April Dembosky, KQED

@adembosky

Tending To Patients As Her New Home Burns

KFF Health News Original

ICU nurse Julayne Smithson had only a few minutes to grab some things from her recently purchased home a block from the Santa Rosa hospital. Then she rushed back to help evacuate patients and has scarcely stopped working since.

Eyes Fixed On California As Governor Ponders Inking Drug Price Transparency Bill

KFF Health News Original

“If it gets signed by this governor, it’s going to send shock waves throughout the country,” one legislator says. Pharma has spent $16.8 million lobbying against this bill and other drug laws in California.

A Tale Of Two States: California, Texas And The Latest ACA Repeal Bid

KFF Health News Original

In the GOP’s attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, California would lose a lot of federal funding. Texas would gain a lot in the short term, but experts worry Texas would not use the money well.

Faring Better Than Many ACA Insurers, Molina Backs Health Law ‘Tuneup’

KFF Health News Original

The health insurance company, which operates in 12 states plus Puerto Rico, grew out of a network of Southern California clinics founded in 1980. Molina’s track record of working with low-income patients has served it well under Obamacare.

Big Hospital Network Cracks Down On The Right To Sue

KFF Health News Original

Some networks of hospitals, doctors and medical services are now so dominant in their region that they can hike their prices and force patients to waive the right to sue when things go wrong.

Would California’s Proposed Tobacco Tax Hike Reduce Smoking?

KFF Health News Original

When New York increased its cigarette tax, smoking rates declined. California’s proposed increase of $2 a pack may, too, say researchers. The higher the tax, the more likely people are to quit.

Contratistas Agrícolas Se Resisten A Requisitos Del Obamacare

KFF Health News Original

La ley federal de salud está poniendo a los agricultores en una situación difícil. Muchos contratistas que suministran trabajadores tienen que ofrecer cobertura de salud. El seguro es costoso, y los contratistas se preocupan sobre las consecuencias para la inmigración.

Pharmaceutical Company Has Hiked Price On Aid-In-Dying Drug

KFF Health News Original

Valeant Pharmaceuticals, the company that makes Seconal, the drug most commonly used in prescribed for terminally ill patients who want to end their lives, physician-assisted suicide, has doubled the price to more than $3,000.

Farm Contractors Balk At Obamacare Requirements

KFF Health News Original

The federal health law is putting farmers in a tough spot. Many contractors supplying workers have to offer health coverage. Insurance is costly, and contractors worry about immigration fallout.

Bosses Find Part-Time Workers Can Come With Full-Time Headaches

KFF Health News Original

Health law requirements that small employers offer insurance to full-time workers prompted some fast-food restaurants to convert more employees to part time. Now owners are rethinking that approach.