Latest KFF Health News Stories
Big Leagues Balk at Endorsing Vaccination
The major sports leagues are struggling to vaccinate enough of their players to protect the clubhouse and locker room, and few stars have stepped forward to pitch vaccination to teammates or fans. WNBA players are an exception, with a 99% vaccination rate and high-profile ads urging the public to get vaccinated.
Wildfire Smoke Drives People in Low-Vaccinated Areas Indoors, Raising Outbreak Fears
Unvaccinated Westerners are flocking to movie theaters, malls and other indoor spaces to beat the smoke and heat. Health officials worry that may fuel covid outbreaks.
A Chilling Cure: Facing Killer Heat, ERs Use Body Bags to Save Lives
Doctors in Washington state used human body bags filled with ice and water to rapidly cool the sickest patients affected by record heat last month.
The Delta Variant Thrives in a State of Political and Public Health Discord
At the center of the nation’s delta variant outbreak, public health efforts are mired in a political turf war.
With a Diagnosis at Last, Black Women with ADHD Start Healing
Black women and girls with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder often remain undiagnosed because their symptoms are mischaracterized by the blinders of sexism and racism. Getting treatment and finding the right medication can be even more difficult because they aren’t taken seriously or, worse, they’re racially profiled while getting their medicines.
Grab Your Mask and Notepad, We’re Headed Back to California’s State Capitol
After being mostly closed to the public and the press for more than a year, California’s state Capitol is open again — masks, temperature checks, covid outbreaks and all.
Journalists’ Topics Range From Rural Pharmacy Deserts to Opioid Overdoses
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.
Fútbol, banderas y diversión: estrategias creativas para vacunar a los latinos en Colorado
Colorado, y la mayor parte de la nación, han entrado ahora en una nueva fase que involucra el uso de personas influyentes y de confianza en la comunidad para persuadir a los que todavía dudan.
Hospital ‘Trauma Centers’ Charge Enormous Fees to Treat Minor Injuries and Send People Home
Only severely injured patients are supposed to be billed for “trauma team alert” fees that can exceed $50,000.
Fútbol, Flags and Fun: Getting Creative to Reach Unvaccinated Latinos in Colorado
A vaccine clinic came to an international soccer tournament in Denver recently. It was an attempt to reach Latino Coloradans, whose vaccination rates trail those of non-Hispanic whites.
Can Biden’s Plan to Remove Urban Highways Improve the Health of American Cities?
Pollution and noise from urban highways intersect with illness for neighbors. But “green” developments that replace them can displace the very families harmed in the first place.
Influx of Medical School Students Could Overwhelm Montana Resources, Program Leaders Warn
Leaders of a regional medical school program in Montana say two proposed medical schools could create a flood of students they worry will strain the clinical faculty and resources in the state they use for training.
Red State, Blue State, Twin Outbreak: Behind Wyoming and Colorado’s Anomalous Covid Spikes
Statistics show that Colorado residents are much more likely than Wyoming residents to be vaccinated against covid. Yet both Wyoming and Colorado were among the top 12 states with the highest covid case rates at the beginning of July. A closer look at a pair of similarly sized counties in those states helps explain why.
As Congress Wrestles With Plans to Expand Medicare, Becerra Says Any One Will Do
In an interview for KHN’s “What the Health?” podcast, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra says the administration is eager for Congress to make changes to Medicare that will provide more benefits and make more older adults eligible for the program. He also said a priority will be making permanent the enhanced premium subsidies for Affordable Care Act marketplace plans.
Adolescentes voluntarios se abren paso como futuros profesionales en hogares de adultos mayores
Desde que se puso en marcha en 2006, el programa de desarrollo para la carrera en geriatría ha ayudado a más de 700 estudiantes de secundaria de 10 escuelas de bajos recursos, en la ciudad de Nueva York, a adquirir experiencia práctica en cuidados geriátricos.
California podría ofrecer cupones de alimentos a inmigrantes indocumentados
Los demócratas de la legislatura estatal propusieron este año expandir el programa de cupones de alimentos financiado por el estado para abarcar a inmigrantes que viven en el país sin papeles.
Teen Volunteers Get a Foot in the Door for Nursing Home Careers
A group of New York senior living facilities offer teens from 10 underserved schools the chance to volunteer and get free training for entry-level health jobs, career coaching and assistance on college prep.
California Takes a Nibble at Offering Food Stamps to Undocumented Immigrants
Food insecurity soared during the pandemic, including among unauthorized immigrants, who are not eligible for federally funded food stamps. California’s Democratic lawmakers want to expand the benefit to that population, but opponents cite the massive ongoing cost to the state.
Government Oversight of Covid Air Cleaners Leaves Gaping Holes
Thousands of schools have spent millions of federal covid relief dollars snapping up air cleaning technology that claims to inactivate covid-19. But the devices fall into a regulatory gap.
Effort to Decipher Hospital Prices Yields Key Finding: Don’t Try It at Home
Your dutiful columnist tried to make use of a federal “transparency” rule to compare the prices of common medical procedures in two California health care systems. It was a futile exercise.
