Rachel Bluth

Rachel Bluth was a correspondent for KFF Health News until February 2023.

@RachelHBluth

Community Clinics Shouldered Much of the Vaccine Rollout. Many Haven’t Been Paid.

KFF Health News Original

Federally qualified health centers from California to Michigan are mired in a bureaucratic mess over how they should be paid under Medicaid for each dose of covid vaccine given. In California alone, clinics await reimbursement for at least 1 million shots, causing a “massive cash flow problem.”

New California Law Bans Harassment at Vaccination Sites, but Free Speech Concerns Persist

KFF Health News Original

Effective immediately, it will be a misdemeanor in California to harass people on their way to get a covid, or any other, vaccine. But First Amendment experts say the new law violates free speech protections and could face a constitutional battle.

It’s Not Just Covid: Recall Candidates Represent Markedly Different Choices on Health Care

KFF Health News Original

Those seeking to replace California Gov. Gavin Newsom in Tuesday’s recall election disagree with him on more than mask and vaccine mandates. The conservative candidates tend to favor free-market solutions over Newsom’s expansion of publicly funded health coverage.

Democrats Say Abortion Is on the Line in Recall Election. But Rolling Back Rights Wouldn’t Be Easy.

KFF Health News Original

Reproductive rights groups and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom argue that Californians’ access to abortion would be threatened if he is recalled. But a replacement governor’s power to restrict access to the procedure would be limited.

Déjà Vu? Consumers Scramble for Covid Tests in Hard-Hit Areas

KFF Health News Original

As the nation confronts the delta variant, many consumers are again facing delays getting tested. The problem appears most acute in the South and Midwest, where new infections are growing the fastest.

California facilita que residentes de bajos ingresos obtengan y mantengan una cobertura de salud gratuita

KFF Health News Original

El acuerdo sobre el presupuesto estatal para 2021-22 incluye varias disposiciones que facilitarán el acceso y la permanencia en Medi-Cal. Todas las personas mayores de 50 años serán elegibles, independientemente de su estatus migratorio.

California Makes It Easier for Low-Income Residents to Get and Keep Free Health Coverage

KFF Health News Original

State lawmakers aim to expand Medicaid enrollment by dedicating billions of dollars in coming years to simplifying paperwork, extending pregnancy coverage and opening the program to thousands of new enrollees, including older unauthorized immigrants and people who need nursing home care.

Tras un año mortal en las carreteras, los estados dicen sí a la seguridad y no a la velocidad

KFF Health News Original

Legisladores de California y otros estados se replantean cómo establecer y hacer cumplir los límites de velocidad, y proponen darle más poder a las jurisdicciones locales para frenar a los conductores en sus comunidades.

After a Deadly Year on the Roads, States Push for Safety Over Speed

KFF Health News Original

Lawmakers in California and other states are rethinking how they set and enforce speed limits, and they’re proposing to hand more power to local authorities to slow drivers in their communities.

Tras un año mortal en las carreteras, los estados dicen sí a la seguridad y no a la velocidad

KFF Health News Original

Legisladores de California y otros estados se replantean cómo establecer y hacer cumplir los límites de velocidad, y proponen darle más poder a las jurisdicciones locales para frenar a los conductores en sus comunidades.

In California, Blue Shield’s Vaccination Takeover Fixes What Wasn’t Broken

KFF Health News Original

Rural Mendocino County had finally figured out its vaccination program. But now the community clinics that helped make it happen are changing course as Blue Shield of California takes over the state vaccine program.