Latest KFF Health News Stories
Reopening Dental Offices For Routine Care Amid Pandemic Touches A Nerve
Most states ordered dental offices to close except for emergency patient care when the coronavirus hit the U.S. But the shutdown drilled deep into dentists’ finances, and they have been eager to reopen as states have relaxed their closures.
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.
Tennessee’s Secret To Plentiful Coronavirus Testing? Picking Up The Tab
Just about anyone who wants a coronavirus test in the state of Tennessee can get one. How? The state got buy-in and lots of participation from private labs by assuring them it will pay them.
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.
To Stem COVID, This Small Indiana City Decided To Test All Public-Facing Employees
An affluent suburb looked to Iceland’s and South Korea’s widespread testing in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The method is pricey, but leaders are convinced it is worthwhile.
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.
Alerta a turistas: los planes de salud para viajeros podrían no cubrir pandemias
Muchos planes ofrecen cobertura de atención médica en caso que la persona necesite atención durante un viaje. Pero éstos varían enormemente según la compañía, y pueden no incluir a COVID-19.
Proveedores de Medicaid, al final de la lista para recibir fondos por COVID
Los directores estatales de Medicaid dicen que, sin financiamiento inmediato, muchas instalaciones de salud que atienden a pacientes de Medicaid podrían tener que cerrar de manera permanente.
Tourists, Beware: Foreign Visitors’ Travel Health Insurance Might Exclude Pandemics
Many travel insurance plans offer health care coverage, but they could limit how much the insurer will pay or exclude coverage for health crises like the coronavirus pandemic. That may leave foreign travelers — unfamiliar with the way the American health system works ― on the hook for major expenses.
Medicaid Providers At The End Of The Line For Federal COVID Funding
Congress authorized $100 billion for health care providers to help reimburse them for losses linked to the coronavirus pandemic. But the majority of that funding so far has gone to hospitals, doctors and other facilities that serve Medicare patients. Providers primarily serving low-income Medicaid populations and children have been largely left out.
In The COVID Age, Bring A Mask And Gloves To A Protest
After a police shooting in Indianapolis, activists held a protest — but, recognizing the dangers of the coronavirus in a crowd, many worked to make sure demonstrators took proper precautions.
Listen: Tough Talk On Capitol Hill
KHN’s Julie Rovner joined other journalists on Friday’s ‘On Point’ broadcast to talk about health news, including states relaxing their stay-at-home orders and Capitol Hill hearings featuring testimony before Congress by Drs. Anthony Fauci and Rick Bright.
As Congress Weighs COVID Liability Protections, States Shield Health Providers
Under pressure from organizations representing doctors, nurses, hospitals and other care providers, a handful of states are offering them protections from civil lawsuits over medical treatment.
Another Coronavirus Casualty: California’s Budget
Before the coronavirus hit, California was looking at a budget surplus of more than $5 billion and lawmakers were debating how to increase the size of government health programs. Now, the state faces a deficit, program cuts, high unemployment — and no significant investment in public health funding at a time when the state needs it the most.
In Reversal, Kansas Will Count All Positive COVID Cases, Even Asymptomatic Ones
Following a KCUR report, Kansas officials said the state’s public reporting of pandemic trends will count all tests that come back positive for the new coronavirus, even when the patient has no symptoms.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: What’s In The Next Round Of COVID-19 Relief?
House Democrats unveiled legislation that would effectively double what the federal government has spent on relief for the COVID-19 pandemic, but Republicans say they want to wait before even talking about another bill. Meanwhile, a key Republican senator called the GOP court case challenging the Affordable Care Act “flimsy.” Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call and Joanne Kenen of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more.
Despite Pandemic, Trauma Centers See No End To ‘The Visible Virus Of Violence’
A steady stream of gunshot victims continues to flow into a trauma center on Chicago’s South Side and many other metropolitan trauma centers. This puts a strain on hospitals already busy fighting COVID-19.
Under COVID Cloud, Prisons In Rural America Threaten To Choke Rural Hospitals
A rural Montana county of 5,000 people lays claim to the state’s highest COVID-19 infection rate. The community risks additional spread, though, because of a private prison situated there. If the virus infiltrates the prison and just a fraction of inmates get sick, the area’s limited health resources may not endure.
Returning To Roots, Indian Health Service Seeks Traditional Healers
The Indian Health Service hospital at Montana’s Fort Belknap reservation has put out a call for applicants for two traditional practitioner positions, part of a new recognition of Native American ethnobotany expertise that was pushed underground for decades. The openings are already making waves in the state.
Estatus racial y pandemia: una mezcla combustible
El aumento de casos y muertes por COVID-19 en comunidades minoritarias ponen en relieve cómo los determinantes de salud pesan en la dinámica de una pandemia.
