When Covid Deaths Arenāt Counted, Families Pay the Price
Inaccurate and incomplete death certificates hurt those seeking relief, recourse and closure after a loved one dies.
All Coverage
-
-
5 Reasons to Wear a Mask Even After Youāre Vaccinated
Vaccination, face coverings and physical distancing are essential parts of a team effort against the coronavirus.
-
Geography Is Destiny: Dentistsā Access to Covid Shots Depends on Where They Live
A handful of states are making dentists a lower priority than other health professionals for inoculations, even though they have their hands in peopleās mouths and are exposed to aerosols that spray germs in their faces.
-
KHNās āWhat the Health?ā: On Capitol Hill, Actions Have Consequences
Several large business groups, including health industry organizations, are cutting off contributions to Republicans who voted against the certification of Joe Bidenās election even after riots shut down the Capitol on Jan. 6. Meanwhile, the outgoing Trump administration not only approved a Medicaid block grant for Tennessee, but also made it difficult for the incoming Biden administration to undo. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Kimberly Leonard of Business Insider join KHNās Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, Rovner interviews KHNās Victoria Knight about the latest KHN-NPR āBill of the Monthā episode.
-
Delicate Covid Vaccines Slow Rollout ā Leading to Shots Given Out of Turn or, Worse, Wasted
āThaw. Rest 15 minutes. Do not shake. Do not refreeze.āDo not shake. Do not refreeze.ā Modernaās vaccine comes with complicated instructions. And both available vaccines are good for only six hours once the vial is open. So at dayās end, health workers are left to either throw out precious doses or get shots into any arm thatās available.
-
Perspective
In Search of a Baby, I Got Covid Instead
As the pandemic raged, I made dozens of visits to a fertility clinic. Did I catch covid on one of those visits? Iāll never know, but the guilt is still there.
-
Vaccination Disarray Leaves Seniors Confused About When They Can Get a Shot
As covid cases and deaths soar, itās difficult to get up-to-date, reliable information about inoculations, and many older adults donāt know where to turn for help. Navigating Aging columnist Judith Graham answers questions from several readers.
-
California Counties āFlying the Plane as We Build Itā in a Plodding Vaccine Rollout
In California, the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history is run largely by the same overworked and underfunded local health departments tasked with covid-19 testing and contact tracing. Itās a daunting undertaking as the pandemic continues to surge.
-
Hospitalsā Rocky Rollout of Covid Vaccine Sparks Questions of Fairness
The lack of a federal strategy on how distribution should work at the local level means that states, hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies are making decisions on their own about who gets vaccinated and when.
-
Feeling Left Out: Private Practice Doctors, Patients Wonder When It’s Their Turn for Vaccine
Doctors say some patients, and even medical staff members, donāt know where to go to be vaccinated against covid-19.
-
Are You Old Enough to Get Vaccinated? In Tennessee, They’re Using the Honor System
In most Tennessean counties, residents currently eligible to get the coronavirus vaccine are health care workers, long-term care residents and people 75 and older. But don’t expect strict enforcement.
-
Health Workers Unions See Surge in Interest Amid Covid
Many front-line health workers who have faced a perpetual lack of PPE and inconsistent safety measures believe the government and their employers have failed to protect them from covid-19.
-
An Urban Hospital on the Brink Vs. the Officials Sworn to Save It
The wealthy corporation that owns Chicagoās Mercy Hospital says it must close the hospital because itās losing money. A government board says no. The corporation still has the upper hand.
-
Only a Smokescreen? Big Tobacco Stands Down as Colorado and Oregon Hike Cigarette Taxes
After spending tens of millions of dollars to oppose past efforts, Altria didnāt oppose Coloradoās tobacco tax initiative and could benefit from the lawās minimum-price provision.
-
California Budget Reflects āPandemic-Induced Reality,ā Governor Says
California Gov. Gavin Newsomās 2021-22 budget blueprint would direct billions in state covid assistance to schools, businesses and the stateās vaccination effort. But he didnāt propose more funding for the state’s 61 local health agencies, which have taken on increased responsibility for testing, contact tracing and enforcement of health orders.
-
One Ambulance Ride Leads to Another When Packed Hospitals Cannot Handle Non-Covid Patients
A Kansas woman thought sheād find help at her local emergency room. What she found instead was a packed hospital and an ambulance ride to someplace else.
-
āPeer Respitesā Provide an Alternative to Psychiatric Wards During Pandemic
A growing number of āpeer respites,ā nonclinical settings for psychiatric recovery, can help people in distress who mainly need to talk to people who understand their problems.
-
āAn Arm And a Legā: How a Former Health Care Executive Became a Health Care Whistleblower
Former health care executive Wendell Potter said, āWhat I used to do for a living was mislead people into thinking that we had the best health care system in the world.ā Now, Potter is a health care whistleblower and spent part of 2020 publishing high-profile apologies for the work he used to do.
-
Is Your Covid Vaccine Venue Prepared to Handle Rare, Life-Threatening Reactions?
More than two dozen people who have received the new covid vaccines in U.S. hospitals and health centers suffered anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal allergic reaction. While such severe reactions are rare, experts warn that the drugstores and drive-thru clinics considered integral to the vaccine rollout must be prepared.
-
Even With Senate Control, Democrats Will Need Buy-In From GOP on Key Health Priorities
With a majority too small to eliminate the filibuster, Democrats will not have enough votes in the Senate to pass many of their plans without Republicans and will also have only a razor-thin majority in the House. This combination could doom many Democratic health care proposals, like offering Americans a government-sponsored public insurance option, and complicate efforts to pass further pandemic relief.
