Angela Hart

Visit kff.org to read Angela's bio.

ahart@kff.org
@ahartreports

Pregnant and Addicted: Homeless Women See Hope in Street Medicine

KFF Health News Original

As homelessness explodes across California, so does the number of expectant mothers on the streets. Street medicine doctors are getting paid more by Medicaid and offering some of those mothers-to-be a chance to overcome addiction and reverse chronic diseases so they can have healthy babies — and perhaps keep them.

Covered California to Cut Patient Costs After Democratic Lawmakers Win Funding From Gov. Newsom

KFF Health News Original

California’s health insurance exchange will reduce how much some patients pay for care next year, including hospital deductibles, appointment copays, and prescription drugs. Lawmakers pressed Gov. Gavin Newsom to make good on a four-year-old pledge to use proceeds from a tax penalty on uninsured people to help people pay for treatment.

Industry Groups in California Vie for New Medicaid Money

KFF Health News Original

State officials have promised to boost funding for California’s Medicaid program by $11.1 billion starting next year, with most of that money earmarked for higher payments to doctors, hospitals, and other providers. But the details have yet to be worked out, and powerful health industry groups are jockeying for position.

California’s Homelessness Crisis Is Homegrown, Study Finds

KFF Health News Original

University of California researchers found at least 90% of adults experiencing homelessness became homeless while living in the state, and many suffer depression and anxiety living without stable housing.

On the Brink of Homelessness, San Diego Woman Wins the Medi-Cal Lottery

KFF Health News Original

Annie Malloy, of San Diego, is among the first to receive a new housing move-in benefit from Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program. It’s an effort to help homeless and near-homeless people who might otherwise rack up huge medical bills.

Health Care Coalition Jockeys Over Medi-Cal Spending, Eyes Ballot Initiative

KFF Health News Original

California Healthline has learned that a coalition of doctors, hospitals, insurers, and community clinics want to lock in a tax on health insurance companies to draw in extra Medicaid funding. It also wants to make the tax permanent.

California Governor and Democratic Lawmakers at Odds Over Billions in Health Care Funds

KFF Health News Original

Gov. Gavin Newsom is getting pressure from his political allies to begin spending money on health care that the state raised by fining Californians who go without health insurance. But Newsom says the state can’t afford to.

California Hospitals Seek a Broad Bailout, but They Don’t All Need It

KFF Health News Original

As hospitals squeeze Democratic leaders in Sacramento for more money, health care finance experts and former state officials warn against falling for the industry’s fear tactics. They point to healthy profits and a recession-era financing scheme that allows rich hospitals to take tax money from poorer ones.

GOP Lawmaker Calls for Tracking Homeless Spending, Working With Democrats on Mental Health

KFF Health News Original

Republican state Sen. Roger Niello wants to know whether taxpayers are getting their money’s worth before spending more. Yet the fiscal conservative from the suburbs of Sacramento sees opportunities for bipartisanship on mental health.

Prescription for Housing? California Wants Medicaid to Cover 6 Months of Rent

KFF Health News Original

Gov. Gavin Newsom is making a bold push for Medicaid health plans to provide more housing support. He argues it’s cheaper to pay for rent than to allow homeless people to fall into crisis, which requires costly care in hospitals, nursing homes, and jails.

Two Counties Square Off With California Over Mental Health Duties

KFF Health News Original

The state wants to stop paying Kaiser Permanente for treating severely mentally ill Medi-Cal patients in Sacramento and Solano counties and force the counties to take on the task. The counties’ leaders say they can’t afford it.

California’s Massive Medicaid Program Works for Some, but Fails Many Others

KFF Health News Original

Medi-Cal serves more than one-third of the state’s population — offering a dizzying range of care to a diverse population. In the new “Faces of Medi-Cal” series, California Healthline will assess the program’s strengths and weaknesses through the lives and experiences of its enrollees.

‘The Country Is Watching’: California Homeless Crisis Looms as Gov. Newsom Eyes Political Future

KFF Health News Original

As Gov. Gavin Newsom enters his second term, his legacy as governor and path forward in the Democratic Party hinge on his making visible headway on California’s homeless crisis. We lay out the possibilities — and challenges — as he unleashes an $18 billion battle plan.