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California Gov. Gavin Newsom has outsourced his way through the covid-19 pandemic, tasking his private-sector allies in Silicon Valley and the health care industry with fundamental public health duties such as testing, tracing and vaccination. Among the losers: the state鈥檚 weakened public health system.
Long before they receive a dementia diagnosis, many people begin to mismanage their finances as their memory, organizational skills and self-control falter.
Pandemic lockdowns exacerbated long-standing economic pressures on pharmacies 鈥 and forced many owner-operated shops to evolve or risk closing their doors.
The costs of personal protective equipment and disinfecting offices while seeing fewer patients have some doctors and dentists demanding that insurance companies step up.
It鈥檚 time to consider primary care a 鈥渃ommon good鈥 akin to public education and shore up the foundation of the pandemic-battered U.S. health system, report says.
Across Appalachia and the Mississippi Delta, where death rates from stroke are above the national average, routing patients from rural areas to the right level of care can be an intricate jigsaw puzzle. The closest hospital might not offer the full scope of stroke treatments, but hospitals with more advanced care could be hours away.
Californians who passed up health coverage in the past may be pleasantly surprised by the lower prices available thanks to the new federal relief act.
After a year of uncharacteristically being on the same page when it comes to health care, Democratic lawmakers are at loggerheads about what to do next. Most agree the time is ripe to tackle high drug prices. But they divide over whether to take savings from that to move to a 鈥楳edicare for All鈥 insurance system, enhance the current Medicare program or strengthen benefits under the Affordable Care Act.
With older adults vaccinated, doctors say a growing share of their covid patients are in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s, as more contagious variants circulate among people who remain unvaccinated.
A KHN investigation found that more than 2,000 schools have spent millions of dollars for systems, lured by air purifier companies鈥 claims that experts say mislead or obscure the potential for harm from toxic ozone.
California officials are optimistic they can vaccinate millions more before hitting a hard wall of vaccine resistance.
With some 100 million Americans fully vaccinated, the U.S. is relying on a patchwork network of vaccine monitoring systems that lack the breadth and depth of large, population-based programs, experts said.
More than 200,000 doses of covid vaccine have gone to waste since December, KHN has learned. Two national pharmacy chains account for most of it.
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here鈥檚 a collection of their appearances.
A report from the Government Accountability Office paints a picture of an already strained behavioral health system struggling after the pandemic struck to meet the treatment needs of millions of Americans with conditions like alcohol use disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Pennsylvania鈥檚 Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs has allowed providers to continue operating despite repeated violations and harm to clients.
The percentage of medical students who can鈥檛 find residencies is increasing every year. But as more graduates look for support, they might not realize that two organizations offering it are backed by anti-immigrant groups.
Even as the nation has moved on to vaccinating everyone 16 and older, the vast majority of people homebound due to frailty or age 鈥 and among the most vulnerable to covid鈥檚 devastation 鈥 have not yet been vaccinated. California offers a sharp lens on the challenges.
Covid-19 vaccinations do not infect recipients with shingles or any form of herpes virus, despite some misleading headlines.
