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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Unraveling the Mysterious Mutations That Make Delta the Most Transmissible Covid Virus Yet
Delta has kept some of the most successful mutations found in earlier variants, but also contains new genetic changes that enable it to spread twice as fast.
Patients and Providers Feel the Growing Pains of Pandemic-Driven Telemedicine
Cost and demand are affecting both patients and providers as more people turn to telemedicine for their healthcare needs.
A Chilling Cure: Facing Killer Heat, ERs Use Body Bags to Save Lives
Doctors in the Pacific Northwest have resorted to a grim but practical tool to save lives: human body bags filled with ice and water.
Analysis: Necessary or Not, Covid Booster Shots Are Probably on the Horizon
Ultimately, the question of whether a booster is needed is unlikely to determine the FDA's decision. If recent history is predictive, booster shots will be here before long.
Hospital 'Trauma Centers' Charge Enormous Fees to Treat Minor Injuries and Send People Home
Tens of thousands of times a year, hospitals charge enormously expensive trauma alert fees for injuries so minor the patient is never admitted.
Red State, Blue State, Twin Outbreak: Behind Wyoming and Colorado's COVID Spikes
"Small rises in cases in rural areas can have devastating consequences because, chances are, there's fewer health care resources in those places in order to save lives," says epidemiologist Jennifer Nuzzo.
Delta Variant Surges in Colorado as the Bands Play On
The highly transmissible Delta variant, first detected in India, is now the dominant covid strain in the United States. Colorado is among the states with the highest proportion.
As Covid Vaccinations Slow, Parts of the US Remain Far Behind 70% Goal
July Fourth was not the celebration President Joe Biden had hoped for, as far as protecting more Americans with a coronavirus vaccine.
New Research Finds J&J Vaccine Has Muscle Against Covid's Delta Variant
Data released by Johnson & Johnson showed that the vaccine remains highly protective against the delta variant and immunity may be long-lasting.
COVID's Lingering Effects Can Put the Brakes on Elective Surgeries
As the number of people who have had COVID grows, medical experts are trying to determine when it's safe for them to have elective surgery.
Thousands of Young Children Lost Parents to Covid. Where's Help for Them?
In a nation where researchers calculate that more than 46,000 children have lost one or both parents to COVID since February 2020, finding basic services has been difficult, if not impossible.
In a Murky Sea of Mental Health Apps, Consumers Left Adrift
Even as industry hype mounts, researchers and companies are scrambling to prove that mental health apps actually work.
What It Means When Celebrities Stay Coy About Their Vaccine Status
The politicization of the shots, misinformation and flawed public messaging from the government have made the vaccines controversial and something some public figures are reluctant to endorse.
It's About to Get Tougher for Transgender People in Montana to Amend Birth Certificates
This spring, the Republican-led Montana Legislature passed a bill signed by Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte that once again requires a court order to change a birth certificate.
In Mental Health Crises, a 911 Call Now Brings a Mixed Team of Helpers — And Maybe No Cops
Nationwide, more communities are creating units in which mental health professionals are the main responders to psychiatric crises instead of cops.
Change to Gilead Assistance Program Threatens PrEP Access, HIV Advocates Say
Gilead announced in April it will change how much it reimburses through that assistance program. For pharmacies that contract with certain safety-net clinics, the change means less reimbursement cash to pass along to the clinics.
Women Now Drink as Much as Men — And Are Prone to Sickness Sooner
The latest U.S. data shows that women in their teens and early 20s reported drinking and getting drunk at higher rates than their male peers — in some cases for the first time since researchers began measuring such behavior.
Unused J&J COVID Doses Are Piling Up as FDA Waits to See if Shelf Life Can Be Extended
State health officials have strenuously warned vaccine administrators against using expired doses. Now, though, the FDA appears optimistic that the Johnson & Johnson expiration dates could be extended.
Boeing Tested Air Purifiers Like Those Widely Used in Schools. It Decided Not to Use Them in Planes.
Aerospace giant Boeing tested two kinds of ionization technologies — like those widely adopted in schools hoping to combat covid — to determine how well each killed germs on surfaces and decided that neither was effective enough to install.
Telehealth: Are Virtual Visits Here to Stay?
As the COVID crisis wanes and life approaches normal across the U.S., health industry leaders and many patient advocates are pushing Congress and the Biden administration to preserve the pandemic-fueled expansion of telehealth.
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