Lisa Aliferis, KQED

To Protect His Son, A Father Asks School To Bar Unvaccinated Children

KFF Health News Original

A California child in remission from leukemia cannot be vaccinated because his immune system is rebuilding after chemotherapy. The family, which lives in a school district where 7 percent of the children are not vaccinated under a “personal belief exemption,” is asking school officials to have all kids be vaccinated or stay home from school during the measles outbreak.

Poll: Californians Support Health Coverage For Undocumented Immigrants

KFF Health News Original

This story is part of a partnership that includes KQED, NPR and Kaiser Health News. It can be republished for free. (details) A majority of the state’s voters support extending current health insurance programs to all low-income Californians, including undocumented immigrants, according to a new statewide poll released today. The poll was commissioned by The California Endowment, […]

San Francisco Politician: ‘I Take A Pill Called Truvada’

KFF Health News Original

This story is part of a partnership that includes KQED, NPR and Kaiser Health News. It can be republished for free. (details) In an effort to combat stigma that has arisen around a treatment that prevents HIV, a San Francisco elected official announced publicly Wednesday that he is taking the medicine. City Supervisor Scott Wiener […]

Why Some Don’t Pay Their Obamacare Premium: It’s Not What You Think

KFF Health News Original

A new analysis finds that many people who signed up for a Covered California health insurance exchange plan are likely to drop the coverage for a good reason: They found insurance elsewhere. Researchers at the U.C. Berkeley Labor Center released estimates Wednesday showing that about 20 percent of Covered California enrollees are expected to leave […]

Insurance Agents Key To California Success Enrolling Asian-Americans

KFF Health News Original

While Latino enrollment has lagged in California’s insurance marketplace, Asians have signed up in numbers outstripping their representation in the pool of eligible people.  According to new Covered California data, the overwhelming majority of Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese enrollees are buying plans through certified insurance agents, as opposed to community groups or the Covered California website. […]

Canceled California Customers Coveting New Insurance Plans

KFF Health News Original

This comes from our partner, KQED’s State of Health blog. Some Californians whose policies have been canceled are finding relief in a surprising place: from insurance companies that aren’t offering plans on the new Covered California marketplace. Earlier this year, Aetna announced it would bow out of the state’s individual market,  effective Dec. 31. Cigna […]