Readers and Tweeters Defend Human 鈥 And Animal 鈥 Rights
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
All Coverage
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When Green Means Stop: How Safety Messages Got So Muddled
Philadelphia is in the 鈥渞estricted green鈥 reopening phase. What does that mean? And why does the U.S. have so many different pandemic safety rules?聽
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Listen: ACA Heading to Supreme Court 鈥 Again
KHN鈥檚 Julie Rovner joins 鈥淪COTUStalk鈥 podcast host Amy Howe to examine the justices鈥 upcoming review of the Affordable Care Act. The latest challenge to the health law by Republican state officials is expected to be heard by the court in the fall, perhaps even on Election Day.
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California GOP Consultant Rues 鈥楤ig Mistake鈥 That Led to Family鈥檚 COVID Infections
Richard Costigan, a well-respected fixture in state Capitol circles, has detailed his family鈥檚 ongoing experiences with COVID-19 on social media after catching the virus 鈥 he surmises 鈥 at a backyard gathering. The former Schwarzenegger aide wants people to know this virus doesn鈥檛 care who you are.
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Listen: NPR Interview About Less Lethal Weapons That Can Maim Or Kill
NPR’s Ailsa Chang speaks with Jay Hancock of KHN about an investigation into the use of so-called less-lethal munitions 鈥 such as rubber bullets and bean bags 鈥 at protests, and why they鈥檝e never been regulated.
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Hospital Merger in Washington State Stokes Fears About Catholic Limits on Care
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.
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What Seniors Can Expect as Their New Normal in a Post-Vaccine World
Experts say folks 60 and up must continue to limit exposure in the years to come 鈥 even after there is a vaccine for COVID-19.
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Forced Sports Timeout Puts Squeeze on College Coffers, Scholarships and Towns
Sports events 鈥 with their sprays of sweat and spit, not to mention large crowds 鈥 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.
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Fauci Unfazed as Scientists Rely on Unproven Methods to Create COVID Vaccines
Teams are starting to test vaccines using messenger RNA or chimpanzee cold viruses to inoculate humans. Will their benefits last?
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Avoiding Care During the Pandemic Could Mean Life or Death
Americans are avoiding hospitals and clinics by the millions, even when they shouldn鈥檛, and many experts expect a jump in preventable disease diagnoses after the COVID crisis eases. Paradoxically, the pandemic may have been good for some heart patients, however.
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Don鈥檛 Count on Lower Premiums Despite Pandemic-Driven Boon for Insurers
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.
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Don鈥檛 Fall for This Video: Hydroxychloroquine Is Not a COVID-19 Cure
This statement is taken from a video in which a group of doctors air unproven conspiracy theories about the coronavirus. Dr. Immanuel’s claims were among the most inaccurate. And, before it was removed from social media platforms, thee video was viewed millions of times. President Donald Trump retweeted it.
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KHN鈥檚 鈥榃hat The Health?鈥: Republicans in COVID Disarray
President Donald Trump鈥檚 sobering view of COVID-19 didn鈥檛 last long 鈥 this week, he was back to pushing hydroxychloroquine, a drug that has been shown not to work in treating the virus. Meanwhile, Republicans on Capitol Hill are still scrambling to agree among themselves and with the White House on the next coronavirus relief bill, as both a moratorium on evictions and extra unemployment payments expire. And the debate over drug prices, which was going to be one of the biggest health issues of this election year, makes a brief appearance. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Mary Ellen McIntire of CQ Roll Call and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KHN鈥檚 Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, Rovner interviews KHN鈥檚 Markian Hawryluk, who wrote the latest KHN-NPR 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 story about a surprise bill from a surprise surgical assistant.
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Get the Data: Hollowed-Out Public Health System Faces More Cuts Amid Virus
We鈥檙e releasing our public health infrastructure data on Github for journalists, researchers and interested readers to use.
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Missourians to Vote on Medicaid Expansion as Crisis Leaves Millions Without Insurance
Around the country, Medicaid enrollment is up as people who have lost jobs during the pandemic seek health insurance. Expanding eligibility for Missouri鈥檚 program, which could help thousands of recently unemployed residents, will be on the ballot Tuesday.
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Medi-Cal Agency鈥檚 New Head Wants to Tackle Disparities and Racism
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鈥檚 most vulnerable residents.
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Namaste Noir: Yoga Co-Op Seeks to Diversify Yoga to Heal Racialized Trauma
In dealing with her son鈥檚 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.
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Where Mask-Wearing Isn鈥檛 Gospel: Colorado Churches Grapple With Reopening
Long considered one of the country鈥檚 evangelical strongholds, Colorado Springs cautiously returned to church after nearly two months without religious gatherings. But how congregations are handling Colorado鈥檚 new mask rules varies in this conservative city.
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Analysis: When Is a Coronavirus Test Not a Coronavirus Test?
If it takes 12 days to get results, testing is basically pointless.
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Public Health Experts Fear a Hasty FDA Signoff on Vaccine
The FDA must approve any coronavirus vaccine before it鈥檚 widely distributed, but political pressure could cloud the decision.
