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Every Friday, we’re recapping the latest on the coronavirus from our tracking, policy analysis, polling, and journalism. This week, total cases in the U.S. are still climbing, and from May 14 to May 20, 2020 increased by 159,400, bringing the cumulative total of cases past 1.5 million.

Congress is considering proposals to subsidize COBRA coverage. We discuss the group market coverage that would be extended by COBRA subsidies, how COBRA costs and coverage compare to other common coverage options for those who lose job-based coverage (ACA Marketplace plans or Medicaid), and key considerations regarding COBRA subsidies for consumers and employers.

This brief answer key questions on affordability of COVID-19 testing and treatment for people who are uninsured and those insured through private coverage, Medicare, and Medicaid.

With so many Americans dying, and so many more suffering severe economic hardship, it’s hard to look over the horizon at the larger questions the COVID-19 crisis will bring. The current emergency requires everyone’s attention 24/7. But an emerging set of questions will fall right in the bailiwick of the health…

In an article for Foreign Affairs, KFF’s Josh Michaud discusses Sweden’s response to novel coronavirus.

This brief summarizes state changes to Medicaid and CHIP eligibility and enrollment policies in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, beyond those required to access enhanced federal funding. It is based on KFF analysis of approved Medicaid and CHIP state plan amendments (SPAs) and information on state websites as of May 21, 2020.

Provides a summary of health provisions in the fourth major legislative initiative to address COVID-19, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act.

Americans’ attitudes and views on the coronavirus outbreak differ based on whether they live in an area that was harder hit by the pandemic, but these differences are not as large as some might expect.

In response to the need to increase access to testing during the COVID-19 pandemic, recent federal legislation, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, amended by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, creates a new optional Medicaid eligibility pathway, with 100% federal matching funds, for states to cover coronavirus testing and testing-related services for uninsured individuals. This new option is available from March 18, 2020 through the end of the public health emergency period. This issue brief answers key questions about how the new eligibility pathway is being implemented, drawing on frequently asked questions issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.