Kaiser Health News
Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a nonprofit news service committed to in-depth coverage of health care policy and politics. And we report on how the health care system — hospitals, doctors, nurses, insurers, governments, consumers — works. Check out our website at khn.org.
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COVID Vigilantes Crowdsource Pandemic Safety Tips for Consumers
Using a local approach, everyday people in cities without strict mask mandates take covid-19 safety into their own hands to protect themselves and their neighbors.
'They Treat Me Like I'm Old and Stupid': Seniors Decry Health Providers' Age Bias
Ageism is a long-standing problem that's getting new attention during the covid pandemic, which has killed more than half a million Americans age 65 and older.
How to Crush Medical Debt: 5 Tips for Using Hospital Charity Care
The Affordable Care Act requires nonprofit hospitals to make financial assistance available to low-income patients and post those policies online.
Covid Testing, Turnaround Times Are Still Uneven This Far Into Pandemic
The ability to get a COVID test — and timely results — can vary widely nationwide.
6 Months to Live or Die: How Long Should an Alcoholic Liver Disease Patient Wait for a Transplant?
In the U.S., a widespread practice requires patients with alcoholic liver disease to complete a period of sobriety before they can get on the waiting list for a liver.
Covid Immunity Through Infection or Vaccination: Are They Equal?
"We don't yet have full understanding of what the presence of antibodies tells us about immunity," says one infectious diseases expert.
The Pandemic Forced My Transgender Wife to Fight Our Insurer Over Hormones
Many state-federal health program for low-income people don't cover gender-affirming care, partly because of conservative policies and lack of research on how crucial this care is for patients.
The Part of the 'Free Britney' Saga That Could Happen to Anyone
Though the pop star's circumstances in a financial conservatorship are unusual, every year hundreds of thousands of other psychiatric patients also receive involuntary care, and many are stuck with the bill.
COVID Is Killing Rural Americans at Twice the Rate of Urbanites
Rural Americans are dying of covid at more than twice the rate of their urban counterparts — a divide that health experts say is likely to widen.
Who Qualifies for a COVID Booster? The List is Growing Longer
So far, regulators have done a poor job of defining the universe of people considered at risk because of institutional and occupational exposure, but the list is growing.
A Daily Pill to Treat Covid Could Be Just Months Away, Scientists Say
A short-term regimen of daily pills that can fight the virus early after diagnosis and conceivably prevent symptoms from developing after exposure is in development.
I Got a 'Mild' Breakthrough Case. Here's What I Wish I'd Known.
The reality is breakthrough cases are becoming more common. Here's what I wish I'd known when those first symptoms laid me low.
Is My Cloth Mask Good Enough to Face the Delta Variant?
Don't worry if you are confused. Mask guidance has been mixed since the dawn of the pandemic, and new research has altered conventional thinking. We decided to dig in and sort out the latest developments.
When COVID Deaths Are Dismissed or Stigmatized, Grief Is Mixed With Shame and Anger
Falsehoods and conspiracies have fostered a dismissive attitude about the coronavirus among many people in rural areas, causing strife among surviving family and loved ones.
ICUs Are Filled With COVID — And Regret
"If I would have known six months ago that this could be possible, this would have been a no-brainer," says a 45-year-old father of six. "But I honestly didn't think I was at any risk."
Why At-Home Rapid Covid Tests Cost So Much, Even After Biden's Push for Lower Prices
Rapid at-home covid tests are flying off store shelves across the nation and are largely sold out online as the delta variant complicates a return to school, work and travel routines.
Your COVID Game Plan: Are Stadiums Safe?
Is it safe to go to a packed stadium even if you are vaccinated? Six out of the seven public health experts that KHN spoke to from big football states were adamant in their response: No way. Not now
Telehealth's Limits: Battle Over State Lines and Licensing Threatens Patients' Options
If you live in one state, does it matter that the doctor treating you online is in another? Surprisingly, the answer is yes, and the ability to conduct certain virtual appointments may be nearing an end.
States Pull Back on Covid Data Even Amid Delta Surge
Public health experts are voicing concern about the pullback of covid information, with one official calling the trend "not good for government and the public" because it gives the appearance of governments "hiding stuff."
Microbiome Startups Promise to Improve Your Gut Health, but Is the Science Solid?
Viome's troubles provide a cautionary tale for consumers in the wild west of microbiome startups, which have been alternately hailed for health breakthroughs and indicted for fraud.
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