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Latest KFF Health News Stories

Can a Subscription Model Fix Primary Care in the US?

KFF Health News Original

Medical subscriptions, a $199 million CEO payday and the race to fix primary care in the U.S. One Medical is betting big that a subscription model can fix primary care. But the firm faces competition from CVS, Target and large hospital systems.

From Racial Justice to Dirty Air, California’s New AG Plots a Progressive Health Care Agenda

KFF Health News Original

In a candid interview, California’s newly appointed attorney general, Rob Bonta, reflects on his progressive roots and says he will pursue a health care agenda centered on the principle that quality medical care is a right, not a privilege.

Confronting Our ‘Frailties’: California’s Assembly Leader Reflects on a Year of Covid

KFF Health News Original

California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon says covid exposed long-standing health care inequities that must be addressed. He told KHN he wants to get more people insured, boost broadband access so more patients can use telehealth and increase funding to local health departments.

Despite Pandemic, Newsom Declines to Boost Local Public Health Budgets — Again

KFF Health News Original

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has, for the third consecutive year, rejected new state funding for local public health departments. Frustrated legislative leaders and public health officials are trying to change his mind.

Homicides Surge in California Amid Covid Shutdowns of Schools, Youth Programs

KFF Health News Original

California endured a brutal spike in homicides in 2020 across large swaths of the state, registering the largest year-over-year increase in victims in three decades. Experts cite as one significant factor a rise in gang violence fueled by pandemic shutdowns of schools, sports leagues and programs for at-risk youth.

You’ve Added Your Kids to Your Health Plan. What About Mom?

KFF Health News Original

A bill in the California legislature would require state-regulated health plans to cover policyholders’ dependent parents. Advocates say the measure would reduce the number of uninsured people, while business groups warn of premium increases.

Covid Fears Keep Many Latino Kids out of Classrooms

KFF Health News Original

Latinos got hit disproportionately hard by covid-19. When faced with the choice of sending their kids back to school or keeping them in online classes, many Latino parents say their kids are safer at home.

Salesforce, Google, Facebook. How Big Tech Undermines California’s Public Health System.

KFF Health News Original

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has outsourced his way through the covid-19 pandemic, tasking his private-sector allies in Silicon Valley and the health care industry with fundamental public health duties such as testing, tracing and vaccination. Among the losers: the state’s weakened public health system.

The Vulnerable Homebound Are Left Behind on Vaccination

KFF Health News Original

Even as the nation has moved on to vaccinating everyone 16 and older, the vast majority of people homebound due to frailty or age — and among the most vulnerable to covid’s devastation — have not yet been vaccinated. California offers a sharp lens on the challenges.

Some County Jail Inmates See Vaccination as Ticket to a Better Life — In the State Pen

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.

You Don’t Have to Suffer to Benefit From Covid Vaccination — But Some Prefer It

KFF Health News Original

In the times of smallpox, vaccination was accompanied by blood, sweat, fire and brimstone. Nowadays, a slight fever may make you feel as if you’ve earned the reward of immunity from covid. But you’re protected even without a nasty reaction to the vaccine.

‘We’re Coming for You’: For Public Health Officials, a Year of Threats and Menace

KFF Health News Original

Local health officials have become the face of government authority as they work to stem the pandemic. That has made them targets for chilling threats from some of the same militia groups that stormed the U.S. Capitol. Santa Cruz leaders are among those whose daily routines now incorporate security patrols, surveillance cameras and, in some cases, firearms.

Doctors Scramble to Understand Long Covid, but Causes and Prognosis Are Elusive

KFF Health News Original

Medical experts are struggling to define or explain the lingering, debilitating symptoms some covid patients experience. Part of the problem is the wide range of symptoms, but doctors say getting a better understanding will mean tracking patients and their outcomes and establishing clinical trials.

Another Soda Tax Bill Dies. Another Win for Big Soda.

KFF Health News Original

A bill that would have allowed California cities and counties to once again pursue taxes on sugary drinks was just shelved in the legislature without a hearing. Public health advocates blame the political — and financial — clout of the soft drink industry.

After a Deadly Year on the Roads, States Push for Safety Over Speed

KFF Health News Original

Lawmakers in California and other states are rethinking how they set and enforce speed limits, and they’re proposing to hand more power to local authorities to slow drivers in their communities.