Category: states

Telehealth Will Be Free, No Copays, They Said. But Angry Patients Are Getting Billed.

Politicians pledged to stop providers from charging for video appointments or telephone calls, but some patients are being charged $70 or $80 per virtual visit.

Anti-Vaccine Activists Latch Onto Coronavirus To Bolster Their Movement

Activists failed to convince state legislators that diseases like measles aren’t serious enough to require vaccination. Now they’re joining with conservatives and other anti-lockdown demonstrators who contend the coronavirus isn’t dangerous enough to justify staying home.

Biden Says OSHA Isn’t Doing Enough To Protect Workers’ From COVID-19

Labor unions have called for the agency to issue an emergency standard that would define what steps employers must take to protect their workers from the coronavirus. It has not done that, although it offered guidance that it said does not create a “new legal obligation” for employers.

The Other COVID Risks: How Race, Income, ZIP Code Influence Who Lives Or Dies

Federal officials have known for nearly a decade which counties are most likely to suffer devastation ― both in loss of lives and jobs ― in a pandemic.

Amid Pandemic, FDA Seizes Cheaper Drugs From Canada

Many Americans order drugs from Canada and other countries because they are cheaper, but U.S. authorities appear to be cracking down on the practice.

‘It Hurts Our Soul’: Nursing Home Workers Struggle With Thankless Position

Poorly rated long-term care facilities stand out in the COVID-19 crisis — but even the best are affected.

A Switch To Medicaid Managed Care Worries Some Illinois Foster Families

Illinois is moving thousands of children into its Medicaid managed-care program. Proponents say the approach can cut costs while increasing access to care. But after a phase-one rollout of the new health plans caused thousands to temporarily lose coverage, some question whether it’s the right move.

The Inside Story Of How The Bay Area Got Ahead Of The COVID-19 Crisis

An early morning text. A lawyer-filled meeting on a Sunday afternoon. Emotional journal entries. And, ultimately, action. In the 24 hours before San Francisco Bay Area public health officials issued the country’s first stay-at-home order, they debated how to tackle the alarming rise in COVID-19 infections. Their decision set the course for the nation.

Listen: Pandemic Stresses Already Fragile Rural Health Care Systems

KHN Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber joined WAMU’s “1A” show to talk about the challenges facing rural America during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before ‘Tidal Wave’ Of Illness, Nursing Home Thought It Had COVID-19 Contained

Though it already had one staff member testing positive for the coronavirus, the Gallatin Center for Rehabilitation and Healing did not tell 911 operators this fact as it called ambulances to take residents in respiratory distress to the hospital, a WPLN investigation reveals.