COVID-19: Page 7
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California healthcare workers reassess contracts, pandemic pressures in mind
The pandemic has prompted nurses and residents in the state to rethink working conditions and what they will endure. Some have walked off the job, demanding better contracts, and some residents organized for the first time.
By Hailey Mensik • May 19, 2022 -
LabCorp becomes first company to get EUA for direct-to-consumer test for flu, RSV, COVID-19
LabCorp's kit is differentiated from other companies' products as it enables at-home sample collection without a prescription.
By Nick Paul Taylor • May 18, 2022 -
States move to limit hospital visitor policies in wake of pandemic
The Republican measures have passed in blue states like Colorado and Illinois.
By Samantha Liss • May 18, 2022 -
Oscar faces shareholder lawsuit alleging it misled investors
The insurer is accused of failing to disclose the potential negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its business before its March 2021 IPO.
By Susan Kelly • May 17, 2022 -
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (2020). "Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2" [Micrograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
NIH licenses COVID-19 technologies to WHO-backed program
The agreement, which covers three experimental vaccines as well as several key patents, makes products sold in 49 low-income countries royalty-free.
By Jonathan Gardner • May 16, 2022 -
Hospital labor expenses up 37% from pre-pandemic levels in March
Hospitals spent nearly $5,500 in labor expenses per adjusted discharge in March compared to about $4,000 roughly three years ago, according to a report from Kaufman Hall.
By Hailey Mensik • May 12, 2022 -
Patient experience, safety worse during pandemic, Leapfrog says
Patients reported issues with hospital staff responsiveness and said their experiences with care transitions out of a hospital setting worsened considerably during the pandemic, according to the watchdog.
By Hailey Mensik • May 10, 2022 -
Telehealth use fell in February as omicron retreated
Mental health services captured a larger percentage of remote care and continued to be the top reason for online provider visits in February, according to data from Fair Health.
By Susan Kelly • May 10, 2022 -
Moderna vaccine sales surpass expectations as company looks to fall boosters
The trajectory of COVID-19 vaccine sales is now harder to predict amid questions about the rollout of additional doses and whether purchasing in the U.S. might shift from the federal government to private payers.
By Ned Pagliarulo • May 5, 2022 -
Telemedicine reached disadvantaged communities during pandemic, study finds
The results surprised Johns Hopkins University researchers, who said it contrasted with earlier findings showing an inverse link between socioeconomic status and use of telemedicine in the pandemic.
By Susan Kelly • May 4, 2022 -
Retrieved from Committee for Recognition of Nursing Achievement on April 26, 2022
Stanford nurses ratify deal, ending weeklong strike
Nurses will return to work Tuesday after ratifying a deal on new contracts that include measures to better retain and recruit nursing staff, the union said.
By Hailey Mensik • May 3, 2022 -
Hospital volumes, revenues rebounded as omicron cases waned in March
Many patients returned for nonurgent procedures and other non-COVID-19 care, especially outpatient, that had been previously delayed, according to a Kaufman Hall report.
By Hailey Mensik • May 3, 2022 -
ACA-related coverage enrollment tops record at nearly 36M
The expansion of health coverage to more Americans reflects pandemic-related policy efforts.
By Susan Kelly • May 2, 2022 -
Labor costs unlikely to wind down soon, for-profit hospitals report in Q1
Hospital operators hoped the need for temporary nursing staff and heightened labor costs would ease alongside dwindling cases of the omicron variant, as they did during previous waves. That wasn't the case in the first quarter.
By Hailey Mensik • May 2, 2022 -
Moderna seeks FDA clearance for COVID-19 vaccine in young children
The biotech's shot would become the first available to children under 6, the last remaining age group currently ineligible for vaccination.
By Kristin Jensen • April 28, 2022 -
Retrieved from Committee for Recognition of Nursing Achievement on April 26, 2022
Thousands of Stanford nurses in California reach deal to end strike
Nurses voted on a tentative agreement Sunday and if they ratify the deal they will return to work Tuesday under new contracts, according to the union.
By Hailey Mensik • Updated May 2, 2022 -
Employers are reevaluating health benefits amid tight labor market, survey finds
Improving affordability, providing virtual care and boosting mental health offerings will be top priorities for U.S. employers over the next two years, according to a Willis Towers Watson report.
By Susan Kelly • April 27, 2022 -
Massive pandemic pivot to telehealth tallied in Fair Health report
New data from the nonprofit reiterates the explosive growth in telemedicine in the first year of the pandemic when other medical sites scaled back services.
By Susan Kelly • April 25, 2022 -
HCA lowers expectations for the year, citing ongoing labor challenges
Heightened spending on salaries and benefits is primarily related to the ongoing use of contract labor, though the system is also adjusting wages to stay competitive, CEO Sam Hazen said on a Friday call with investors.
By Hailey Mensik • April 22, 2022 -
DOJ cracks down on 'largest and most wide-ranging' COVID-19 fraud
Defendants — including doctors, medical business executives and fake vaccination card manufacturers — caused nearly $150 million in false billings to federal programs, the DOJ alleged.
By Rebecca Pifer • April 21, 2022 -
CMS underestimated hospital labor spending in payment adjustments, Premier says
Inpatient payment rates for fiscal 2023 released earlier this week also wouldn't adequately cover rising costs, according to the group purchasing organization.
By Hailey Mensik • April 21, 2022 -
Corporate employment of physicians surged during pandemic
A study by Avalere found that hospitals or other corporate entities are buying up independent physician groups at a rapid clip, raising concerns about increasing pressures on doctors.
By Susan Kelly • April 20, 2022 -
End of Medicaid continuous coverage may leave millions of children uninsured, analysis finds
Children are at highest risk in Texas, Florida and Georgia when states resume checking Medicaid eligibility after the public health emergency expires, Georgetown University researchers found.
By Susan Kelly • April 19, 2022 -
How health system leaders are navigating ongoing staffing shortages: survey
More than 90% of health system leaders have increased compensation to recruit and retain staff, while 81% said they are still filling gaps with agency labor, per a new Advis report.
By Hailey Mensik • April 18, 2022 -
Physician pay is climbing after early-pandemic slump
Doctors' financial compensation increased in the past year, resuming a longer-term trend though gender, racial and ethnic pay disparities persist.
By Susan Kelly • April 18, 2022