Category: Kaiser Health News

‘An Arm And A Leg’: The $7,000 COVID Test And Other Lessons From SEASON-19

“An Arm and a Leg” wraps an all-COVID podcast season with three different perspectives on what the pandemic is costing us — and what might come next.

‘Why Do We Always Get Hit First?’ Proposed Budget Cuts Target Vulnerable Californians

Safety-net health care programs that keep low-income Californians out of nursing homes are on the chopping block as Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers attempt to plug a massive budget deficit caused by the COVID-19 emergency.

Democratic Super PAC Uses Familiar Political Play To Hit Trump On Medicare

This is a tactic that we’ve seen before.

Democratic Super PAC Uses Familiar Political Play To Hit Trump On Medicare

This is a tactic that we’ve seen before.

Coronavirus Surprise: IRS Allows Midyear Insurance And FSA Changes

Last month, the Internal Revenue Service announced it would let employees add, drop or change some of their benefits for the remainder of 2020. The catch: Your employer has to allow the changes. KHN explains how it could work.

Must-Reads Of The Week

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

As COVID Cuts Deadly Path Through Indiana Prisons, Inmates Say Symptoms Ignored

Since the start of the pandemic, prisoners and their families have contradicted state officials about the conditions inside Indiana prisons. Many inmates report they’ve had no way to protect themselves from close contact with other inmates and staff members. They believe contracting the coronavirus is inevitable.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Still Seeking A Federal Coronavirus Strategy

Democrats were not impressed with the Trump administration’s COVID-19 national testing strategy document submitted to Congress this week. They say the pandemic requires more direction from the federal government, while the administration wants to give nearly all the responsibility to the states. Meanwhile, in an effort to shore up his base of senior voters, President Donald Trump has unveiled a plan to limit what those on Medicare must pay out-of-pocket for insulin. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Erin Mershon of STAT News and Joanne Kenen of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, Rovner interviews KHN’s Phil Galewitz, who wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” installment about a patient who thought he might have COVID-19, did everything right and got a big bill, anyway.

Searching For Safety: Where Children Hide When Gunfire Is All Too Common

The overall crime rate has dropped during the pandemic, but unfortunately gun violence has not. In St. Louis, at least 11 children have been killed by gunfire so far this year. Living in neighborhoods with frequent violence has forced some families to improvise ways to keep their children safe, even in the place they are supposed to be most secure: their home. The stress of growing up in these conditions could lead to chronic health problems into adulthood.

Some Ivory Towers Are Ideal For A Pandemic. Most Aren’t.

As reopening decisions approach for the fall semester, colleges and universities are casting about for strategies to keep students safe without bankrupting their institutions. A few have natural advantages.