Massage Therapists Ease the Pain of Hospice Patients — But Aren’t Easy to Find
The pandemic disrupted the massage industry. Now those who specialize in hospice massage therapy are in demand and redefining their roles.
California Bureau
Visit californiahealthline.org for an archive of reporting prior to October 2025.
541 - 560 of 1,917 Results
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Personal Medical Debt in Los Angeles County Tops $2.6 Billion, Report Finds
Medical debt is a leading public health problem, researchers say. Despite the county’s ongoing expansion of health coverage, the prevalence of medical debt remained unchanged from 2017 to 2021.
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Recovery From Addiction Is a Journey. There’s No One-and-Done Solution.
Drug use has become a major public health crisis, but effective treatment remains hard to find. It does exist though. Columnist Bernard J. Wolfson offers advice on finding help and says not to expect a quick solution.
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California Confronts the Threat of ‘Tranq’ as Overdose Crisis Rages
California officials are stepping up efforts to combat the spread of xylazine, a powerful animal sedative that’s increasingly being used by people, often with devastating results. It’s mostly been an East Coast phenomenon, but ‘tranq,’ as it is known, is beginning to appear in the Golden State.
By Brian Rinker -
Will a ‘National Patient Safety Board,’ Modeled After the NTSB, Actually Fly?
A push is underway to create a National Patient Safety Board modeled after the National Transportation Safety Board, an independent federal agency that investigates plane crashes and other transportation disasters. But unlike the NTSB, some patient safety advocates say, the current proposal is toothless and wouldn’t provide transparency about the nation’s hospitals.
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Health Care Coalition Jockeys Over Medi-Cal Spending, Eyes Ballot Initiative
California Healthline has learned that a coalition of doctors, hospitals, insurers, and community clinics want to lock in a tax on health insurance companies to draw in extra Medicaid funding. It also wants to make the tax permanent.
By Angela Hart and Samantha Young -
Mammograms at 40? Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Spark Fresh Debate
There is no direct evidence that screening women in their 40s will save lives, yet modeling suggests expanding routine mammography to include them might avert 1.3 deaths per 1,000. Highlighting the risk of false positives, some specialists call for a more personalized approach.
By Ronnie Cohen -
California Governor and Democratic Lawmakers at Odds Over Billions in Health Care Funds
Gov. Gavin Newsom is getting pressure from his political allies to begin spending money on health care that the state raised by fining Californians who go without health insurance. But Newsom says the state can’t afford to.
By Angela Hart -
California Hospitals Seek a Broad Bailout, but They Don’t All Need It
As hospitals squeeze Democratic leaders in Sacramento for more money, health care finance experts and former state officials warn against falling for the industry’s fear tactics. They point to healthy profits and a recession-era financing scheme that allows rich hospitals to take tax money from poorer ones.
By Samantha Young and Angela Hart -
As Water Levels Drop, the Risk of Arsenic Rises
As the West grapples with a megadrought, its driest spell in at least 1,200 years, rising levels of arsenic — a known carcinogen — in Colorado’s San Luis Valley offer clues to what the future may hold.
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California’s Fentanyl Problem Is Getting Worse
State lawmakers have recently been debating whether and how to stiffen punishments for dealers, while Gov. Gavin Newsom is targeting fentanyl trafficking and distributing more naloxone. The problem, experts say, is one with no easy or clear answers.
By Don Thompson -
Picture of Health
Young People Are Having Less Sex Than Their Parents Did at Their Age. Researchers Explore Why.
The percentage of young adults not having sex was rising even before covid made dating harder. Data and research suggest economic precarity, technology, and the warping effects of porn on sexual attitudes may play a role.
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Remote Work: An Underestimated Benefit for Family Caregivers
The debate about whether employees should be required to return to the workplace has generally focused on commuting, convenience, and child care. A fourth C, caregiving, has rarely been mentioned.
By Joanne Kenen -
State Lawmakers Eye Forced Treatment to Address Overlap in Homelessness and Mental Illness
Democratic politicians in California and Oregon are reconsidering the restrictions of involuntary commitment laws. They argue that not helping people who are seriously ill and living in squalor on the streets is inhumane.
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Michael Milken Wants to Speed Up Cures
In his new book, “Faster Cures,” the former “junk bond king,” now a philanthropist, promotes business principles as catalysts for medical breakthroughs.
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ER Doctors Vow to Pursue Case Against Envision Despite Bankruptcy
The lawyer for an emergency physicians group says its lawsuit against Envision Healthcare should be allowed to proceed even though the company has filed for Chapter 11 protection.
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AI May Be on Its Way to Your Doctor’s Office, But It’s Not Ready to See Patients
Giant corporations like Microsoft and Google, plus many startups, are eyeing health care profits from programs based on artificial intelligence.
By Darius Tahir -
California Confronts Overdose Epidemic Among Former Prison Inmates
Individuals newly released from prison are 40 times as likely to die of opioid overdoses than members of the general population, researchers say. In response, California corrections officials aim to arm departing inmates with an antidote that can be used to reverse the effects of opioid poisoning.
By Don Thompson -
California Debates Extending PTSD Coverage to More First Responders
A state Senate bill would extend workers’ compensation coverage of post-traumatic stress injuries for firefighters and police officers. But a separate bill to cover paramedics and EMTs is unlikely to be heard.
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Medi-Cal Enrollees in California: Here’s How to Verify Your Eligibility
California’s safety-net health program has resumed annual eligibility checks after three years, which means beneficiaries will need to provide updated personal information to maintain coverage. Here’s what to watch for.