By Phil Galewitz & Andy Miller – In the so-called Before Times, sitting shoulder to shoulder inside a stadium with tens of thousands of boisterous spectators — after a few hours of pregame tailgating — was a highlight of many fans’ autumn. But with covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths soaring from the delta variant, many fans are wondering if that is a wise idea.
By Phil Galewitz – Americans’ reluctance to get vaccinated for covid-19 is waning, according to a recent poll. Nearly half of adults surveyed in January said they have either already been vaccinated or want the vaccine as soon as they can, up from about a third of adults polled in December, according to the latest KFF survey.
By Phil Galewitz – With its choice of a new leader, the Florida Hospital Association has signaled that seeking legislative approval to expand Medicaid to nearly 850,000 uninsured adults won’t be among its top priorities. In October, Mary Mayhew became the association’s CEO.
By Phil Galewitz – Worried about the high cost of the copayment for the shingles vaccine, Jacky Felder, a Medicare beneficiary, opted against getting immunized last year. Last month, the Green Bay, Wisconsin, woman developed the disease, which left a painful, itchy rash across her abdomen. “Luckily, I’ve had a relatively mild case, but it’s been a week and half with a lot of pain,” said Felder, 69.
By Phil Galewitz – Just a few miles from Disney World, Harris Rosen’s hotel empire is mostly closed because of the COVID pandemic. One crucial condition for reopening will be testing any of his 4,000 employees who show potential signs of having the disease, he said.
By Phil Galewitz – If President Donald Trump were to follow through on his threats to cut federal cost-sharing subsidies, health insurance premiums for silver plans would soar by an average of 20 percent next year and the federal deficit would rise by $194 billion over the next decade, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said.
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