pandemic

Insurance companies are now asking COVID-19 patients to share in the cost of their treatment

BY MEGAN CERULLO The financial cost of remaining unvaccinated ⁠against COVID-19 is rising. Health insurance providers are now asking people who contract the disease to share the cost of treatment, which can get expensive if it requires a lengthy hospital stay. Early in the pandemic, most private insurers waived cost-sharing for patients under their plans or even covered … [Read more...] about Insurance companies are now asking COVID-19 patients to share in the cost of their treatment

‘I think we already broke:’ Mississippi’s nurses are resigning to protect themselves from Covid-19 burnout

By Madeline Holcombe, Erica Hill and Laura Dolan, CNN (CNN)Earlier this month, Mississippi ICU nurse Nichole Atherton resigned, worn down by the stress, young patients and preventable deaths that have overwhelmed the state's hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic. "It looks heroic," Atherton, of Singing River Ocean Springs Hospital, told CNN. "But … [Read more...] about ‘I think we already broke:’ Mississippi’s nurses are resigning to protect themselves from Covid-19 burnout

South Dakota Covid cases quintuple after Sturgis motorcycle rally

Meade County, home to Sturgis, has had a more than 1,500 percent increase in cases in the past 14 days. By Ben Kesslen and Joe Murphy Two weeks after the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, reported Covid infections in the state have risen nearly sixfold. South Dakota counted 3,819 new cases in the past two weeks, including seven deaths, … [Read more...] about South Dakota Covid cases quintuple after Sturgis motorcycle rally

Amid COVID, thousands of students remain absent from classes this school year

BY Shannon Rae Green On this episode of 5 Things: With schools starting in-person, teachers and community leaders are on an unprecedented quest to find missing students who stopped attending school due to the pandemic. USA TODAY reporters Erin Richards and Alia Wong talk with 5 Things host Shannon Rae Green about how educators are reconnecting with students to ensure … [Read more...] about Amid COVID, thousands of students remain absent from classes this school year

Florida Gives Schools 48 Hours To Do Away With Their Mask Mandates — Or Lose Funding

MIAMI — Florida officials are threatening to withhold funds equal to the salaries of school board members if school districts in two counties don't immediately do away with strict mask mandates as the state continues to battle through high hospitalization rates. School boards in Broward and Alachua counties received a warning Friday from the State Board of Education giving … [Read more...] about Florida Gives Schools 48 Hours To Do Away With Their Mask Mandates — Or Lose Funding