What Geriatric Emergency Departments Do Differently
These specialized units can help keep older patients out of the hospital, lower their healthcare costs, and more.
California Bureau
Visit californiahealthline.org for an archive of reporting prior to October 2025.
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Newsom Promotes Affordable Insulin, but California’s Generic Label Off to a Slow Start
California is the first to launch state-branded insulin as Gov. Gavin Newsom tries to disrupt the pharmaceutical industry. But the new CalRx drug label has been slow to reach pharmacies and patients.
By Angela Hart -
Trump Team’s Use of Arcane Budget Rule Threatens Medicaid Coverage
Coverage for hundreds of thousands of Arkansas Medicaid enrollees next year is in question after the Trump administration refused to renew a key state waiver. The state might not be the last to have to adjust to an arcane rule change under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
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Hospital Prepayment Requirements Add New Wrinkles to Patients’ Financial Responsibility
Hospitals and other medical providers are increasingly asking for payment before providing care, collecting more of what patients might owe as rising insurance deductibles add to Americans' financial pressures.
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Same Knee Surgery, Twice the Price: Hospital Monopolies Push Up Healthcare Costs
A federal disclosure rule is offering new insight on the effect of healthcare monopolies on pricing, following a wave of U.S. mergers.
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AI Is Being Used to Boost Medicaid Enrollment, but Not Without Concerns
Ahead of Medicaid work requirements, a health plan in California hopes to stanch the number of people losing coverage by using an AI program to schedule appointments and remind enrollees to fill out paperwork. The plan says it can do the work of 40 employees at a fraction of the cost.
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They Worked To Protect Public Health. Now They Want the Public’s Votes.
They’re known for touting pandemic precautions, Affordable Care Act plans, and testing for lead in schools. This year, some former public health officials are touting themselves — for governor or senator.
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Hospice’s Bad Reputation Amid Fraud Crisis Will Hurt Patients, Industry Experts Warn
While acknowledging that changes must be made to the hospice industry, health policy researchers and providers worry that negative attention and the potential for overly punitive regulations could put patients at risk.
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Newsom Reverses on Long-Sought Paid Leave Benefit for Teachers in California
California lawmakers gave public school teachers 14 weeks of paid leave in the state’s new budget, a long-sought benefit for the largely female workforce. Gov. Gavin Newsom previously opposed similar measures.
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Tracking State Rural Health Transformation Plans
KFF Health News is working to collect and post approved plans as more states respond to emails and public records requests for their documents.
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POSTCARD FROM GEORGIA
Public Health Improvements Stall Amid Trump’s DEI Crackdown
A year after the Environmental Protection Agency stripped grant money from dozens of communities nationwide during Trump’s DEI crackdown, a small Georgia city is struggling to address environmental health concerns.
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Violence Repeatedly Erupts at Dementia Care Facilities Despite Warnings, Inspections Show
Nursing homes and assisted living facilities can be fertile ground for violence between residents with dementia, including fatal assaults. A KFF Health News examination of health reports and court records shows how warning signs are missed and safeguards fall short.
By Jordan Rau -
Insurers Hedge on Trump-Backed Pledge To Improve Denials Process
Last year, the Trump administration announced a voluntary pledge by dozens of insurers to improve prior authorization, which often requires patients to seek approval before treatments. But prior authorization remains commonplace, and there's no evidence the government is trying to hold insurers to account.
By Lauren Sausser and Renuka Rayasam -
Facing Funding Losses, States Call Out Big Businesses With Employees on Medicaid
With the federal Medicaid work requirements looming in January, Democrats are considering state legislation to call out big companies that employ workers enrolled in the safety net health program. Business giants such as Amazon and Walmart said the figures are misleading.
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Lawmakers Look To Make Abortion Shield Laws Less Dependent on Who’s Governor
California’s laws still leave extradition decisions related to reproductive rights and gender-affirming care to its governor. But as states with abortion bans target California physicians who prescribe abortion pills across state lines, Democrats want to lock in protections for doctors, no matter who the next governor is.
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As GOP Cries Fraud, Newsom Backs Medicaid Spending on Housing and Food
Republicans say California’s use of Medicaid money for social services amounts to waste, fraud, and abuse. But even as Gov. Gavin Newsom voices concern about losing funding, he says he’s proud of the state’s holistic approach to caring for its sickest and most expensive patients.
By Angela Hart -
They Harvest the Nation’s Food, but a New Rule May Strip Them of Health Insurance
New Medicaid work requirements could make a complex system even harder for farmworkers to navigate.
By Paula Andalo -
PERSPECTIVE
My Search for a Psychiatric Bed in an Overburdened Health System
Over the past 70 years, the number of inpatient psychiatric beds has dropped dramatically, leaving many without critical care when they experience mental health crises. I was one of the lucky ones to get a bed — after 21 hours of waiting.
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Newsom Vowed To Transform Kids’ Mental Health. Many California Schools Are Still Waiting.
Gov. Gavin Newsom launched an ambitious initiative to make public schools the epicenter of mental health services for young people. Five years after he promised transformation, many schools have struggled to get the program up and running, and hundreds more have yet to try.
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He Dreamed of Becoming a Physician Assistant. New Loan Rules May Thwart Him.
Starting in July, the government will cap what graduate students may borrow in federal loans, forcing many toward private lenders with higher interest rates. The borrowing limits will affect students pursuing healthcare degrees, and some clinicians and student loan experts worry they may impede efforts to diversify the healthcare workforce.