Latest Kaiser Health News Stories
Journalists Discuss Long Covid, Delta Variant, Clinic for Migrants
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
New Research Finds J&J Vaccine Has Muscle Against Covid’s Delta Variant
The data is reassuring to people who got this shot.
California Lawmakers Push Feds to Allow a Therapy That Pays Meth Users to Abstain
The approach, known as contingency management, has helped thousands of veterans kick the methedrine habit, but a federal government ruling has limited its use. California hopes to challenge that and make the treatment a Medi-Cal benefit.
Unprecedented Lobbying Effort Scores Big Win for California Public Health
After years of unstable funding, California’s 2022-23 budget will include a dramatic new investment in public health. Insiders say a powerhouse lobbying campaign made all the difference.
Cómo un pueblo rural sin farmacia se une para conseguir medicamentos
Walden, en Colorado, ha sufrido el destino de muchos pueblos pequeños, ya que la economía ha dificultado la supervivencia de las farmacias comunitarias.
How One Rural Town Without a Pharmacy Is Crowdsourcing to Get Meds
As more independently owned community pharmacies close, a Colorado town is crowdsourcing ways of getting prescription medicines delivered to those who can’t travel the long distance to the closest pharmacy. But even those stopgap measures don’t always work.
Damage to Children’s Education — And Their Health — Could Last a Lifetime
Black and Hispanic students have lost up to 12 months of learning, which could lead to lower incomes and shorter, sicker lives.
Analysis: Why We’ll Likely Never Know Whether a Covid Lab Leak Happened in China
If international scientific sleuths are hoping to see a lab log or find a whistleblower, that sort of information won’t be revealed. In China today, it is dangerous to say what you know if it challenges the official government narrative.
Without Enough Boots on the Ground, California’s Vaccination Efforts Falter
California’s vaccination rates have stagnated, particularly in Black and Latino inner-city neighborhoods and in rural towns. County health officials, who say trust is their most important commodity, need more money for one-on-one interactions with holdouts, but the state has instead largely funneled money to advertising firms and tech companies.
Covid’s Lingering Effects Can Put the Brakes on Elective Surgeries
Even after recovering from covid, many patients experience respiratory or other problems and, since this effect of the virus is so unpredictable, medical experts aren’t sure when it is safe to undergo elective surgery. But medical experts are setting up guidelines.
The WHO Didn’t Reverse Its Position on Kids and Covid Vaccines
The World Health Organization this week updated its guidance on children and covid vaccinations — but in a different way than alleged in a viral social media post.
No Vacancy: How a Shortage of Mental Health Beds Keeps Kids Trapped Inside ERs
What’s known as emergency room boarding of psychiatric patients has risen between 200% and 400% monthly in Massachusetts during the pandemic — and the problem is widespread. The CDC says emergency room visits after suicide attempts among teen girls were up 51% earlier this year as compared with 2019.
La pandemia proyectará una larga sombra sobre la salud estadounidense, lo que hará que millones de personas vivan más enfermas y mueran más jóvenes debido a las crecientes tasas de pobreza, hambre e inseguridad en la vivienda.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: How to Expand Health Coverage
Democrats in Congress and the states are devising strategies to expand health coverage — through the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid and a “public option.” But progress remains halting, at best. Meanwhile, lawmakers in Washington may have to agree on how to control prescription drug prices if they wish to finance their coverage initiatives. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also, Rovner interviews Michelle Andrews, who reported and wrote last month’s KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode about a very expensive sleep study.
Black and Hispanic Americans Suffer Most in Biggest US Decline in Life Expectancy Since WWII
The pandemic will undermine Americans’ health for years. Even those not infected by the coronavirus could suffer health problems related to poverty, job loss, eviction — or all of the above.
Miles de niños perdieron a sus padres por covid. ¿Adónde está la ayuda?
Más de 46,000 niños han perdido a uno o ambos padres a causa de covid desde febrero de 2020. Los sobrevivientes luchan por conseguir ayuda médica y financiera para superar el duelo.
Thousands of Young Children Lost Parents to Covid. Where’s Help for Them?
More than 46,000 children in the U.S. have lost a parent to covid-19. Families say finding even basic grief counseling has been difficult and there’s been no coordinated effort to help these children access services or benefits.
Hospitals, Insurers Invest Big Dollars to Tackle Patients’ Social Needs
Eager to control costs, health systems and insurers are trying to address patients’ social needs such as food insecurity, transportation and housing. Yet, after years of testing, there’s slim evidence these efforts pay off.
Hemmed In at Home, Nonprofit Hospitals Look for Profits Abroad
About three dozen elite health systems are involved in for-profit hospital projects overseas. Though the systems are exempt from U.S. taxes for providing “community benefit,” there’s limited evidence that such business ventures benefit American patients.
Is Rand Paul Mixing Up the Vaccine Message for Covid Survivors?
The scientific literature shows that natural immunity does provide protection against covid-19, but experts say getting vaccinated can provide additional protection against variants.
