Category: Kaiser Health News

Coronavirus Threatens The Lives Of Rural Hospitals Already Stretched To Breaking Point

Almost half of the nation’s rural hospitals operate in the red on a good day. But amid the coronavirus pandemic, rural hospital CEOs warn that soon some may be unable to pay their workers. And their doors may close when the community most needs them.

Some Hospitals Continue With Elective Surgeries Despite COVID-19 Crisis

Even as many states put a moratorium on elective surgeries in a desperate effort to preserve dwindling stocks of protective gear, hospitals in other pockets of the country continue to perform a range of elective procedures. Some staff members and ethicists are voicing concerns.

Hoping That Insurance Expansion Will Help Tamp Outbreak, 9 States Reopen Marketplaces

The states are allowing new enrollments this month to help ease consumers’ concerns about the cost of health care so that the sick will not be deterred from seeking medical attention and inadvertently spread the virus.

Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes

Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don’t have to.

Now On The Menu At Closed Schools: Drive-Thru Lunches

As schools shutter to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, many districts are still offering free meals to their most vulnerable students. In two Southern California districts, families roll through school lunch drive-thrus to grab hot meals.

Gig Economy Workers Hurt By Coronavirus Eye New Federal Funds For Relief

A law signed by Trump on Wednesday will provide financial help for self-employed workers, who generally don’t have paid leave. Some states also have family and medical leave programs that can be helpful.

Was The Novel Coronavirus Really Sneaky In Its Spread To The U.S.? Experts Say No.

Public health professionals dismissed the president’s claims that the spread of the coronavirus, in particular, and the threat of a pandemic, in general, snuck up on us as being “simply astonishing” and “simply untrue.”

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: The Affordable Care Act Turns 10

Next week is the 10th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. Millions of Americans have benefited from the law, yet its future is in the hands of both the Supreme Court and voters in November. For this special episode of “What the Health?” host Julie Rovner interviews Kathleen Sebelius, who was Obama’s secretary of Health and Human Services when the law was passed. Then Rovner, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Mary Agnes Carey of Kaiser Health News discuss its history, impact and prospects for the future.

Sebelius, Looking Back At ACA, Says The Country’s Never ‘Seen This Kind Of Battle’

On KHN’s “What the Health? ” podcast, the former secretary of Health and Human Services says she continued to believe during the debate 10 years ago on the health law that it would eventually gain some Republican support. But that never happened.

As Coronavirus Surges, Programs Struggle To Reach Vulnerable Seniors Living At Home

Older adults are at serious risk during this pandemic and have been advised to avoid contact with others. Yet many still need essential services, and programs are scrambling to adapt.