Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News

Author's posts

Tampa’s Mayor vs. a Covid-Era Super Bowl

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor — an outspoken former cop — has clashed repeatedly with Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has limited what local officials can do to confront the pandemic. But she reached an uneasy peace with the state and is convinced that safeguards instituted by the NFL will help keep crowds safe at the NFL championship game.

States Move Ahead With Canada Drug Importation While Awaiting Signal From Biden

As president, Donald Trump encouraged states to bring in drugs from Canada, where prices are cheaper. It’s not clear if the new administration will follow suit.

Poll: Nearly Half of American Adults Now Want the Covid Vaccine — ASAP

The number of adults seeking to get inoculated has risen since December, according to a new poll.

Covid Vaccine Rollout Leaves Most Older Adults Confused Where to Get Shots

Nearly 6 in 10 people 65 and older say they don’t have enough information about how to get vaccinated, according to a new KFF poll.

Geography Is Destiny: Dentists’ Access to Covid Shots Depends on Where They Live

A handful of states are making dentists a lower priority than other health professionals for inoculations, even though they have their hands in people’s mouths and are exposed to aerosols that spray germs in their faces.

Hospitals’ Rocky Rollout of Covid Vaccine Sparks Questions of Fairness

The lack of a federal strategy on how distribution should work at the local level means that states, hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies are making decisions on their own about who gets vaccinated and when.

Trump Administration Approves First Medicaid Block Grant, in Tennessee

The plan, long endorsed by conservatives, would give the state broad authority in running the health insurance program for the poor in exchange for capping its annual federal funding.

As Biden Gets Sworn In, White House Will Get Scrubbed Down

Fears about lingering coronavirus at the White House are prompting a massive disinfection initiative before the Bidens move in.

With Few Takers for COVID Vaccine, DC Hospital CEO Takes ‘One for the Team’

Howard University Hospital officials are eager to get their 1,900 employees vaccinated, but so far few are showing up.

Trump Plan May Set Clock Ticking on Many Health Rules — Setting Off Alarms

The Department of Health and Human Services has proposed that the new administration review about 2,400 regulations that affect tens of millions of Americans, on everything from Medicare benefits to prescription drug approvals. Those not analyzed within two years would become void.