Category: Kaiser Health News

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: A ‘Super Tuesday’ For The Health Debate?

The wide field of Democrats vying to face President Donald Trump in the fall has been reduced to two major candidates, former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, each with a different prescription for the health system. Meanwhile, Congress and the Trump administration scramble to address the spread of the novel coronavirus. And the Supreme Court agrees to consider the latest case against the Affordable Care Act. Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner, Tami Luhby of CNN and Emmarie Huetteman of Kaiser Health News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more.

During A Pandemic, States’ Patchwork Of Crisis Plans Could Mean Uneven Care

If a coronavirus pandemic were to hit the U.S., only 36 states have blueprints for “crisis standards of care” to sort out who gets what kind of medical care amid scarce resources. And not all the plans are of high quality. That means health care providers in some states will be better prepared for a crisis than others — but all could face tough decisions.

As Coronavirus Cases Grow, So Does Scrutiny Of Nursing Home Infection Plans

Seema Verma, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, calls on state and federal health inspectors to focus on how facilities keep infections from spreading, especially in areas that have reported coronavirus cases.

Insurers Sank Connecticut’s ‘Public Option.’ Would A National Version Survive?

Even in a solidly blue state where voters were demanding relief from high health care costs, the idea of a government-run public option for health insurance faced a “steam train of opposition.”

Analysis: One Sure Thing About COVID-19: No Telling How Many People Have It

In an era when we get flash-flood warnings on phones, potentially vital, lifesaving knowledge is being kept under wraps.

Maine Voters Consider U-Turn On Vaccine Exemptions

States tried to tighten vaccine requirements last year in the midst of measles outbreaks, but a backlash against a tougher law in Maine put a referendum on the ballot there. Voters weigh in on Super Tuesday.

Corralling Hard-To-Reach Voters With Traveling Voting Machines

In advance of the Super Tuesday primary, California’s Los Angeles County is rotating new touch-screen voting machines among 41 locations, including adult day care centers and jails, to increase voting among populations with historically low turnout.

In An Exchange About Coronavirus, Homeland Security Chief Gets Flu Mortality Rate Wrong

The Homeland Security secretary missed the mark with his estimate of the flu’s annual U.S. mortality rate.

HHS Removed Images Of Condoms From HIV/AIDS Awareness Fliers

For those who are sexually active, condoms are widely recognized as the most effective method for preventing HIV and other diseases, if used correctly. But a fact sheet with “unapproved condom imagery” was taken down from a federal website, KHN has learned.

Failure To Communicate: The Debate On ACA Rages On 10 Years After Passage

Health policy is complicated. As a result, many journalists ― and sometimes policymakers ― have defaulted to talking about its politics. That means opponents often have shaped the debate about the federal health law’s implementation and effects to foment public fear or anger.