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DeSantis Says COVID Is a Lower Risk for School-Aged Kids Than Flu
Although it is still early, available numbers provide backup.
‘Pennie’-Pinching States Take Over Obamacare Exchanges From Feds
Pennsylvania and New Jersey are leaving the federal marketplace this fall to save money and will start their own insurance exchanges. Kentucky, New Mexico, Virginia and Maine are looking to join them in 2021 or beyond.
The COVID-19 Downturn Triggers Jump in Medicaid Enrollment
For the first time since 2017, Medicaid enrollment has begun increasing again, but not by as much as many analysts expected.
As COVID Testing Soars, Wait Times For Results Jump To A Week — Or More
The delays can be excruciating, with some extreme cases running more than 20 days. People getting tested at urgent care centers, community health centers, pharmacies and state-run drive-thru or walk-up sites are often waiting a week or more to find out if they tested positive for the coronavirus.
Shingles Vaccination Rate Soars But Leaves Many Behind
A federal study finds 35% of people 60 and older were vaccinated for shingles by 2018, up from 7% in 2008, but low-income people and those who are Black or Hispanic are far less likely to get vaccinated.
COVID Pandemic Jeopardizes Vote On Oklahoma Medicaid Expansion
On June 30, Oklahomans can vote on expanding the Medicaid program there. But supporters worry that fear of the coronavirus could diminish turnout or voters could be confused by Gov. Kevin Stitt’s recent change of heart: He now supports Medicaid expansion but not the ballot initiative.
Wealthy Hospital Taps Small Craft Breweries For Financial Aid To Buy Masks, Gloves
Although the federal government has poured billions of dollars into hospitals to defray their losses from the coronavirus outbreak, new streams of fundraising have emerged — including health worker-themed beer that adds “a drop in the bucket.”
Open (Your Wallet) Wide: Dentists Charge Extra For Infection Control
A growing number of dental offices across the country are now charging patients an “infection control fee” of $10 to $20 to pay for masks, face shields, gowns and air purifiers to help keep the offices free of the coronavirus.
COVID-Like Cough Sent Him To ER — Where He Got A $3,278 Bill
A dad in Denver tried to do everything right when COVID symptoms surfaced. Still, he ended up with a huge bill from an insurer that had said it waived cost sharing for coronavirus treatment. What gives?
Reopening Dental Offices For Routine Care Amid Pandemic Touches A Nerve
Most states ordered dental offices to close except for emergency patient care when the coronavirus hit the U.S. But the shutdown drilled deep into dentists’ finances, and they have been eager to reopen as states have relaxed their closures.
