Category: Kaiser Health News

Obamacare Co-Ops Down From 23 to Final ‘3 Little Miracles’

Once there were 23 of these nonprofit plans across 26 states; in January there will be only three, serving Maine, Wisconsin, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.

‘An Arm and a Leg’: She Tangled With Health Insurers for 25 Years — And Loved It

When people had a health insurance headache, these two words were a relief: “Call Barbara.” No problem was too big, or too small, she’d fix it.

With Schools Starting Online, Vaccinations Head for Recess

Traditionally, requirements that kids undergo certain immunizations before attending school have been a critical public health tool. Health officials are scrambling to make sure children don’t fall through the cracks.

Altered Mindsets: Marijuana Is Making Its Mark on Ballots in Red States

Voters in Montana and several other conservative-leaning states will decide in November whether to legalize medical or recreational marijuana.

Will Labor Day Weekend Bring Another Holiday COVID Surge? Jury’s Out.

Epidemiologists are having a hard time predicting whether Labor Day will be like the Fourth of July and Memorial Day, when celebrations fanned the flames in coronavirus hot spots around the South and West.

As Threat of Valley Fever Grows Beyond the Southwest, Push Is On for Vaccine

Efforts are underway to bring to market a vaccine for valley fever, a fungal infection with COVID-like symptoms that occurs in the deserts of the Southwest. The illness is getting more attention as cases rise and a warming climate threatens to spread it through the West.

HHS Plan to Improve Rural Health Focuses on Better Broadband, Telehealth Services

The proposal details a wide-ranging agenda to remedy the gaps in health care and myriad challenges in rural America. In addition to more telehealth options, it includes shifts in hospital payments and expanded funding for school-based mental health programs.

LA County Authorities Cautious Despite Declining COVID Numbers

The county, a hotbed of coronavirus infection in California, has seen a steady reduction in positive test results, new cases, hospitalizations and deaths over the past few weeks. But officials are concerned about public behavior over the Labor Day holiday weekend and wary of relaxing strictures too soon.

Why Black Aging Matters, Too

Older Blacks are perishing quietly, out of sight, victims of the pandemic and a lifetime of racism and its attendant adverse health effects.