Jump-Starting Hard Conversations As The End Nears
An end-of life-planning website can encourage patients to tackle that difficult topic before they become too ill to communicate, according to a new study. But they may be more likely to make concrete plans with help from a doctor or social worker.
The failure this week of the U.S. Senate’s ACA repeal effort was one more twist in the ongoing political drama that has complicated routine rate setting for insurers and state officials.
Has California Hit The Brakes In Regulating Breath-Robbing Big Rigs?
The state has made a huge dent in diesel pollution from freight trucks. But critics fear exemptions in a new law will stall progress, especially endangering the health of children and seniors near ports.
Calif. Hits Nerve By Singling Out Cardiac Surgeons With Higher Patient Death Rates
The controversial practice — done by just a few other states — recently cast a spotlight on some prominent doctors. Supporters say it improves performance; detractors warn it discourages taking on complex cases.
Medical Transportation Provider Accused Of Disserving L.A.’s Frail Patients
LogistiCare often shows up late, if at all, and compromises patient safety, according to a public interest firm’s lawsuit. The company says the allegations are inaccurate.
California Sued For Allegedly Substandard Medi-Cal Care
The lawsuit is a civil rights case on behalf of Latinos, who comprise nearly half of the program’s enrollees. But the advocates who filed it also hope to get class action certification for all Medi-Cal enrollees.
Women With High-Risk Pregnancies Far More Prone To Heart Disease
Mothers who develop diabetes or high blood pressure during pregnancy, or whose babies are born prematurely or precariously small, often are unaware of the long-term risk. So are their doctors.
Calif. Officials Sound Alarm, Envisioning $114B Hit To Medi-Cal Under U.S. Senate Bill
“Nothing is safe — no population, no services,” the director of the nation’s largest Medicaid program said Wednesday. GOP leaders say they seek to cut costs and widen consumer choices.
For Millennials, Both Good And Bad News In Senate’s GOP Health Bill
Provisions in the Senate’s “repeal and replace” bill could help some young adults by lowering the cost of premiums but could hurt others who gained insurance through a massive expansion to Medicaid.
Senate And House Take Different Plans To Scrap Individual Mandate
The Republicans’ penalty would affect people buying insurance who had a lapse in coverage of more than 63 days over a year.
La nueva batalla contra la septicemia
Enfermeras especializadas se encargan de detectar la peligrosa infección a tiempo en pacientes hospitalizados, para prevenir desenlaces fatales.
Armed with strict guidelines and motivated by sheer urgency, a specialized team of nurses makes the rounds, seeking to thwart the No. 1 killer in U.S. hospitals.
When An Insurer Balks And Treatment Stops
A 22-year old man from Orange County, Calif., alleges in a lawsuit that his health insurer stopped paying for a crucial — and expensive — immunotherapy drug, leading him to become seriously ill. Treatments for patients with similar conditions are increasingly denied or interrupted, experts and patient advocates say.
Handshake-Free Zone: Keep Those Hands — And Germs — To Yourself In The Hospital
Health care workers and families are trying new ways of greeting people in two neonatal intensive care units at UCLA, hoping to reduce infections and protect fragile babies.
“Zonas libres de apretones de manos” para prevenir infecciones en hospitales
Las infecciones adquiridas en hospitales son un problema grave y a menudo se responsabiliza a las manos sucias de los trabajadores de salud. Una experiencia en California mostró una eficaz, aunque controversial forma, de prevenir la diseminación de gérmenes.
Citing CBO Report, Critics Decry GOP Bill’s Potential Fallout In California
“I feel like I am in a bad dream,” said state Sen. Ed Hernandez, who chairs California’s Senate Health Committee.
California Bill Addresses Safety Concerns At Dialysis Clinics
Legislation would require minimum staffing levels, longer intervals between patients and more frequent state inspections.
‘Boot Camp’ Helps Alzheimer’s, Dementia Caregivers Take Care Of Themselves, Too
Free, daylong sessions run by UCLA teach caregivers how to keep their loved ones safe and engaged, while minimizing the stress in their own lives. Similar programs exist in other states.
Should Health Care Trainees Be Treated As Paid Employees?
A bill pending in California’s Legislature, sponsored by an influential health care union, would require hospitals and clinics to pay minimum wage to student trainees.
Stalking the ‘Unknown Enemy’: Doctors Turn Scope On Rare Diseases
An NIH-funded network of hospitals uses advanced genetic science and nationwide collaboration to diagnose rare and sometimes undiscovered diseases.
