When An Insurer Balks And Treatment Stops
A 22-year old man from Orange County, Calif., alleges in a lawsuit that his health insurer stopped paying for a crucial — and expensive — immunotherapy drug, leading him to become seriously ill. Treatments for patients with similar conditions are increasingly denied or interrupted, experts and patient advocates say.
Handshake-Free Zone: Keep Those Hands — And Germs — To Yourself In The Hospital
Health care workers and families are trying new ways of greeting people in two neonatal intensive care units at UCLA, hoping to reduce infections and protect fragile babies.
“Zonas libres de apretones de manos” para prevenir infecciones en hospitales
Las infecciones adquiridas en hospitales son un problema grave y a menudo se responsabiliza a las manos sucias de los trabajadores de salud. Una experiencia en California mostró una eficaz, aunque controversial forma, de prevenir la diseminación de gérmenes.
Citing CBO Report, Critics Decry GOP Bill’s Potential Fallout In California
“I feel like I am in a bad dream,” said state Sen. Ed Hernandez, who chairs California’s Senate Health Committee.
California Bill Addresses Safety Concerns At Dialysis Clinics
Legislation would require minimum staffing levels, longer intervals between patients and more frequent state inspections.
Grupo enseña a familiares de pacientes con Alzheimer a cuidar de ellos mismos
Los médicos y los investigadores reconocen cada vez más que el cuidado de las personas con demencia compromete la salud física y mental de los cuidadores.
‘Boot Camp’ Helps Alzheimer’s, Dementia Caregivers Take Care Of Themselves, Too
Free, daylong sessions run by UCLA teach caregivers how to keep their loved ones safe and engaged, while minimizing the stress in their own lives. Similar programs exist in other states.
Should Health Care Trainees Be Treated As Paid Employees?
A bill pending in California’s Legislature, sponsored by an influential health care union, would require hospitals and clinics to pay minimum wage to student trainees.
Stalking the ‘Unknown Enemy’: Doctors Turn Scope On Rare Diseases
An NIH-funded network of hospitals uses advanced genetic science and nationwide collaboration to diagnose rare and sometimes undiscovered diseases.
In Remote Idaho, A Tiny Facility Lights The Way For Stressed Rural Hospitals
In a region where bears outnumber people, a small medical facility sets a modern example for rural hospitals on life support.
‘Pre-Hospice’ Saves Money By Keeping People At Home Near The End Of Life
A San Diego program helps chronically ill people avoid the hospital by teaching them how to better manage their diseases and telling them what to expect in their final years. Other health providers and insurers around the country are trying similar approaches.
By Decade’s End, Calif. Estimates It Would Lose $24B Annually Under GOP Health Plan
“It’s challenging to see how it would not … jeopardize the entire [Medicaid] program,” a top health official said.
Los Angeles County Scores An E-Success In Managing Specialist Care
An electronic consulting and referral system adopted by the county’s safety net public health system in 2012 has reduced waiting times for appointments with specialists and eliminated the need for such appointments in a significant number of cases, according to a new study in the journal Health Affairs.
State Fires Contractor After Problems Put California HIV Patients At Risk
The company tasked with enrolling eligible patients in an HIV assistance program failed to keep an online enrollment portal working effectively and violated other contract terms, the public health agency said.
Récord de infecciones sexuales dispara nacimientos de bebés con sífilis
Los condados de Kern y Fresno, en el Valle Central de California, tienen las tasas más altas de sífilis congénita. Oficiales de salud piensan que esta explosión de casos se debe a la falta de cuidado prenatal, al uso de drogas, al sexo sin protección y a la falta de concientización. Cómo es la situación a nivel nacional.
Spike In Syphilis Among Newborns Driven By Broader Epidemic
Sexually transmitted diseases are at an all-time high across the United States. Syphilis among women and babies is a particularly serious problem in Louisiana, California and Georgia.
A Safety-Net Medical Center Wrestles With Specter Of ‘Repeal’
San Mateo Medical Center is among hundreds of safety-net hospitals in California and across the country that stand to lose big if the federal government slashes support for Medicaid and insurance exchanges.
Single-Payer Health Care Bill Introduced In California Senate
The legislation is only a first step, declaring the “intent” of the state Senate without specifics or a timetable.
ER Visits Linked To Falls Spike Among California Seniors
State data show a rise of nearly 40 percent in fall-related visits from 2010 to 2015, a period in which the elderly population grew about 21 percent.
Preserving Fertility When It Is Threatened By Life-Saving Medicine
A bill recently introduced in the California legislature would require insurance companies to cover fertility-preserving services for patients at risk of infertility because of necessary medical treatments.
