The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
An analysis of location data from 30 million smartphones found that facilities across the country that share the most workers also had the most COVID-19 infections. The “Kevin Bacon of nursing homes” in each state 鈥 the one with the most staffers working at other nursing homes 鈥 was likely to have the worst outbreaks of coronavirus contagion.
In a classic 鈥 and hilarious 鈥 David vs. Goliath story, Jeffrey Fox takes on a huge hospital over an outrageous bill, and wins.
The penalties are the ninth round of a program created as part of the Affordable Care Act鈥檚 broader effort to improve quality and lower costs. The average reduction in federal payments is 0.69%, with 613 hospitals receiving a penalty of 1% or more.
There couldn鈥檛 be more at stake for California鈥檚 Democratic health care agenda in the presidential race. State lawmakers are already penning big-ticket legislation they hope to pursue should Democrat Joe Biden win, from single-payer to a new wealth tax.
Hospital staff in states such as California and New York can help patients obtain ballots and vote. In other states, you need a relative to assist you.
Science is becoming increasingly politicized, so how will it fare on the campaign trail 鈥 in 2020 and beyond?
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.
Democrats are favored to win both chambers of Congress after years of campaign-trail promises about health care. But their margin in the Senate could be slim, making it difficult to pass major health care legislation. And they still must heal some rifts within the caucus about how far they can push overhaul efforts.
President Donald Trump wants to send seniors $200 apiece. Beyond the legal and logistical problems, health care experts point out it does little to help someone with even typical prescription costs.
More than eight months into the pandemic, stockpiling of masks and other protective equipment by wealthy hospital systems is straining nursing homes and smaller providers who also need precious protective gear to keep front-line workers safe from COVID-19.
Democratic congressional candidates in California and beyond are linking their Republican opponents to the COVID-19 crisis and the survival of the Affordable Care Act, betting that health care could be a decisive issue for voters, especially in toss-up districts.
Entries for our second annual Halloween Haiku Contest were downright spooky. And, based on a review by our panel of judges, here鈥檚 the winner and a sampling of finalists.
Former President Barack Obama says President Donald Trump is 鈥渏ealous of COVID鈥檚 media coverage.鈥 Indeed, Trump has complained at his rallies, attended by mostly maskless supporters, about how the media covers the pandemic 鈥 at a time when cases are rising rapidly across the nation. Meanwhile, open enrollment is about to begin for the Affordable Care Act in a year when many people need coverage, but the law鈥檚 future is not secure. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KHN鈥檚 Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, Rovner interviews KHN鈥檚 Anna Almendrala about the latest KHN-NPR 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 installment.
Experts said a penalty of $10,000 in one year would have been extremely unlikely.
Sen. Lindsey Graham insinuates that the law is sending a disproportionate amount of money to New York, California and Massachusetts, all represented by Democrats.
The CARES Act provides funding that pays the bills for uninsured COVID-19 patients. But the death of a young man in Nashville shows some patients don’t know about the program until it鈥檚 too late.
In North Carolina, staffs at nursing homes and assisted living facilities are prohibited by law from helping residents vote. So community members fill the gap, venturing into some of the places hit hardest by the coronavirus.
Ride-sharing and delivery services such as Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart are bankrolling California鈥檚 Proposition 22, which would keep their drivers classified as independent contractors, not employees. But health benefits? That’s something of a stretch.
The Trump administration sought to shrink the federal-state health program for low-income Americans and give states more flexibility. But Democrats and the courts thwarted most of those efforts.
Because loved ones are often kept apart from critically ill COVID-19 patients, the families may be especially vulnerable to symptoms including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder that can be debilitating.
