Bernard J. Wolfson

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bwolfson@kff.org
@bjwolfson

Giant Health System Almost Saved a Community Hospital. Now, It Wants to ‘Extract Every Dollar.’

KFF Health News Original

A bankruptcy judge will soon decide whether a Central Valley hospital needs to liquidate to repay its creditors. Its largest creditor, St. Agnes Medical Center, is the very entity that backed out of purchasing the Madera Community Hospital last December.

Medi-Cal’s Fragmented System Can Make Moving a Nightmare

KFF Health News Original

When Medi-Cal beneficiary Lloyd Tennison moved last year from Contra Costa County to San Joaquin County, he was bumped off his managed care plan without notice before his new coverage took effect. His case highlights a chronic issue in California’s fragmented Medicaid program.

Recovery From Addiction Is a Journey. There’s No One-and-Done Solution.

KFF Health News Original

Drug use has become a major public health crisis, but effective treatment remains hard to find. It does exist though. Columnist Bernard J. Wolfson offers advice on finding help and says not to expect a quick solution.

Medi-Cal Enrollees in California: Here’s How to Verify Your Eligibility

KFF Health News Original

California’s safety-net health program has resumed annual eligibility checks after three years, which means beneficiaries will need to provide updated personal information to maintain coverage. Here’s what to watch for.

California’s Covid Misinformation Law Is Entangled in Lawsuits, Conflicting Rulings

KFF Health News Original

A state law says giving false information to patients about covid-19 constitutes unprofessional conduct for which regulators can discipline doctors. Vaccine skeptics, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., join civil liberties groups and others in arguing that it violates free speech.

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.

California’s Resolve Questioned After It Grants Medi-Cal Contract Concessions

KFF Health News Original

After the Department of Health Care Services canceled Medi-Cal contract awards under pressure from major insurers, some consumer advocates question the administration’s willpower to improve care in the safety-net program.

Muchas familias con cobertura de empleador inasequible ahora son elegibles para subsidios de Covered California

KFF Health News Original

El gobierno federal ha corregido recientemente una controversial norma del Departamento del Tesoro vinculada a la Ley de Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio (ACA), que denegaba la ayuda a muchas familias cuya cobertura basada en sus trabajos se salía de sus presupuestos.

ER Doctors Call Private Equity Staffing Practices Illegal and Seek to Ban Them

KFF Health News Original

Doctors, consumer advocates, and some lawmakers are looking forward to a California lawsuit against private equity-backed Envision Healthcare. The case is part of a multistate effort to enforce rules banning corporate ownership of physician practices.

Voluntarios electorales quieren que los latinos sepan que votar es bueno para su salud

KFF Health News Original

En los últimos años, las instituciones de atención de salud a lo largo de todo Estados Unidos han realizado esfuerzos para promover el voto, inspiradas por la creciente creencia de que votar mejora la salud de las personas y las comunidades.

Election Canvassers Want Latinos to Know Voting Is Good for Their Health

KFF Health News Original

One of the nation’s largest community clinic chains is running a get-out-the-vote campaign in Los Angeles and Orange counties this election, targeting primarily Latino communities, where turnout tends to be low.

Health Plan Shake-Up Could Disrupt Coverage for Low-Income Californians

KFF Health News Original

Four managed-care insurance plans may lose contracts with California’s Medicaid program, which would force nearly 2 million low-income residents to switch their health plans — and possibly their doctors. The plans are fighting back.

Padres con hijos muy enfermos encuentran consuelo y esperanza en la ayuda de hospicio en el hogar

KFF Health News Original

Si bien el cáncer es una de las principales enfermedades que afectan a los niños en cuidados paliativos, muchos otros tienen defectos congénitos raros, deficiencias neurológicas graves o deficiencias metabólicas poco comunes.