California’s Reboot of Troubled Medi-Cal Puts Pressure on Health Plans
By Bernard J. Wolfson
Photos by Heidi de Marco
September 21, 2021
KFF Health News Original
The nine commercial insurers in Medi-Cal must reapply by submitting bids for new contracts. The state hopes the process will improve care for low-income residents and tighten accountability, something critics say has been missing.
Aprendiendo a vivir de nuevo: cómo se recuperan pacientes graves de covid
By Bernard J. Wolfson
Photos by Heidi de Marco
February 26, 2021
KFF Health News Original
En Rancho Los Amigos, en Los Angeles, latinos de bajos ingresos reciben terapia y tratamientos después de que covid los pusiera al borde de la muerte.
‘More Than Physical Health’: Gym Helps 91-Year-Old Battle Isolation
By Heidi de Marco
June 30, 2020
KFF Health News Original
For Art Ballard, the local gym was like his second home. The 91-year-old former jeweler relied on his near-daily workouts to stay healthy and for social interaction. But when California instituted its stay-at-home order, Ballard’s physical health suffered. So did his mental health.
Your School Assignment For The Day: Spelling And Specs
By Heidi de Marco
February 27, 2020
KFF Health News Original
In California’s rural Central Valley, low-income children have limited access to vision care. School districts are teaming up with nonprofits to fill the gaps.
In Face of COVID Threat, More Dialysis Patients Bring Treatment Home
By Heidi de Marco
September 18, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, more patients are administering dialysis to themselves at home rather than receiving it in a clinic. Although home dialysis limits exposure to the virus, it comes with its own challenges.
Some County Jail Inmates See Vaccination as Ticket to a Better Life — In the State Pen
By Bernard J. Wolfson
Photos by Heidi de Marco
April 29, 2021
KFF Health News Original
In the Los Angeles County Jail system, many inmates hope being vaccinated will get them transferred more quickly to state prison. Some just want to protect themselves against covid, while others are distrustful and refuse vaccination.
COVID-19 abruma a las terapias intensivas en la frontera
By Heidi de Marco
June 5, 2020
KFF Health News Original
A pesar que la mayoría de los hospitales de California no tuvieron un aumento dramático de pacientes, algunas instalaciones cerca de la frontera con México se han visto desbordadas.
Learning to Live Again: A Lazarus Tale From the Covid Front Lines
By Bernard J. Wolfson
Photos by Heidi de Marco
February 26, 2021
KFF Health News Original
The staff at L.A. County’s public rehabilitation hospital is helping mostly Latino, low-income patients recover the basic functions of daily life robbed from them during weeks or months of critical covid illness.
COVID-19 Overwhelms Border ICUs
By Heidi de Marco
June 5, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Some California hospitals near the Mexican border have received so many COVID-19 patients the past few weeks that they have had to divert some to other facilities. Hospital officials say most of the infected patients are U.S. citizens or legal residents who live in, or recently traveled to, Mexico and came to the U.S. for care.
Retiree Living the RV Dream Fights $12,387 Nightmare Lab Fee
By Victoria Knight
Photos by Heidi de Marco
December 23, 2020
KFF Health News Original
A gynecologist in Carlsbad, New Mexico, tested the 60-year-old grandmother for various sexually transmitted infections without her knowledge. Her share of the lab fee was more than $3,000.
Going The Distance By Bus Through A Pandemic
By Heidi de Marco
May 27, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Transit ridership has plummeted because of COVID-19, but millions of Americans still rely on buses and trains to get around, often because they have no other choice.
Beyond The Glam: Feeding The Coachella Valley’s Most Vulnerable Residents
By Heidi de Marco
May 13, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Poverty is real in the Coachella Valley, a region known for its glitzy resorts and music festival. During the COVID crisis, the California National Guard and California Conservation Corps are helping an area food bank distribute food to older residents and those with disabilities.
Vape District en Los Angeles, una puerta de entrada al mercado negro
By Heidi de Marco
October 25, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Una sección de cinco cuadras del centro de Los Ángeles que solía ser parte del Toy District se ha convertido en la zona cero del país para el comercio de cannabis falsificado.
“Esenciales” o no, estos trabajadores siguen en sus puestos
By Heidi de Marco
April 1, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Entre las personas que siguen trabajando, sin el lujo de poder hacerlo desde casa, hay un alto porcentaje de trabajadores con salarios bajos, que ganan un promedio de $10,22 por hora.
Los Angeles Vape District A Black-Market Gateway
By Heidi de Marco
October 25, 2019
KFF Health News Original
A seedy section of downtown Los Angeles has become the go-to place for those who trade in wholesale — and sometimes counterfeit — vaping products. As more people fall ill with a mysterious lung disease linked to e-cigarette use, the manufacture and distribution of vaping products face increased scrutiny.
Violencia en hospitales: buscan reducir ataques de pacientes a profesionales de salud
By Heidi de Marco
December 6, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Los pacientes representan aproximadamente el 80% de los incidentes violentos graves denunciados, pero a veces los agresores son familiares y amigos frustrados o estresados.
Patient-Induced Trauma: Hospitals Learn To Defuse Violence
By Heidi de Marco
December 6, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Health care workers face a greater threat of workplace violence than workers in most other industries. Hospitals are installing security cameras and panic buttons, arming security guards with stun guns and teaching their employees how to handle potentially violent situations.
Photo Essay: LA Under Lockdown
By Heidi de Marco
March 24, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Californians are under orders to stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus — and the result is that some of Southern California’s best-known spots are shuttered or deserted, from Santa Monica Pier to Olvera Street.
Tarea del día: deletrear y ponerse los anteojos
By Heidi de Marco
February 27, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Al menos el 20% de los niños en edad escolar en los Estados Unidos tienen problemas de visión. Pero según los CDC, menos del 15% tiene un examen de la vista antes de empezar el jardín.
‘Essential’ Or Not, These Workers Report For Duty
By Heidi de Marco
April 1, 2020
KFF Health News Original
In Los Angeles County and beyond, people continue to toil through the coronavirus pandemic, often in positions that put them in constant contact with the public. Many are low-wage workers who can’t afford to stop working.