primary, California’s Los Angeles County is rotating new touch-screen voting machines among 41 locations, including adult day care centers and jails, to increase voting among populations with historically low turnout.

Newsom: To Fix Homelessness, California Must Fix Mental Health

KFF Health News Original

California Gov. Gavin Newsom dedicated nearly all of his State of the State address Wednesday to homelessness. To fix that problem, he said, the state must address another one: mental health care.

Patient-Induced Trauma: Hospitals Learn To Defuse Violence

KFF Health News Original

Health care workers face a greater threat of workplace violence than workers in most other industries. Hospitals are installing security cameras and panic buttons, arming security guards with stun guns and teaching their employees how to handle potentially violent situations.

California Fires Illuminate Trauma And Resilience

KFF Health News Original

The chaos and evacuations prompted by wind-fueled wildfire in Sonoma County pose special challenges for people in need of ongoing medical treatment. Volunteer medical personnel have stepped up to provide care and a sense of stability.

Moved Overseas For School, Stayed For Insulin

KFF Health News Original

Katie West, an American health researcher who has lived in Germany the past three years, hasn’t mastered the language and misses her family. But not having to worry about the cost of her lifesaving medication makes it OK.

Los Angeles Vape District A Black-Market Gateway

KFF Health News Original

A seedy section of downtown Los Angeles has become the go-to place for those who trade in wholesale — and sometimes counterfeit — vaping products. As more people fall ill with a mysterious lung disease linked to e-cigarette use, the manufacture and distribution of vaping products face increased scrutiny.

In Hamburg, ‘Gesundheit’ Means More Than A Wish For Good Health

KFF Health News Original

Even with Germany’s generous universal coverage, sizable health disparities persist between Hamburg’s wealthier and poorer neighborhoods. Two health centers are among those trying to close the gaps.

Cómo viajar a Latinoamérica para ir al dentista, ahorrar dinero y broncearse

KFF Health News Original

Los estadounidenses gastaron $2,600 millones en turismo médico y dental en 2018. Dos destinos dentales, y turísticos, son México y Costa Rica, en donde muchos combinan coronas con playa y sol.