Author

Julie Appleby

Julie Appleby is a Senior Reporter and Senior Correspondent for the Kaiser Health News Network. Her work has been seen in Medium, CNN, CNN en Español, The Washington Post, CNN Business, The New York Times, USA Today, ABC News, The Atlantic, TONIC and more.

Health

Your Favorite Store or Restaurant Is Open. How Do You Know It’s OK to Go In?

Julie Appleby Aug 9, 2020

“Go to a place where you can make a reservation outside,” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. Photo credit Shutterstock licensed. WASHINGTON, D.C. - Just because many businesses are…

Health

For COVID Tests, the Question of Who Pays Comes Down to Interpretation

Julie Appleby Jul 20, 2020

Early on in the coronavirus pandemic — when scarce COVID testing was limited to those with serious symptoms or serious exposure — the government and insurers vowed that tests would be dispensed for free (with no copays, deductibles or…

Health

Conspiracy Theories Aside, Here’s What Contact Tracers Really Do

Julie Appleby Jul 15, 2020

When a person tests positive for certain communicable diseases, health care providers must report their contact information to public health departments. Contact tracers then try to reach out quickly, generally by phone. Photo credit…

Health

COVID Catch-22: They Got A Big Emergency Room Bill Because Hospitals Couldn’t Test For Virus

Julie Appleby Jul 7, 2020

At the JFK Medical Center near his home in Boynton Beach, Florida, staffers met him in protective gear, then ran a battery of tests — including bloodwork, a chest X-ray and an electrocardiogram — before sending him home. File photo: Herve…

Business

Reopening In The COVID Era: How To Adapt To A “New Normal”

Julie Appleby May 8, 2020

As states start to reopen, people will have to weigh the risk versus benefit of getting out more, along with their own tolerance for uncertainty. Photo credit: Sergey Bezgodov / Shutterstock.com, licensed. CALIFORNIA - As many states…

Health

Big Brother Wants To Track Your Location And Health Data, And That’s Not All Bad, Or Is It? “In a…

Julie Appleby Apr 16, 2020

A longtime public health strategy, “contact tracing,” involves identifying individuals who have contracted an infectious disease, notifying others who have been in contact with them and ensuring that those with the disease manage it…

Health

To Curb Coronavirus, What’s Behind The Wearing Of A Mask?

Julie Appleby Apr 7, 2020

It is not recommending people try to purchase N95 or surgical masks, and the federal agency included online instructions on making masks out of materials at home. Image by Carola68. CALIFORNIA - The Centers for Disease Control and…

Health

Dispatch From A Country Doctor: Seeing Patients Differently In The Time Of Coronavirus

Julie Appleby Apr 7, 2020

Dr. Matt Hahn and nurse practitioner Lora Cole, in their personal protective equipment, face new challenges treating patients. Photo courtesy of Matt Hahn. WASHINGTON, D.C. - Patients would often stop by River Bend Family Medicine just…

Health

What Takes So Long? A Behind-The-Scenes Look At The Steps Involved In COVID-19 Testing

Julie Appleby Mar 30, 2020

A machine at the UW Medicine Virology laboratory in Seattle extracts genetic material called RNA from patient samples to allow the analysis of potential COVID-19 cases on March 11. Photo credit: Dan DeLong for Kaiser Health News. After…

Health

Take A Deep Breath: Making Risk-Based Decisions In The Coronavirus Era

Julie Appleby Mar 18, 2020

In the coming days, social distancing rules and recommendations may expand as federal, state and local health officials weigh conditions on the ground. So what to do now? File photo. CALIFORNIA - Just last week, it seemed OK to have…