Latest Morning Briefing Stories

A Colorado Ski Community Planned To Test Everyone For COVID-19. Here’s What Happened.

KFF Health News Original

A couple decided to donate a new test from their company to enable coronavirus testing for everyone in their ski resort community. It was an experiment that promised to show what widespread testing could do to fight the spread of COVID-19. But even the best-intended plans run into problems during this pandemic.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Who Will Pay For COVID-19 Care?

KFF Health News Original

The spread of COVID-19 is prompting changes in pricing, coverage and other health care issues that have been subjects of political debate for years. But the politics remain polarized. Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, for extra credit, the panelists suggest their favorite health policy stories of the week that they think you should read, too.

COVID-19 Crisis Threatens Beleaguered Assisted Living Industry

KFF Health News Original

The Capital Senior Living chain of assisted living communities and others like it were struggling financially before coronavirus suddenly appeared. Now their situation is really getting tough.

Retiree-Rich Palm Beach County Leads Florida In COVID-19 Deaths

KFF Health News Original

The coronavirus death toll in Palm Beach County — home to President Donald Trump’s palatial home and club, Mar-a-Lago ― is the highest in Florida, where the large senior population is at risk.

‘When It Starts Getting Into Your Local Hospital, It Becomes Real’

KFF Health News Original

Located about 45 minutes from New Orleans in one of the hardest-hit counties nationally, the 25-bed rural St. James Parish Hospital has hunkered down as staffers became infected, patient intake numbers have doubled, and intubations have skyrocketed. This is what it looks like inside a rural hospital when COVID-19 hits.

Postcard From The Edge: L.A. Street Vendors Who Can’t Stop Working

KFF Health News Original

Foot traffic in L.A. has fallen off a cliff amid the COVID-19 crisis, driving many street vendors away. But some are still on the streets, peddling their wares out of economic necessity. Many are undocumented immigrants who won’t get any help from the recently approved $2 trillion federal assistance package.

‘Staying Away From Grandma’ Isn’t An Option In Multigenerational Homes

KFF Health News Original

About 1 in 5 U.S. residents live in multigenerational households. Many of those have three or more generations all under one roof. While the living arrangement has financial and emotional benefits, those families face a unique set of challenges as COVID-19 continues to spread.

Long-Standing Racial And Income Disparities Seen Creeping Into COVID-19 Care

KFF Health News Original

Many health officials around the nation have not released data on the ethnic and racial demographics of people tested for the new coronavirus. But public health experts said the anecdotes are adding up, and they fear the response to the pandemic will result in predictable health care disparities.

Mysterious Heart Damage, Not Just Lung Troubles, Befalling COVID-19 Patients

KFF Health News Original

Most of the attention in the COVID-19 pandemic has been on how the virus affects the lungs. But evidence shows that up to 1 in 5 hospitalized patients have signs of heart damage and many are dying due to heart problems.

‘You’ve Been Served’: Wisconsin Hospitals Sued Patients Even During Pandemic

KFF Health News Original

Wisconsin hospitals had filed at least 104 lawsuits in small claims court since the state declared a public health emergency March 12. Most now say they are suspending the cases; one hospital has dismissed them after a reporter’s calls.