Massive Kaiser Permanente Strike Looms as Talks Head to the Wire
By Bernard J. Wolfson
September 25, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Both sides, still at loggerheads over pay and staffing, agreed to keep bargaining after unions announced a possible strike Oct. 4-7. If no deal is reached, a walkout by about 75,000 KP workers in five states could disrupt care.
Promising Better, Cheaper Care, Kaiser Permanente’s National Expansion Faces Wide Skepticism
By Harris Meyer
August 15, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Kaiser Permanente, the California-based health care giant, is looking to dramatically expand its national presence. It’s committed $5 billion to a new unit called Risant Health and has agreed to acquire Pennsylvania-based Geisinger, but skeptics wonder how it will export its unique model to other states.
A New $16,000 Postpartum Depression Drug Is Here. How Will Insurers Handle It?
By April Dembosky, KQED
March 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
A pill form of an effective drug for postpartum depression hit the market in December, but most insurers do not yet have a policy on when or whether they will pay for it. The hurdles to obtain its predecessor medication have advocates worried.
Ya hay una droga oral para la depresión postparto… pero cuesta $16,000
By April Dembosky, KQED
March 13, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Abogados, defensores y reguladores están observando de cerca cómo las aseguradoras diseñarán las normas para cubrirlo.
Two Counties Square Off With California Over Mental Health Duties
By Angela Hart
March 15, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The state wants to stop paying Kaiser Permanente for treating severely mentally ill Medi-Cal patients in Sacramento and Solano counties and force the counties to take on the task. The counties’ leaders say they can’t afford it.
Timely Mental Health Care Is a Key Factor in Strike by Kaiser Permanente Workers
By Bernard J. Wolfson and Zinnia Finn
August 24, 2022
KFF Health News Original
A new California law requires timely follow-up appointments for mental health and addiction patients. But striking workers at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California say patients continue to wait up to two months.
No-Bid Medicaid Contract for Kaiser Permanente Is Now California Law, but Key Details Are Missing
By Bernard J. Wolfson
July 19, 2022
KFF Health News Original
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill last month that authorizes a statewide Medicaid contract for HMO giant Kaiser Permanente. But details still need to be worked out in a memorandum of understanding.
AC, Power Banks, Mini Fridges: Oregon Equips Medicaid Patients for Climate Change
By Samantha Young
May 1, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Oregon is giving Medicaid patients air conditioners and other equipment to help them cope with soaring heat, smoky skies, and other dangers of climate change. Oregon health officials hope to show other states and the federal government that they can save lives and money.
Battle Lines Are Drawn Over California Deal With Kaiser Permanente
By Bernard J. Wolfson
April 18, 2022
KFF Health News Original
A controversial proposal to grant HMO giant Kaiser Permanente a no-bid statewide Medicaid contract is headed for its first legislative hearing amid vocal opposition from a coalition of counties, competing health plans, community clinics, and a national health care labor union.
The Disability Tax: Medical Bills Remain Inaccessible for Many Blind Americans
By Lauren Weber and Hannah Recht
December 2, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Health insurers and health care systems across the country are violating disability rights laws by sending medical bills that blind and visually impaired people cannot read, a KHN investigation has found. By hindering the ability of blind Americans to know what they owe, some bills get sent to debt collections.
California propone ampliar subsidios de seguros de salud a todos los inmigrantes adultos
By Jasmine Aguilera, El Tímpano
May 6, 2024
KFF Health News Original
California es el primer estado en ampliar Medicaid a todos los adultos que reúnan los requisitos, independientemente de su estatus migratorio, una medida celebrada por los activistas de la salud y por líderes políticos de todo el estado.
Hospitales de California y defensores buscan financiación estable para retener a navegadores de salud conductual
By Vanessa G. Sánchez
March 8, 2024
KFF Health News Original
En 2022, el año más reciente del que se dispone de datos, 7,385 californianos murieron por sobredosis relacionadas con opioides, de los cuales el 88% involucró fentanilo, un opioide sintético que puede ser 50 veces más potente que la heroína.
Journalists Cover the Gamut, From Rising Insulin Costs to Delays in Autism Care for Children
April 23, 2022
KFF Health News Original
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
California Inks Sweetheart Deal With Kaiser Permanente, Jeopardizing Medicaid Reforms
By Bernard J. Wolfson and Angela Hart and Samantha Young
February 3, 2022
KFF Health News Original
The backroom deal with politically connected Kaiser Permanente, which infuriated other Medi-Cal health plans, allows the health care giant to continue selecting the enrollees it wants.
¿Ofrecer vivienda gratis es atención médica? Programas de Medicaid dicen que sí
By Angela Hart
February 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Estados están invirtiendo miles de millones de dólares en un experimento de atención médica de alto riesgo: utilizar fondos ya escasos de seguros de salud públicos para proporcionar vivienda a los estadounidenses más pobres y enfermos.
California Floats Extending Health Insurance Subsidies to All Adult Immigrants
By Jasmine Aguilera, El Tímpano
May 3, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The legislature is considering taking the first steps to make Covered California plans available to immigrants without permanent legal status. The state has already extended Medi-Cal coverage to low-income immigrants.
Colorado Option’s Big Test: Open Enrollment
By Markian Hawryluk
December 7, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Critics were ready to bury the state’s new health insurance plans, based on a public option, when 2023 rate hikes were announced, but officials are confident people will be drawn to the plans’ benefits.
California Joins States Trying to Shorten Wait Times for Mental Health Care
By April Dembosky, KQED
November 29, 2021
KFF Health News Original
In California, health insurers blame long waits for therapy appointments on workforce shortages, but state lawmakers say that’s an excuse. A new law requires insurers to reduce wait times for mental health appointments to no more than 10 business days.
In San Francisco’s Chinatown, a CEO Works With the Community To Bolster Hospital
By Bernard J. Wolfson
April 19, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Jian Zhang, an immigrant from China with a doctorate in nursing, leads the 88-bed Chinese Hospital in San Francisco. The facility faces financial constraints like other independent hospitals, but its strong community support and partnerships have helped it weather tough times.
Save Billions or Stick With Humira? Drug Brokers Steer Americans to the Costly Choice
By Arthur Allen
September 19, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Thousands of patients with autoimmune diseases who rely on Humira, with a list price of $6,600 a month, could get financial relief from new low-cost rivals. So far, the pharmacy benefit managers that control drug prices in America have not delivered on those savings.