The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
Universities need full dorms and dining halls to make back some of the estimated $183 billion in losses they鈥檝e suffered over a year of remote education. The hope is widespread vaccination will keep covid chaos to a minimum.
As athletes at all levels resume their sports, what risks do their hearts carry if they鈥檝e had covid? Initial data shows the risk may be low but still possibly deadly.
Antonio Espinoza, a hospice nurse in Southern California, ministered to terminally ill patients, including those with covid. He tested positive for covid five days after getting his first dose of vaccine and died a few weeks later.
Even with extra federal dollars and a flush budget, Show Me State Republicans are putting up roadblocks to the voter-approved constitutional amendment that would give 275,000 people health insurance.
Many state Medicaid programs pay out-of-state providers much less than in-state facilities, often making it hard for families with medically complex children to get the care they seek.
Montana鈥檚 overstretched counties and tribal governments have developed a mishmash of policies and plans that require ingenuity and mutual support to work. A reporting project by KHN, Montana Free Press and the University of Montana School of Journalism finds the biggest test of that disparate system looms as vaccine eligibility expands. Plus: a county-by-county guide to vaccine availability in Montana.
As the crisis crushed smaller providers, some of the nation鈥檚 richest health systems thrived, reporting hundreds of millions of dollars in surpluses after accepting huge grants for pandemic relief. But poorer hospitals 鈥 many serving rural and minority populations 鈥 got a smaller slice of the pie and limped through the year with deficits and a bleak fiscal future.
Covid cases have disproportionately affected the state鈥檚 Black residents, so officials are moving them to the front of the line for vaccinations before the state expands eligibility to all adults.
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here鈥檚 a collection of their appearances.
Peace Arch Park on the U.S.-Canadian border has become a rare place where families and friends on either side of the border can see one another in person. But it raises questions on covid safety as the two countries handle the pandemic differently.
In poor neighborhoods and desert towns, community activists 鈥 some unpaid 鈥 are signing up hard-to-reach people for vaccination appointments. Experts say these campaigns are key to building the country鈥檚 immunological armor against new outbreaks.
Over-the-counter covid tests could help speed the economy鈥檚 recovery, allowing students and workers to test themselves at home and get quick results. Could they become as ubiquitous as toothpaste and cold remedies on store shelves, or will demand dry up as the nation gets vaccinated?
The ink is barely dry on the recent covid relief bill, but Democrats in Congress and President Joe Biden are wasting no time gearing up for their next big legislative package. Meanwhile, predictions of more states expanding Medicaid have proved premature. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat and Kimberly Leonard of Business Insider join KHN鈥檚 Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, Rovner interviews KHN鈥檚 Lauren Weber, who reported the latest KHN-NPR 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 episode.
Fort Scott, Kansas, was hit hard by the pandemic, and it no longer has a hospital. But residents remain skeptical about the impact of the coronavirus.
Indiana鈥檚 program seeks to give expansion enrollees 鈥渟kin in the game,鈥 requiring that they pay small monthly premiums and manage health savings accounts.
Rural Mendocino County had finally figured out its vaccination program. But now the community clinics that helped make it happen are changing course as Blue Shield of California takes over the state vaccine program.
Whether it鈥檚 making plans to hug their grandchildren, scheduling long-overdue medical appointments or just petting the neighbor鈥檚 dog, seniors are inching back to a lifestyle they鈥檝e missed during the pandemic.
The city of Durango has hired an actor to bring his Old West acting skills to tackle a current problem: the Wild West of spring break, in which visitors from states such as Texas and Oklahoma flock to town. The 鈥渓awman鈥 cajoles them into wearing masks while vaccinators stand ready for out-of-town visitors.
Hospitalizations are down 62% for childhood respiratory illnesses, a study shows. Masking and social distancing are keeping a variety of viruses in check this flu season.
Watch an intimate conversation about this workforce, which provides vital care to vulnerable people. Our panel included those doing the work and those who rely on them, as well as expert insight on improving the jobs, honoring the care and paying for it all.
