Category: Kaiser Health News

Black and Hispanic Americans Suffer Most in Biggest US Decline in Life Expectancy Since WWII

Even those not infected by the virus could suffer health problems related to poverty, job loss, eviction — or all of the above. And the pandemic drove the nation’s largest decline in life expectancy since World War II.

Thousands of Young Children Lost Parents to Covid. Where’s Help for Them?

More than 46,000 children in the U.S. have lost a parent to covid-19. Families say finding even basic grief counseling has been difficult and there’s been no coordinated effort to help these children access services or benefits.

In a Murky Sea of Mental Health Apps, Consumers Left Adrift

Venture capitalists have poured billions into the digital mental health space, sensing an area of unmet demand that is ripe for disruption. The problem for consumers is separating the apps that might help from those that offer little more than distraction — or could actually do harm.

Is Rand Paul Mixing Up the Vaccine Message for Covid Survivors?

The scientific literature shows that natural immunity does provide protection against covid-19, but experts say getting vaccinated can provide additional protection against variants.

Hemmed In at Home, Nonprofit Hospitals Look for Profits Abroad

About three dozen elite health systems are involved in for-profit hospital projects overseas. Though the systems are exempt from U.S. taxes for providing “community benefit,” there’s limited evidence that such business ventures benefit American patients.

Hospitals, Insurers Invest Big Dollars to Tackle Patients’ Social Needs

Eager to control costs, health systems and insurers are trying to address patients’ social needs such as food insecurity, transportation and housing. Yet, after years of testing, there’s slim evidence these efforts pay off.

Nurses and Docs at Long Beach Center ‘Consider It an Honor’ to Care for Migrant Children

Health care workers find it easy to empathize with Central American children after their painful journeys to the U.S.

‘It’s a Mission’: Volunteers Treat Refugees Massing at the Border

A growing number of Mexican and Central American migrants are trying to cross into the U.S. at the southern border. Volunteers at one free clinic in Tijuana tend to the health needs of migrants waiting for their immigration cases to come up — and simply trying to survive in packed and dangerous encampments.

Montana Tribe Welcomes Back Tourists After Risky Shutdown Pays Off

When the Blackfeet tribe shut down the roads leading to the eastern side of Glacier National Park, businesses worried for their future. But it worked, and with one of the nation’s highest covid vaccination rates, the reservation has reopened to visitors.

What It Means When Celebrities Stay Coy About Their Vaccine Status

St. Louis Blues leading scorer David Perron took 10 days to explain he had indeed been vaccinated before he caught covid-19, which knocked him from playing in the NHL playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche. His case and those of other public figures raise questions about the role of celebrity in enticing people to get covid vaccinations.