Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News

Author's posts

Conspiracy Theories Aside, Here’s What Contact Tracers Really Do

Recently, the idea has triggered a lot of conspiracy-theory talk. But it’s actually a tried-and-true public health tool being applied to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Could Trump’s Push To Undo The ACA Cause Problems For COVID Survivors? Biden Thinks So.

The speech by the presumtive Democrat presidential nominee was delivered the same day the Trump administration reaffirmed its support of a lawsuit that would invalidate all of the Affordable Care Act, including the law’s preexisting condition protections.

COVID Catch-22: They Got A Big ER Bill Because Hospitals Couldn’t Test For Virus

Americans who had coronavirus symptoms in March and April are getting big hospital bills — because they were not sick enough to get then-scarce COVID tests. Some insurers say they are trying to correct these bills, but patients may have to put up a fight.

Pandemic Forced Insurers To Pay For In-Home Treatments. Will They Disappear?

With stay-at-home orders in place, hospitals experimented with delivering many treatments to patients where they lived. They were a success. As society reopens, the return of old payment practices may prevent the adoption of this new, efficient model of care.

If You’ve Lost Your Health Plan In The COVID Crisis, You’ve Got Options

But some of those options, like special enrollment periods, are time-sensitive.

Reopening In The COVID Era: How To Adapt To A New Normal

States and the federal government are experimenting with steps that will allow people to start working again and returning to more typical lifestyles. But public health experts offer their thoughts on the related risk-benefit calculations.

To Curb Coronavirus, What’s Behind The Wearing Of A Mask?

The CDC recommends that Americans wear facial masks when they go to public places, such as the grocery store. But this is only one part of a multipronged effort to stop the virus’s spread.

Dispatch From A Country Doctor: Seeing Patients Differently In The Time Of Coronavirus

Emergency rule changes by the federal government and some insurers have made telemedicine a useful tool.

What Takes So Long? A Behind-The-Scenes Look At The Steps Involved In COVID-19 Testing

A common complaint about the testing process is the long turnaround time for results.

Take A Deep Breath: Making Risk-Based Decisions In The Coronavirus Era

There’s an array of recommendations about how to adjust our lives to reduce the spread of the novel virus. All are motivated by the same guiding principle: The better the public does in these efforts, the better off everyone will be.