California

Latest KFF Health News Stories

California Confronts Overdose Epidemic Among Former Prison Inmates

KFF Health News Original

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.

California Debates Extending PTSD Coverage to More First Responders

KFF Health News Original

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.

Medi-Cal Enrollees in California: Here’s How to Verify Your Eligibility

KFF Health News Original

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.

California Says New Cigarettes Appear to Violate State’s Flavored Tobacco Ban

KFF Health News Original

The attorney general is warning two tobacco companies, R.J. Reynolds and ITG Brands LLC, that their reformulated cigarettes appear to violate the state’s ban on flavored tobacco products, based on marketing materials. R.J. Reynolds said Thursday that its cigarettes comply with the law.

The Nation’s Health Secretary Has This Doctor on Call

KFF Health News Original

Carolina Reyes, a physician who specializes in high-risk pregnancies, says providers and health systems have a role in tackling systemic racism. She’s also married to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.

For California Teen, Coverage of Early Psychosis Treatment Proved a Lifesaver

KFF Health News Original

A Medi-Cal patient illustrates how early schizophrenia treatments can yield big benefits. Advocates want California to expand such services to more people living with severe mental illness, which they argue will not only improve lives but also save money over time.

Disability Rights Groups Sue to Overturn California’s Physician-Assisted Death Law

KFF Health News Original

Disability rights advocates and two individuals with disabilities sued Tuesday to overturn the state’s physician-assisted death law, arguing it is unconstitutional, violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, and makes it too easy for people with terminal diseases whose deaths aren’t imminent to kill themselves with a doctor’s help.

A California Physician Training Program Adds Diversity, but Where Do Graduates End Up?

KFF Health News Original

Researchers found that, while a University of California medical training program has diversified the system’s pool of medical students, there’s not enough long-term data to know whether graduates return to practice where they’re needed most.

California Bill Would Mandate HPV Vaccine for Incoming College Students

KFF Health News Original

A state lawmaker wants all incoming college students to get an HPV vaccine, as part of a push to drive up vaccination rates and prevent cervical cancer. At least four other states have enacted a similar mandate.