Category: Hospitals

Exclusive: Over 900 Health Workers Have Died of COVID-19. And the Toll Is Rising.

KHN and The Guardian unveil an interactive database documenting front-line health care worker deaths. The majority of them are people of color — and nurses face the highest toll.

Pandemic Hampers Reopening of Joint Replacement Gold Mine

The COVID-19 pandemic brought knee and hip replacements to a virtual halt because they aren’t usually considered emergency procedures. But they are profitable, and hospital systems are now counting on the surgeries to help restore their financial health.

Pandemic Hampers Reopening of Joint Replacement Gold Mine

The COVID-19 pandemic brought knee and hip replacements to a virtual halt because they aren’t usually considered emergency procedures. But they are profitable, and hospital systems are now counting on the surgeries to help restore their financial health.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Still Waiting for That Trump Health Plan

President Donald Trump keeps promising a comprehensive plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. And he keeps not delivering. Meanwhile, members of Congress and White House officials seem unable to agree on a new COVID-19 relief bill. And Missouri becomes the sixth state where voters approved a Medicaid expansion ballot measure. Tami Luhby of CNN, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Kimberly Leonard of Business Insider join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week they think you should read, too.

The Veterans Health Administration’s Role During the COVID-19 Response

A new issue brief examines the role of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) during the coronavirus pandemic, and public health emergencies more broadly. The analysis finds that the VHA has provided assistance to 46 states and D.C., including treati…

Hospital Merger in Washington State Stokes Fears About Catholic Limits on Care

Virginia Mason Health System and CHI Franciscan announced plans in July to merge 12 hospitals and more than 250 other treatment sites in the Puget Sound region and the Yakima area. Some patient advocacy groups warn the proposal would jeopardize access to needed services, such as emergency termination of pregnancies, contraception and physician aid in dying.

Avoiding Care During the Pandemic Could Mean Life or Death

Americans are avoiding hospitals and clinics by the millions, even when they shouldn’t, and many experts expect a jump in preventable disease diagnoses after the COVID crisis eases. Paradoxically, the pandemic may have been good for some heart patients, however.

COVID-19 Test Prices and Payment Policy

This analysis examines list prices for COVID-19 testing at the largest hospitals in every state and finds they range widely from $20 to $850. Federal law now requires private insurers to cover COVID-19 tests at no cost to the patient and provides fundi…

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.