Latest KFF Health News Stories
Massachusetts Recruits 1,000 ‘Contact Tracers’ To Battle COVID-19
“I know we will succeed somewhat and we will fail somewhat,” says one of the plan’s chief architects. “We won’t be able to find every single person — but we will hopefully prevent a lot of deaths.”
In Shutting Out Threat, Seniors In Continuing Care Communities Feel Shut In
For older adults in retirement communities ― a population especially vulnerable to COVID-19 — striking a balance between reducing the risk of contracting the coronavirus and maintaining the quality of life is a new frontier.
Pediatric Practices Struggle To Adapt And Survive Amid COVID-19
Across the U.S., pediatric practices that provide front-line care for the nation’s children are struggling to adjust to crashing revenues, terrified parents and a shortage of protective equipment — and all while being asked to care for young patients who could well be vectors for transmission without showing symptoms.
Watch: Coronavirus And Your Health Care
KHN’s Julie Rovner answers viewers’ questions on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” about how the pandemic is affecting health policy as well as patients and their insurance.
Sanders: In Coronavirus Relief Effort, Congress Fell Short On Paid Sick Leave
Capitol Hill’s guarantee does not pertain to many “essential” workers.
How Do We Exit The Shutdown? Hire An Army Of Public Health Workers
The pandemic has exposed massive cracks in the foundations of the U.S. public health system. Getting the country back to normal, experts say, will require a major investment in Public Health 101: training a corps of workers who can track people with the virus and prevent them from passing it to others.
Battling A Pandemic Across 4,750 Square Miles And 10 Million People
Los Angeles County’s health leader describes the struggle for data and resources in the coronavirus fight.
Biden’s Incremental Medicare Play For Bernie’s Backers
The presumptive Democratic presidential candidate unveils a proposal to lower the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 60.
Furor Erupts: Billions Going To Hospitals Based On Medicare Billings, Not COVID-19
In the first round of emergency relief, some states will get more than $300,000 per COVID-19 patient, while hard-hit New York gets just $12,000 per patient.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don’t have to.
To ‘Keep The Lights On,’ Doctors And Hospitals Ask For Advance Medicare Payments
As part of the federal response to the coronavirus crisis, Medicare is offering to give hospitals and doctors accelerated payments.
Millennial Zeitgeist: Attitudes About COVID-19 Shift As Cases Among Young Adults Rise
Twenty- and 30-somethings were initially told the coronavirus was more likely to strike older people. But then people in younger age groups started getting seriously sick.
Comic Relief From COVID-19: Leaders Really Meme It When They Say Stay Home
State and city officials are using a dose of humor to urge residents to stay home in the serious mission of controlling COVID-19.
A Colorado Ski Community Planned To Test Everyone For COVID-19. Here’s What Happened.
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.
‘It’s Like Walking Into Chernobyl,’ One Doctor Says Of Her Emergency Room
Lack of protective gear and fears about all the unknown aspects of COVID-19 are parts of the mosaic of stress facing doctors and nurses on the front lines of the pandemic.
‘Baby, I Can’t Breathe’: America’s First ER Doctor To Die In The Heat Of COVID-19 Battle
Frank Gabrin knew the stakes of his job. What he found unsettling was having to reuse personal protective gear while caring for coronavirus patients.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Who Will Pay For COVID-19 Care?
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.
Newsom’s Ambitious Health Care Agenda Crumbles In A ‘Radically Changed’ World
California Gov. Gavin Newsom charged into 2020 with ambitious — and expensive — proposals to increase health insurance coverage, reduce homelessness and tackle drug prices. Then came COVID-19.
What’s Missing In The Coronavirus Response
Public health researchers offered a range of ideas — from high-tech to tried-and-true public health interventions ― that could aid the U.S. response to COVID-19.
What Does Recovery From COVID-19 Look Like? It Depends. A Pulmonologist Explains.
Reports offer a glimmer of hope, especially for older adults.
