The Extra Cost Of Extra Weight For Older Adults
Obese people are far more likely to become disabled as they age, and researchers say this burgeoning demographic will strain hospitals and nursing homes.
Few Seniors Benefiting From Medicare Obesity Counseling
A little known part of Obamacare pays primary care doctors to help overweight seniors drop pounds and improve their health. So why aren’t more seniors taking advantage of the free benefit?
How A State’s Choice On Medicaid Expansion Affects Hospitals
In negotiating the creation of the Affordable Care Act, hospitals took a big gamble, with the expectation that they would soon have millions of new Medicaid customers. In states that expanded Medicaid, the bet paid off. Sarah Varney of Kaiser Health News reports on financial gains made by some hospitals as more patients are able to pay their bills, and the heavy price being paid by hospitals in states that opted against expansion.
How Obamacare Went South In Mississippi
In the country’s unhealthiest state, the failure of Obamacare is a group effort.
Soda Makers Battle Proposed Taxes In Berkeley, San Francisco
Voters could impose a penny per ounce tax on sugary drinks in Berkeley and a two-cent per ounce tax in San Francisco. Research shows that when soda prices go up, people drink less.
For Formerly Obese, Stigma Remains Even After Weight Is Lost
People who have lost significant weight are uneasy about how much to reveal in online dating profiles, and research shows they have good reason to be.
Leaving Jail Doesn’t Have To Mean Losing Health Care
California is among 25 states to open Medicaid to childless adults, including thousands of ex-offenders. Covering this group is expected to save money and perhaps reduce recidivism.
By The Numbers: Mental Illness Behind Bars
There are now three times more people with serious mental illness incarcerated in the United States than in hospitals, and the types of behavioral and mental health problems among inmates are becoming more severe.
Low T Business Is Booming, Despite Questions About Risks
Testosterone prescriptions in the U.S. more than tripled in the last decade, but recent studies raise serious safety and financial concerns.
Former Young Invincible Becomes Less So
LAKEPORT, Calif.—When we last left Brad Stevens, he was living in Lakeport, Calif., a struggling massage therapist in a struggling town on the southern tip of Clear Lake. Brad has been uninsured his entire adult life and believed firmly that clean living and exercise could stave off any need for medical care. After a bike […]
Insurance, Not Injuries, May Determine Who Goes To Trauma Centers
A new Stanford University study shows that patients with critical injuries are less likely to be transferred to trauma centers if they have insurance.
Obamacare Thrives In San Francisco’s Chinatown
The immigrant community became self-sufficient by necessity, building its own hospital more than a century ago. Now, that hospital offers a health plan on Covered California that is exceeding its enrollment goals.
Emergency Rooms Are Front Line For Enrolling New Obamacare Customers
While it may be a logical place to enroll the uninsured, consumer confusion — and illness — are hurdles for outreach workers.
In Los Angeles, there’s a concerted effort to enroll the homeless into Medicaid, as the federal-state health insurance program opens for the first time to all poor adults.
Covered California: Older Jump In First, But Officials Buoyed By Number Of Young Enrollees
More important than age, however, will be how healthy or unhealthy the enrollees are. Those who are sick are more motivated to sign up early, researchers said.
Covered California To Canceled Policy Holders: You’ll Have To Buy A New Plan
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California did not take President Obama up on his offer to extend canceled health policies. The five-member board that oversees California’s health insurance marketplace, known as Covered California, voted unanimously Thursday to stay the course and cancel policies that didn’t meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. The board’s decision had […]
California Considers Its Options On Canceled Insurance Plans
The insurance commissioner and the health insurance industry lobby disagree over President Obama’s plan.
Health Law Brings Changes In How Therapists Do Business
Mom-and-Pop shops give way to large group practices that often accept discounted rates from insurers.
California Working Overtime To Enroll Consumers On Marketplace — And To Train People To Help
Once consumers are primed to enroll, the hand-off to counselors has been rocky. Many counselors are still attending training or are awaiting background checks and state-issued licenses; some just need a computer log-in.
A Former ‘Young Invincible’ Looks Forward to Health Insurance
Brad Stevens, 54, learned the hard way that being uninsured was risky as accidents and illness took a toll. Soon, he’ll qualify for California’s expanded Medicaid program.
