Category: Kaiser Health News

Azar Says Federal Law Had Preexisting Conditions Covered Before ACA. Not So Much.

This appears to be an overstatement.

Next Showdown in Congress: Protecting Workers vs. Protecting Employers in the Pandemic

Democrats want to bind employers to follow a safety plan, while Republicans seek to shield employers and doctors from lawsuits.

Adding To COVID Stress, Families Of Health Workers Fight For Denied Workers’ Comp Benefits

Attorneys say some state workers’ compensation laws leave workers and families struggling for benefits after a COVID illness or death.

States Allow In-Person Nursing Home Visits As Families Charge Residents Die ‘Of Broken Hearts’

Half the states are rolling back strict policies that have kept family members out of nursing homes because of fears of spreading the coronavirus.

Must-Reads Of The Week

KHN executive editor Damon Darlin wades through mounds of health care policy stories — so you don’t have to.

Colorado, Like Other States, Trims Health Programs Amid Health Crisis

Across the country, the recession has cut state revenues at the same time the COVID-19 pandemic has increased costs, forcing state lawmakers into painful decisions about how to balance their budgets. Health care is one of the targets even in the midst of a health care crisis.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: ‘Open The Schools, Close The Bars’

Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on SoundCloud. How to safely open the nation’s schools this fall has become the latest spat in attempting to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have decried the guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as too […]

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.

Amid Surge, Hospitals Hesitate To Cancel Nonemergency Surgeries

Unlike earlier in the year, most hospitals are not proactively canceling elective surgeries, even in some places seeing spikes in coronavirus patients.

Behind The Byline: ‘Everybody Hit Record’

Check out KHN’s video series — Behind The Byline: How The Story Got Made. Come along as journalists and producers offer an insider’s view of health care coverage that does not quit.