Latest Morning Briefing Stories
How And Where To Dump Your Leftover Drugs — Responsibly
With the nation’s opioid crisis worsening, officials want you to dispose of unwanted or expired prescription drugs. But finding a convenient take-back site requires time and patience.
Blue Shield ‘Lifts The Veil’ On Executive Pay
Consumer advocates say the nonprofit’s disclosures come too late for policy holders and the public.
Study Of Birth Defects, Folic Acid In Foods Finds More Questions Than Answers
But the authors caution against concluding that folic acid is ineffective.
Inspectors Find Calif. Hospital’s Pharmacy Posed Infection Risk
Thousands of patients at the San Diego-area hospital may have been exposed to infection last year because of unsanitary conditions in the compounding lab where IVs were mixed, officials found.
Obamacare Premiums In California May Rise 8 Percent Next Year, State Predicts
The projected increase in premiums is expected to draw national attention in an election year — especially from foes of the Affordable Care Act.
In June, California will become the fifth state to allow terminally ill patients to end their lives with prescriptions from their doctors, but getting those prescriptions will require serious effort.
Pregnant Women Dumped By Covered California Into Medi-Cal, Without Notice Or Consent
The problem won’t be fixed until September, though the state’s congressional delegation calls for quick action.
Counterfeit Opioid Poisonings Spread To Bay Area
Vomiting, breathing problems, lethargy, unconsciousness result from pirate pills laced with fentanyl.
Will Covered California Sell Health Coverage To The Undocumented?
California is inching closer to a first-in-the-nation request for a federal ruling that would allow the state’s Obamacare exchange to sell health plans to immigrants who are living in the country illegally.
Tainted Scope Infections Far Exceed Earlier Estimates
House panel concludes inquiry on superbug outbreaks; one member prepares legislation “to make sure these situations don’t happen again.”
Medi-Cal se expande para los niños inmigrantes. Así es como funciona
Entrará en vigencia una nueva ley del programa estatal de cuidado de salud de bajos ingresos para los niños en EE.UU. sin papeles.
A Dearth Of Hospital Beds For Patients In Psychiatric Crisis
A California Assembly bill would require creating a mandatory registry for available psychiatric hospital beds, but the state hospital association calls it unworkable.
Medi-Cal Expands To Immigrant Children. Here’s How It Works.
New law applies state’s low-income health care program to children in the U.S. illegally.
Fantasy Sports Fueling A Rise In Online Gambling Addiction
Seeing more problem gamblers than ever before, the state is investing in education, training and prevention.
Hackers Seek Ransom From Two More California Hospitals
A malware attack against two Prime Healthcare hospitals in South California, which federal authorities are investigating, comes soon after a case in which hackers demanded ransom from a Los Angeles hospital.
Algunos expertos dicen que el aumento del 86 por ciento en las hospitalizaciones psiquiátricas, desde el 2007, significa una seria deficiencia en el cuidado preventivo; otros creen que haber reducido el estigma ha llevado a los jóvenes a aceptar ayuda.
Housing Project Takes On Seniors’ Health
An innovative new approach in Oakland combines low-income housing and a health program for seniors.
Retail Clinics Add Convenience But Also Hike Costs, Study Finds
Researchers say the clinics tucked in stores and pharmacies lead patients to seek more medical attention than they otherwise would for minor ailments.
Leading Scope Maker Olympus Agrees To Hefty Settlement In Kickback Cases
The company will pay $646 million to end civil and criminal probes. Olympus’ leaders acknowledge responsibility for ‘past conduct’ they say was inconsistent with the firm’s values.
Aetna CEO Answers Burwell’s Call, Vows Support For Exchanges Amid Losses
But Mark Bertolini wants the country’s marketplaces to better serve young people, who define
healthy as “looking good in their underwear.”
