Politics & Policy

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Vaccines Coming Soon but COVID Relief Bill Still Stalled

Dec 14, 2020

Even as the Food and Drug Administration nears emergency authorization for the first vaccine to protect against COVID-19, Congress remains at loggerheads over a COVID relief bill that could also provide the funding to fully distribute the vaccines. Meanwhile, President-elect Joe Biden announced the first members of his health team. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Kimberly Leonard of Business Insider and Mary Ellen McIntire of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Michael Mackert of the University of Texas-Austin, an expert on communicating public health information.

FDA Advisory Committee Recommends Approving EUA for Pfizer Covid-19 Vax

Dec 14, 2020

Unblinding concerns and vaccinating special populations remain issues WASHINGTON — The FDA had...

Covid-19: FDA Approves First OTC, At-Home Coronavirus Test

Dec 14, 2020

Test available for adult use without prescription WASHINGTON — The FDA granted an emergency use...

Demand for COVID Vaccines Expected to Get Heated — And Fast

Dec 9, 2020

With two vaccines against coronavirus disease poised for release within weeks, experts say they expect attitudes to shift dramatically from hesitancy to “Beanie Baby”-level urgency.

A Child’s Death in the Heartland Changes Community Views About COVID

Dec 9, 2020

As America enters a dark winter with no national directives against COVID-19, Washington, Missouri, faced the same dilemma numerous other communities are grappling with: enact restrictions to curb the pandemic or leave people to their own will? Then a local 13-year-old died.

Last Call for COVID: To Avoid Bar Shutdowns, States Serve Up Curfews

Dec 8, 2020

Authorities are ordering early closures — generally around 10 p.m. — to curb the spread of COVID-19. But will the coronavirus observe this curfew?

‘An Arm and a Leg’: Obamacare Alum Andy Slavitt Takes Stock of the COVID Pandemic — So Far

Dec 8, 2020

On the latest episode of ‘An Arm and a Leg’: Come for insights from an Obama administration health policy leader, stay to hear how frank health policy conversations can get uncomfortable.

After a Deadly COVID Outbreak, Maryland County Takes Steps to Protect Health Workers

Dec 7, 2020

Prince George’s County in Maryland is taking action after a coronavirus outbreak left veteran public health worker Chantee Mack dead and several colleagues with lasting medical problems. But some staffers say more still needs to be done to keep public health workers on the front lines of the COVID fight safe.

During ACA Open Enrollment, Picking a Plan Invites New COVID Complications

Dec 6, 2020

COVID-19’s “long haulers” — patients with lingering effects of the disease — have joined the ranks of Americans with preexisting conditions. For those shopping for health coverage on the individual market, here’s help navigating an uncharted insurance landscape.

NYC Hospital Workers, Knowing How Bad It Can Get, Brace for COVID 2nd Wave

Dec 6, 2020

Hospitals are in better shape now than in the spring, with more knowledge of how to handle COVID-19 and bigger stockpiles of protective equipment. Still, nurses worry about staffing shortages and unfilled jobs.

As Hospitals Fill With COVID Patients, Medical Reinforcements Are Hard to Find

Dec 3, 2020

More than 93,000 COVID patients are hospitalized across the country. But beds and space aren’t the main concern for hospital administrators — It’s the health care workforce.

CDC Shrinks COVID-19 Quarantine Time, Advises Against Holiday Travel

Dec 3, 2020

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and...

Covid-19 Vax: ACIP Votes HCPs, Long-Term Patients Should Get First Dibs

Dec 3, 2020

Speeded-up timeline for Pfizer, Moderna vaccines spurs ACIP action The CDC’s Advisory Committee on...

Why Employers Find It So Hard to Test for COVID

Dec 2, 2020

COVID-19 cases are surging across the U.S., and most workplaces are still open for business. As workers fear catching the disease while on the clock, why aren’t more companies footing the bill for testing employees?

How Pharma Money Colors Operation Warp Speed’s Quest to Defeat COVID

Dec 2, 2020

A Trump administration maneuver allows executives who are leading the federal effort to keep investments in drug companies that would benefit from the pandemic response.

Racial Disparity Seen in COVID-19 Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome

Dec 1, 2020

MONDAY, Nov. 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children...

Were You Notified About Missing Tax Forms for Your ACA Subsidy? Blame COVID.

Nov 29, 2020

Some consumers who received tax credits to purchase insurance from Affordable Care Act marketplaces report they’ve received letters in error from the government saying they didn’t file the IRS forms to account for how much money they made and how much funding they received from the government.

What Biden Can Do to Combat COVID Right Now

Nov 24, 2020

Although President-elect Joe Biden is free to meet with people who will be vital to carry out his administration’s fight against COVID, he and his transition team are blocked from conferring with federal officials because the Trump administration refuses to acknowledge Biden won the election. That could have a critical impact on Biden’s efforts to help fight the coronavirus.

AHA: Blacks, Hispanics Make Up 53 Percent of COVID-19 Deaths

Nov 24, 2020

MONDAY, Nov. 23, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Due to disproportionate representation, Black and...

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Transition Troubles Mount as COVID Spreads

Nov 23, 2020

COVID-19 is spreading rapidly around the U.S. even before Thanksgiving promises to accelerate the trend. There are two promising vaccine candidates, but because President Donald Trump still refuses to concede the election and is holding up the official transition, President-Elect Joe Biden and his team cannot access plans for distributing those vaccines. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.

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