The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
In an interview, Dennis Carroll, who until last fall headed up the emerging threats unit at USAID, spoke about the threat of more germs, like the novel coronavirus, appearing and whether the world is prepared for this pandemic.
Drs. Keith Jerome and Alex Greninger fast-tracked a test for the deadly new coronavirus weeks before it began spreading in the U.S. Their work has been key to detecting community transmission and ramping up the nation鈥檚 testing capacity.
The ongoing feud between President Donald Trump and California鈥檚 Democratic leaders is costing the Golden State hundreds of millions of health care dollars 鈥 with billions more at stake.
The candidates talked about their views on how this public health crisis should be managed. Though they disagreed on many points, they shared disapproval of the Trump administration鈥檚 response.
California鈥檚 capital region is among the areas that have had to shift response to the coronavirus outbreak because of a shortage of test kits in the U.S.
The COVID-19 outbreak has spawned confusion among health officials, doctors and the public, especially for people who fall into the gray area for testing and deciding whether they need to quarantine themselves. Where to turn for answers about isolation and quarantine varies by locale. All this means agencies are sometimes delaying needed advice and giving people incorrect information.
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don’t have to.
This online map shows which of the 15,000 nursing homes in the U.S. have been cited for infection-control violations and how serious those infractions are.
When four KHN reporters were possibly exposed to COVID-19, they tried to take preventive steps. But even for health care journalists, getting tested for the virus 鈥 and figuring out what to do next 鈥 is an uphill task.
More nursing homes have been faulted for failing to follow practices designed to prevent and control infections than for any other type of error. Such lapses have become matters of heightened concern with the spread of the coronavirus this spring, especially as the virus is a bigger threat to the elderly.
There are important distinctions between how insurance companies will cover the test and the treatment. This makes the president鈥檚 statement an exaggeration, at best.
There is currently no central coordination of the supply of protective garb and masks in U.S. hospital inventories. A CDC project wants hospitals to share that information for the good of all.
As the coronavirus threat rises, prisons are grappling with the possibility of nationwide lockdowns and calls for prisoner releases.
The rapidly spreading coronavirus has led to the cancellation of sporting events, conferences and travel, with Congress and President Donald Trump scrambling to catch up to the spiraling public health crisis. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has issued long-awaited rules aimed at making it easier for patients to carry copies of their medical records. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post and Kimberly Leonard of Business Insider join KHN鈥檚 Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, for extra credit, the panelists suggest their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.
The process is not as simple as calling your doctor or pharmacy, saying you want to be tested for COVID-19 and getting it done. Clinicians decide whether patients meet the criteria to warrant it. Circumstances are further complicated because tests are in short supply.
Congress passed legislation Wednesday reauthorizing the Older Americans Act, which provides for home-delivered and group meals. Although proposed funding increases are substantial, they still don鈥檛 keep up with the nation鈥檚 growing senior population.
The good news: Life expectancy for people who make it to 65 has increased. Yet, coastal and urban people fare better than those in rural and middle America.
As a national movement for better access to menstrual products gains steam, 鈥減eriod equity鈥 activists in Colorado are finding the path to change isn鈥檛 straight. Although Denver last summer repealed sales taxes on menstrual products and the state now requires supplies to be provided in prisons, an effort to repeal the statewide sales tax on the products failed. So, activists assemble supply kits to donate to those who need them.
If you are sick from the coronavirus outbreak or sent home, your financial protections may vary depending on what state you live in.
As the new coronavirus continues its spread through the U.S., the general public can look for guidance from millions of Americans with weakened immune systems who long ago adopted the rules of infection control that officials tout to avoid contagion.
