Latest Morning Briefing Stories

Hospital Merger in Washington State Stokes Fears About Catholic Limits on Care

KFF Health News Original

Virginia Mason Health System and CHI Franciscan announced plans in July to merge 12 hospitals and more than 250 other treatment sites in the Puget Sound region and the Yakima area. Some patient advocacy groups warn the proposal would jeopardize access to needed services, such as emergency termination of pregnancies, contraception and physician aid in dying.

Forced Sports Timeout Puts Squeeze on College Coffers, Scholarships and Towns

KFF Health News Original

Sports events — with their sprays of sweat and spit, not to mention large crowds — are ideal settings for the coronavirus to spread. Although some college leagues have canceled their fall seasons, schools with big athletic programs are still hoping for a partial return to the gridiron and the hardwood.

Don’t Count on Lower Premiums Despite Pandemic-Driven Boon for Insurers

KFF Health News Original

Early in the pandemic, insurers expected the costs of treating COVID-19 would vastly increase medical spending. Instead, non-COVID care has plummeted and insurers have pocketed the result. Still, few industry observers are predicting broad-based premium cuts in 2021, though some health plans have proposed lowering their rates.

Missourians to Vote on Medicaid Expansion as Crisis Leaves Millions Without Insurance

KFF Health News Original

Around the country, Medicaid enrollment is up as people who have lost jobs during the pandemic seek health insurance. Expanding eligibility for Missouri’s program, which could help thousands of recently unemployed residents, will be on the ballot Tuesday.

Medi-Cal Agency’s New Head Wants to Tackle Disparities and Racism

KFF Health News Original

Will Lightbourne, the new director of the California Department of Health Care Services, says government must address the racial disparities laid bare by COVID-19 and improve care for the state’s most vulnerable residents.

Namaste Noir: Yoga Co-Op Seeks to Diversify Yoga to Heal Racialized Trauma

KFF Health News Original

In dealing with her son’s violent murder, fear over the coronavirus pandemic and the stress of coping with systemic racism, Beverly Grant has found strength and peace through yoga. The Denver native is part of a yoga co-op seeking to bring the ancient practice to more diverse communities as a health care tool.

Where Mask-Wearing Isn’t Gospel: Colorado Churches Grapple With Reopening

KFF Health News Original

Long considered one of the country’s evangelical strongholds, Colorado Springs cautiously returned to church after nearly two months without religious gatherings. But how congregations are handling Colorado’s new mask rules varies in this conservative city.

In Texas, More People Are Losing Their Health Insurance as COVID Cases Climb

KFF Health News Original

During the pandemic, nearly 700,000 additional Texans have lost health insurance. The Lone Star State already had more uninsured people than any other. It has given people with COVID symptoms pause before seeking medical care.

Last Thing Patients Need During Pandemic: Being Last to Know a Doctor Left Network

KFF Health News Original

Health plan network changes occur all the time as doctors retire, relocate or leave networks. Unfortunately, patients may be the last to find out about such changes because there are often few requirements that either providers or insurers inform them.

Less-Lethal Weapons Blind, Maim and Kill. Victims Say Enough Is Enough.

KFF Health News Original

Time and again over the past two decades, peace officers have targeted demonstrators with munitions designed only to stun and stop. Protests this year in reaction to George Floyd’s death in police custody have reignited a controversy surrounding their use.

Listen: Outbreak of Trench Fever Grips Coloradans

KFF Health News Original

KHN senior Colorado correspondent Markian Hawryluk joined KUNC’s Henry Zimmerman on “Colorado Edition” to discuss his recent story on an outbreak of trench fever around Denver.

Medicaid Mystery: Millions of Enrollees Haven’t Materialized in California

KFF Health News Original

State officials had projected that 2 million Californians would join Medi-Cal, the state’s health insurance program for low-income people, by July because of the economic devastation wrought by COVID-19. Yet enrollment has barely budged, and why is unclear.

Listen: How the Pandemic Further Politicized Public Health

KFF Health News Original

KHN Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber joined Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies on “The Source” show to talk about the politicization of public health during the COVID pandemic.

Ever Heard of a Surgical Assistant? Meet a New Boost to Your Medical Bills

KFF Health News Original

A college student’s bill for outpatient knee surgery is a whopper — $96K — but the most mysterious part is a $1,167 charge from a health care provider she didn’t even know was in the operating room.