In December, all states began vaccinating only health care workers and residents and staffers of nursing homes in the “phase 1A” priority group. But, since the new year began, some states have also started giving shots to — or booking appointments for — other categories of seniors and essential workers.As states widen eligibility requirements for who can get a covid-19 vaccine, health officials are often taking people’s word that they qualify, thereby prioritizing efficiency over strict adherence to distribution plans.This story also ran on . It can be“We are doing everything possible to...…In December, all states began vaccinating only health care workers and residents and staffers of nursing homes in the “phase 1A” priority group. But, since the new year began, some states have also started giving shots to — or booking appointments for — other categories of seniors and essential workers.As states widen eligibility requirements for who can get a covid-19 vaccine, health officials are often taking people’s word that they qualify, thereby prioritizing efficiency over strict adherence to distribution plans.This story also ran on . It can be“We are doing everything possible to...WW…

Tennessee Isn't Really 'Carding' Seniors For Covid Vaccine : Shots - Health News Technically, the only Tennesseans 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.Toggle more optionsFromToggle more optionsIn December, all states began vaccinating only health care workers and residents and staffers of nursing homes in phase 1A, but since the new year began some states have also started giving shots to — or booking appointments for — certain categories of seniors and essential...…Tennessee Isn't Really 'Carding' Seniors For Covid Vaccine : Shots - Health News Technically, the only Tennesseans 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.Toggle more optionsFromToggle more optionsIn December, all states began vaccinating only health care workers and residents and staffers of nursing homes in phase 1A, but since the new year began some states have also started giving shots to — or booking appointments for — certain categories of seniors and essential...WW…

States Struggle To Administer Their Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccines As the nation falls far short of a goal to get 20 million vaccinated by the new year, we look at where bottlenecks are occurring in various parts of the country.Toggle more optionsHeard onToggle more optionsAs the nation falls far short of a goal to get 20 million vaccinated by the new year, we look at where bottlenecks are occurring in various parts of the country.STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:How can public health officials speed the delivery of vaccines? Many states report it is hard to administer the vaccines as quickly as the doses...…States Struggle To Administer Their Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccines As the nation falls far short of a goal to get 20 million vaccinated by the new year, we look at where bottlenecks are occurring in various parts of the country.Toggle more optionsHeard onToggle more optionsAs the nation falls far short of a goal to get 20 million vaccinated by the new year, we look at where bottlenecks are occurring in various parts of the country.STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:How can public health officials speed the delivery of vaccines? Many states report it is hard to administer the vaccines as quickly as the doses...WW…

New Federal Rules Will Bring More Transparency To Who Gets An Organ Transplant : Shots - Health News Health officials are changing how they assess the regional nonprofits that find organs to transplant. The goal is to understand, and eventually fix, the geographic disparities in organ availability.Blake FarmerFromOrgan transplants are not as simple as someone dies somewhere, and then someone else — like John Caso of Johnson City, Tenn. — gets a new heart. As Caso learned, surprising twists and turns in the system can throw you for a loop. "You never expect to get the call that says, 'We...…New Federal Rules Will Bring More Transparency To Who Gets An Organ Transplant : Shots - Health News Health officials are changing how they assess the regional nonprofits that find organs to transplant. The goal is to understand, and eventually fix, the geographic disparities in organ availability.Blake FarmerFromOrgan transplants are not as simple as someone dies somewhere, and then someone else — like John Caso of Johnson City, Tenn. — gets a new heart. As Caso learned, surprising twists and turns in the system can throw you for a loop. "You never expect to get the call that says, 'We...WW…

This story is from a reporting partnership that includes ,  and KHN.Hospitals in much of the country are trying to cope with unprecedented numbers of COVID-19 patients. As of Monday, were hospitalized, an alarming record that far exceeds the two previous peaks in April and July of just under 60,000 inpatients.But beds and space aren’t the main concern. It’s the workforce. Hospitals are worried staffing levels won’t be able to keep up with demand as doctors, nurses and specialists such as respiratory therapists become exhausted or, worse, infected and sick themselves.The typical workaround...…This story is from a reporting partnership that includes ,  and KHN.Hospitals in much of the country are trying to cope with unprecedented numbers of COVID-19 patients. As of Monday, were hospitalized, an alarming record that far exceeds the two previous peaks in April and July of just under 60,000 inpatients.But beds and space aren’t the main concern. It’s the workforce. Hospitals are worried staffing levels won’t be able to keep up with demand as doctors, nurses and specialists such as respiratory therapists become exhausted or, worse, infected and sick themselves.The typical workaround...WW…

In Pandemic, Hospitals Can't Borrow Backup Staff From Other States : Shots - Health News Last spring, nurses and doctors traveled to New York and other COVID-19 hot spots to help overwhelmed hospitals. But with the virus spreading everywhere, hospitals now have nowhere to turn for help.FromHospitals in much of the country are trying to cope with unprecedented numbers of COVID-19 patients. As of Sunday, were hospitalized, an alarming record that far exceeds the two previous peaks in April and July, of just under 60,000 inpatients. But beds and space aren't the main concern. It's the work...…In Pandemic, Hospitals Can't Borrow Backup Staff From Other States : Shots - Health News Last spring, nurses and doctors traveled to New York and other COVID-19 hot spots to help overwhelmed hospitals. But with the virus spreading everywhere, hospitals now have nowhere to turn for help.FromHospitals in much of the country are trying to cope with unprecedented numbers of COVID-19 patients. As of Sunday, were hospitalized, an alarming record that far exceeds the two previous peaks in April and July, of just under 60,000 inpatients. But beds and space aren't the main concern. It's the work...WW…

Examining COVID-19 Cases In Hard-Hit Wisconsin, Missouri, Tennessee The coronavirus pandemic is not easing up in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. With COVID-19 spreading unchecked in nearly every state, we hear from reporters in three hard-hit states.Toggle more optionsHeard onSebastian Martinez ValdiviaToggle more optionsThe coronavirus pandemic is not easing up in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. With COVID-19 spreading unchecked in nearly every state, we hear from reporters in three hard-hit states.NPR thanks our sponsors…Examining COVID-19 Cases In Hard-Hit Wisconsin, Missouri, Tennessee The coronavirus pandemic is not easing up in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. With COVID-19 spreading unchecked in nearly every state, we hear from reporters in three hard-hit states.Toggle more optionsHeard onSebastian Martinez ValdiviaToggle more optionsThe coronavirus pandemic is not easing up in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. With COVID-19 spreading unchecked in nearly every state, we hear from reporters in three hard-hit states.NPR thanks our sponsorsWW…

Medicaid's Future As Safety-Net Health Care Hinges On Election : Shots - Health News The Trump administration has given states ways to restrict spending on the government insurance program for low-income Americans. A Biden administration would expand Medicaid coverage.FromIt was either put food on the table or drop their health insurance, says Oscar Anchia of Miami. His wife's coverage was costing $700 a month, and his hours had been cut back because of the coronavirus pandemic. So Anchia made the difficult decision to drop his spouse from his policy, because they needed the money. Then in...…Medicaid's Future As Safety-Net Health Care Hinges On Election : Shots - Health News The Trump administration has given states ways to restrict spending on the government insurance program for low-income Americans. A Biden administration would expand Medicaid coverage.FromIt was either put food on the table or drop their health insurance, says Oscar Anchia of Miami. His wife's coverage was costing $700 a month, and his hours had been cut back because of the coronavirus pandemic. So Anchia made the difficult decision to drop his spouse from his policy, because they needed the money. Then in...WW…

This story is from a reporting partnership that includes ,  and KHN.When Darius Settles died from COVID-19 on the Fourth of July, his family and the city of Nashville, Tennessee, were shocked. Even the mayor noted the passing of a 30-year-old without any underlying conditions — one of the city’s youngest fatalities at that point.Settles was also uninsured and had just been sent home from an emergency room for the second time, and he was worried about medical bills. An investigation into his death found that, like many uninsured COVID-19 patients, he had never been told that cost shouldn’t...…This story is from a reporting partnership that includes ,  and KHN.When Darius Settles died from COVID-19 on the Fourth of July, his family and the city of Nashville, Tennessee, were shocked. Even the mayor noted the passing of a 30-year-old without any underlying conditions — one of the city’s youngest fatalities at that point.Settles was also uninsured and had just been sent home from an emergency room for the second time, and he was worried about medical bills. An investigation into his death found that, like many uninsured COVID-19 patients, he had never been told that cost shouldn’t...WW…

Hospital Bills For Uninsured COVID-19 Patients Are Covered Under The CARES Act : Shots - Health News The CARES Act provides funds to pay medical bills for uninsured COVID-19 patients. But a young man's death in Nashville, Tenn., shows people often don't know about the program until it's too late.Blake FarmerFromWhen Darius Settles died from COVID-19 on the Fourth of July, his family and the city of Nashville, Tenn., were shocked. Even the mayor noted the passing of a 30-year-old without any underlying conditions — one of the city's youngest fatalities at that point. Settles was also...…Hospital Bills For Uninsured COVID-19 Patients Are Covered Under The CARES Act : Shots - Health News The CARES Act provides funds to pay medical bills for uninsured COVID-19 patients. But a young man's death in Nashville, Tenn., shows people often don't know about the program until it's too late.Blake FarmerFromWhen Darius Settles died from COVID-19 on the Fourth of July, his family and the city of Nashville, Tenn., were shocked. Even the mayor noted the passing of a 30-year-old without any underlying conditions — one of the city's youngest fatalities at that point. Settles was also...WW…

This story is from a reporting partnership that includes , , , KHN and .Nils Hase, a retiree who lives in Tarpon Springs, Florida, is wearing a mask and loading his Home Depot haul into his car on a recent weekday afternoon. In the store, because Home Depot insists customers and staff across the country wear masks, most faces were covered. But out here in the parking lot, in a state with a serious infection rate but no mask mandate, plenty of those masks hang down around people’s chins.“It bothers me. They are being defiant,” Hase said. “And most of the people I see that walk in without a...…This story is from a reporting partnership that includes , , , KHN and .Nils Hase, a retiree who lives in Tarpon Springs, Florida, is wearing a mask and loading his Home Depot haul into his car on a recent weekday afternoon. In the store, because Home Depot insists customers and staff across the country wear masks, most faces were covered. But out here in the parking lot, in a state with a serious infection rate but no mask mandate, plenty of those masks hang down around people’s chins.“It bothers me. They are being defiant,” Hase said. “And most of the people I see that walk in without a...WW…

Most U.S. Households Struck By COVID-19 Suffer Financially, Too : Shots - Health News Plus, of all U.S. homes that include someone with a disability, 63% report serious financial hardship during the pandemic, and 37% have used up all or most of their savings.Toggle more optionsHeard onFromToggle more optionsCOVID-19 has caused widespread damage to the economy — so wide that it can be easy to overlook how unevenly households are suffering. But out this month reveal households that either have had someone with COVID-19 or include someone who has a disability or special needs are much more...…Most U.S. Households Struck By COVID-19 Suffer Financially, Too : Shots - Health News Plus, of all U.S. homes that include someone with a disability, 63% report serious financial hardship during the pandemic, and 37% have used up all or most of their savings.Toggle more optionsHeard onFromToggle more optionsCOVID-19 has caused widespread damage to the economy — so wide that it can be easy to overlook how unevenly households are suffering. But out this month reveal households that either have had someone with COVID-19 or include someone who has a disability or special needs are much more...WW…

U.S. Reaches COVID-19 Milestone: Death Toll Is Over 200,000 More than 200,000 people in the U.S. have died of COVID-19. We hear from three areas of the country about how the pandemic has affected life there.Toggle more optionsHeard onMartha BebingerWill StoneToggle more optionsMore than 200,000 people in the U.S. have died of COVID-19. We hear from three areas of the country about how the pandemic has affected life there.NPR thanks our sponsors…U.S. Reaches COVID-19 Milestone: Death Toll Is Over 200,000 More than 200,000 people in the U.S. have died of COVID-19. We hear from three areas of the country about how the pandemic has affected life there.Toggle more optionsHeard onMartha BebingerWill StoneToggle more optionsMore than 200,000 people in the U.S. have died of COVID-19. We hear from three areas of the country about how the pandemic has affected life there.NPR thanks our sponsorsWW…

This story is part of a partnership that includes , and .Participation in clinical trials among Black people is low, according to . Still, including them in coronavirus vaccine trials has been a stated priority for the pharmaceutical companies involved, since African American communities, along with those of Latinos, have suffered disproportionately from the pandemic.The ongoing trials are moving at a pace that is for medical research, with the Trump administration’s vaccine acceleration effort dubbed “.” Yet recruiting minority participants requires sensitivity to a mistrust borne of past...…This story is part of a partnership that includes , and .Participation in clinical trials among Black people is low, according to . Still, including them in coronavirus vaccine trials has been a stated priority for the pharmaceutical companies involved, since African American communities, along with those of Latinos, have suffered disproportionately from the pandemic.The ongoing trials are moving at a pace that is for medical research, with the Trump administration’s vaccine acceleration effort dubbed “.” Yet recruiting minority participants requires sensitivity to a mistrust borne of past...WW…

Challenges Of Ensuring Diversity In Coronavirus Vaccine Trials There's a push to have minority volunteers take part in coronavirus vaccine trials. Recruitment is happening, but it often means overcoming a deep-seated mistrust of the medical system.Toggle more optionsHeard onFromToggle more optionsThere's a push to have minority volunteers take part in coronavirus vaccine trials. Recruitment is happening, but it often means overcoming a deep-seated mistrust of the medical system.SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST:Black and Latino people in the U.S. have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. That's...…Challenges Of Ensuring Diversity In Coronavirus Vaccine Trials There's a push to have minority volunteers take part in coronavirus vaccine trials. Recruitment is happening, but it often means overcoming a deep-seated mistrust of the medical system.Toggle more optionsHeard onFromToggle more optionsThere's a push to have minority volunteers take part in coronavirus vaccine trials. Recruitment is happening, but it often means overcoming a deep-seated mistrust of the medical system.SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST:Black and Latino people in the U.S. have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. That's...WW…

Noticias en español es una sección de Kaiser Health News que contiene traducciones de artículos de gran interés para la comunidad hispanohablante, y contenido original enfocado en la población hispana que vive en los Estados Unidos.Con suerte, el verano no terminará como comenzó. Las celebraciones de Memorial Day ayudaron a desencadenar una ola de infecciones por coronavirus en gran parte del sur y el oeste de los Estados Unidos. Y las reuniones del 4 de julio dispararon más casos de COVID.Y ahora llega el Día del Trabajo, cuando esas regiones recién comienzan a registrar una disminución de...…Noticias en español es una sección de Kaiser Health News que contiene traducciones de artículos de gran interés para la comunidad hispanohablante, y contenido original enfocado en la población hispana que vive en los Estados Unidos.Con suerte, el verano no terminará como comenzó. Las celebraciones de Memorial Day ayudaron a desencadenar una ola de infecciones por coronavirus en gran parte del sur y el oeste de los Estados Unidos. Y las reuniones del 4 de julio dispararon más casos de COVID.Y ahora llega el Día del Trabajo, cuando esas regiones recién comienzan a registrar una disminución de...WW…

This story is part of a partnership that includes , and Kaiser Health News.Hopefully, summer won’t end the way it began. Memorial Day celebrations helped set off a wave of coronavirus infections across much of the South and West. Gatherings around the Fourth of July seemed to keep those hot spots aflame.And now Labor Day arrives as those regions are cooling off from COVID-19. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned Wednesday that Americans in infection rates. But travelers are also weary of staying home — and tourist destinations are...…This story is part of a partnership that includes , and Kaiser Health News.Hopefully, summer won’t end the way it began. Memorial Day celebrations helped set off a wave of coronavirus infections across much of the South and West. Gatherings around the Fourth of July seemed to keep those hot spots aflame.And now Labor Day arrives as those regions are cooling off from COVID-19. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned Wednesday that Americans in infection rates. But travelers are also weary of staying home — and tourist destinations are...WW…

Noticias en español es una sección de Kaiser Health News que contiene traducciones de artículos de gran interés para la comunidad hispanohablante, y contenido original enfocado en la población hispana que vive en los Estados Unidos.Este contenido puede usarse de manera gratuita ().Los hospitales de todo el país tienen miedo de enviar cientos de miles de facturas relacionadas con las pruebas para COVID-19, porque el Congreso ordenó que no hubiera copagos ni costos de bolsillo para los pacientes.Forma parte del grupo de Facebook de Kaiser Health News en español .Pero muchos empleadores con...…Noticias en español es una sección de Kaiser Health News que contiene traducciones de artículos de gran interés para la comunidad hispanohablante, y contenido original enfocado en la población hispana que vive en los Estados Unidos.Este contenido puede usarse de manera gratuita ().Los hospitales de todo el país tienen miedo de enviar cientos de miles de facturas relacionadas con las pruebas para COVID-19, porque el Congreso ordenó que no hubiera copagos ni costos de bolsillo para los pacientes.Forma parte del grupo de Facebook de Kaiser Health News en español .Pero muchos empleadores con...WW…

This story is part of a partnership that includes , and Kaiser Health News.Hospitals around the country are afraid to send out hundreds of thousands of bills related to COVID-19 testing. That’s because Congress mandated there would be no copays and no out-of-pocket costs for patients. But many employers with self-funded health plans seem to believe they’re exempt from the rules.When testing kits were still scarce, Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, fired up its clinical labs. It almost single-handedly took over testing in much of Tennessee. Other health systems...…This story is part of a partnership that includes , and Kaiser Health News.Hospitals around the country are afraid to send out hundreds of thousands of bills related to COVID-19 testing. That’s because Congress mandated there would be no copays and no out-of-pocket costs for patients. But many employers with self-funded health plans seem to believe they’re exempt from the rules.When testing kits were still scarce, Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, fired up its clinical labs. It almost single-handedly took over testing in much of Tennessee. Other health systems...WW…

This story is part of a partnership that includes , and Kaiser Health News.To reopen businesses and public spaces safely, experts say, states need to be testing and contact tracing on a massive scale. But only a handful of states are doing enough testing to stay on top of potential outbreaks, according to a state-by-state analysis .Among those, Tennessee stands out for its aggressive approach to testing. In Tennessee, anyone who wants a test can get one, and the state will pick up the tab. The guidance has evolved to “,” and the state started paying for it in April.It’s still rare for a...…This story is part of a partnership that includes , and Kaiser Health News.To reopen businesses and public spaces safely, experts say, states need to be testing and contact tracing on a massive scale. But only a handful of states are doing enough testing to stay on top of potential outbreaks, according to a state-by-state analysis .Among those, Tennessee stands out for its aggressive approach to testing. In Tennessee, anyone who wants a test can get one, and the state will pick up the tab. The guidance has evolved to “,” and the state started paying for it in April.It’s still rare for a...WW…

This story is part of a partnership that includes , and Kaiser Health News.More than 20 patients have died. Dozens more are still hospitalized. And residents who had already been sent back to a nursing home in Gallatin, Tennessee, have turned up with new cases of COVID-19.An investigation finds that the facility downplayed the outbreak to first responders on 911 calls in late March. But the nursing home administrator told WPLN News that the coronavirus was unstoppable in Tennessee’s largest outbreak yet.Dawn Cochran, the administrator of the Gallatin Center for Rehabilitation and Healing,...…This story is part of a partnership that includes , and Kaiser Health News.More than 20 patients have died. Dozens more are still hospitalized. And residents who had already been sent back to a nursing home in Gallatin, Tennessee, have turned up with new cases of COVID-19.An investigation finds that the facility downplayed the outbreak to first responders on 911 calls in late March. But the nursing home administrator told WPLN News that the coronavirus was unstoppable in Tennessee’s largest outbreak yet.Dawn Cochran, the administrator of the Gallatin Center for Rehabilitation and Healing,...WW…

April 6, 2020The new coronavirus doesn’t discriminate. But physicians in public health and on the front lines said they already can see the emergence of familiar patterns of racial and economic bias in the response to the pandemic.In one analysis, it appears doctors may be less likely to refer African Americans for testing when they show up for care with signs of infection.The biotech data firm Rubix Life Sciences, based in Lawrence, Massachusetts, reviewed  in several states and found that an African American with symptoms like cough and fever was less likely to be given one of the scarce...…April 6, 2020The new coronavirus doesn’t discriminate. But physicians in public health and on the front lines said they already can see the emergence of familiar patterns of racial and economic bias in the response to the pandemic.In one analysis, it appears doctors may be less likely to refer African Americans for testing when they show up for care with signs of infection.The biotech data firm Rubix Life Sciences, based in Lawrence, Massachusetts, reviewed  in several states and found that an African American with symptoms like cough and fever was less likely to be given one of the scarce...WW…

CDC Asks Hospitals To Share Data About Supplies Of Coronavirus Gear : Shots - Health News There is currently no central coordination of the supply of protective garb and masks in U.S. hospital inventories. A CDC project wants hospitals to share that information for the good of all.FromMasks, gloves and other equipment are crucial as health care workers face the COVID-19 outbreak. There is a strategic national stockpile that the U.S. government controls — but no one actually knows, beyond that stockpile, what's already out there in the private sector. Some hospitals have extras, and some not...…CDC Asks Hospitals To Share Data About Supplies Of Coronavirus Gear : Shots - Health News There is currently no central coordination of the supply of protective garb and masks in U.S. hospital inventories. A CDC project wants hospitals to share that information for the good of all.FromMasks, gloves and other equipment are crucial as health care workers face the COVID-19 outbreak. There is a strategic national stockpile that the U.S. government controls — but no one actually knows, beyond that stockpile, what's already out there in the private sector. Some hospitals have extras, and some not...WW…