Category: Cost and Quality

Already Taxed Health Care Workers Not ‘Immune’ From Layoffs And Less Pay

Revenue is way down for primary care, specialty physicians and some hospitals as patients avoid non-urgent visits. Practices small and large are doling out layoffs and furloughs to staff.

Federal Judge Rules Medicare Patients Can Challenge ‘Observation Care’ Status

Hundreds of thousands of people will be able to appeal hospitals’ decisions to classify them as “observation care” patients instead of inpatients, under a ruling last week in a class action suit.

Seattle Nurses Scrounge For Masks To Stay Safe On Pandemic’s Front Lines

As illness from the new coronavirus stresses the health care system, nurses said they are being forced to make do with less and learning to be good stewards of available equipment and protective gear.

A View From The Frontlines Of California’s COVID-19 Battle

California physicians dealing with COVID-19 offer a sobering portrait of a health care system bracing for the worst of a pandemic that could be months from peaking.

Near Trump’s Florida Home, Drive-Thru COVID-19 Testing Gets Off To Rocky Start

Just 5 miles from Mar-a-Lago, the POTUS’ outpost, Florida residents find that the president’s pledge to make testing accessible hasn’t materialized.

The High Cost Of Being Trump’s Enemy

The ongoing feud between President Donald Trump and California’s Democratic leaders is costing the Golden State hundreds of millions of health care dollars — with billions more at stake.

Looking For Answers After Coronavirus Contact? Welcome To The Gray Zone

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.

Trump Wrongly Said Health Insurers Will Pay For All Coronavirus Treatment

There are important distinctions between how insurance companies will cover the test and the treatment. This makes the president’s statement an exaggeration, at best.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Coronavirus Goes Viral

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’s 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.

Coronavirus Is Keeping Me Home From Work. Will I Get Paid?

If you are sick from the coronavirus outbreak or sent home, your financial protections may vary depending on what state you live in.