The Air Ambulance Billed More Than His Surgeon Did For A Lung Transplant

KFF Health News Original

After Tom Saputo underwent double lung transplant surgery in 2018, he was stunned by a surprise bill of more than $11,000 for the 27-mile air ambulance ride to the hospital. State and federal proposals would crack down on extreme air ambulance charges, including a new California law that will limit how much some patients pay for air ambulance rides.

California Air Quality: Mapping The Progress

KFF Health News Original

The Trump administration has revoked California’s unique authority to set its own standards for vehicle tailpipe emissions, a move the state is fighting in court. A historical analysis of air quality data shows that the state’s strict standards have made a difference for counties across California.

If Power Outages Are California’s New Normal, What About Home Medical Needs?

KFF Health News Original

Those who rely on plug-in health devices or medicine that requires refrigeration are scrambling to find ways to avoid potentially life-threatening disruptions now and in future fire season shutdowns.

California Nursing Home Residents Told To Find New Homes

KFF Health News Original

Dozens of frail nursing home residents have been informed by their Medi-Cal managed care plans that they are no longer eligible for long-term care. Some health care advocates and legal aid attorneys fear that such terminations will increase as the state implements mandatory managed care for nursing home residents.

Farmworkers Face Daunting Health Risks In California’s Wildfires

KFF Health News Original

October marks not only fire season in California, but also the peak of the grape harvest. In areas not imminently threatened by the explosive Kincade Fire in Sonoma County’s fabled vineyards, workers labored through heat and smoke, or faced lost wages.

Snooze You Can Use: California Legislates More Sleep For Better Health

KFF Health News Original

Other states may follow California’s new law requiring later start times for middle and high school students. The new law highlights the importance of better sleep, which will once again be on people’s minds as most of America — but not all — sets the clock back an hour early next month.

Los Angeles Vape District A Black-Market Gateway

KFF Health News Original

A seedy section of downtown Los Angeles has become the go-to place for those who trade in wholesale — and sometimes counterfeit — vaping products. As more people fall ill with a mysterious lung disease linked to e-cigarette use, the manufacture and distribution of vaping products face increased scrutiny.

California To Provide Financial Boost To Help Buy Health Coverage

KFF Health News Original

Come Jan. 1, California will be the first state to offer financial aid to middle-class people who make too much money to qualify for federal Obamacare tax credits. And Californians will once again owe a penalty if they are uninsured.

No More Tater Tots? California Schools Put Healthier Lunches To The Test

KFF Health News Original

In the Golden State and elsewhere, school lunches include less meat, fewer processed foods and more fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. One of the challenges nutrition advocates face is a new directive from the Trump administration that cuts the other way.

California Governor’s Bill-Signing Marathon Offers Glimpse Of 2020 Issues

KFF Health News Original

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed off on an array of health care bills that will significantly affect the lives of Californians, including many college students, pregnant women, schoolchildren and dialysis patients.

California’s New Transparency Law Reveals Steep Rise In Wholesale Drug Prices

KFF Health News Original

Pharmaceutical companies raised the wholesale cost of their drugs by a median of nearly 26% from 2017 to early 2019, according to California’s first-ever report stemming from a new drug price transparency law. Prices for generic drugs rose nearly 38% during that time.

Vapers Accuse Officials Of Overreach As Investigation Into Deadly Lung Illness Lags

KFF Health News Original

With federal authorities offering few details about what is causing the deadly outbreak of vaping-related lung illnesses, vaping advocates are crafting an alternative narrative reverberating through online communities.