Latest KFF Health News Stories
Hospitales infantiles claman de nuevo por la ayuda de los votantes, pero ¿la necesitan?
A pesar de la naturaleza positiva de estos pedidos, algunos expertos en salud y analistas electorales cuestionan que los hospitales le pidan dinero tantas veces a los contribuyentes.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Republicans’ Preexisting Political Problem
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Joanne Kenen of Politico discuss how protections for people with preexisting conditions have become a top issue in the elections, Trump administration efforts to make prescription drug prices more public and the start of Medicare’s annual open-enrollment period. Plus, Rovner interviews California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
Children’s Hospitals Again Cry For Help From Voters. But Are They Really Hurting?
California’s 13 children’s hospitals are asking voters in November to approve $1.5 billion in bonds to help them pay for construction and equipment, the third such measure in 14 years. Some health care experts and election analysts believe the repeated financial requests aren’t justified.
GOP Gubernatorial Candidate John Cox: Limit Government In Health Care
John Cox, California’s Republican candidate for governor, contends that policies on abortion, health insurance and health care access should be guided by the conservative ideals of free market competition and personal responsibility. He hasn’t offered specific policy positions on health care, except that government should largely stay out of it.
Candidato republicano a la gobernación: limitar al gobierno en la atención de salud
Cox ha sido menos enfático en sus opiniones sobre el aborto en el estado azul de California, donde los republicanos, demócratas e independientes favorecen de manera el derecho de la mujer a elegir.
Hidden Drugs And Danger Lurk In Over-The-Counter Supplements, Study Finds
Dieters and gym rats, beware. Some dietary supplements promising weight loss or more muscle may contain active ingredients not listed on the label that fly under the radar of the Food and Drug Administration. The California Department of Public Health analyzed public data maintained by the FDA to suss out trends among tainted products, raising red flags.
Facebook Live: The Cancer Divide
Californians and Americans are living longer with cancer — but some are living longer than others. California Healthline’s Facebook Live addresses disparities in cancer diagnosis, treatment and care — and what can be done about them.
Patient Advocacy Or Political Ploy? Union, Industry Square Off Over Dialysis Initiative
The measure, which will appear on the November ballot, seeks to cap industry profits. The SEIU-UHW union has raised almost $17 million, but opponents from the industry have invested more than four times that.
Feds Settle Huge Whistleblower Suit Over Medicare Advantage Fraud
A DaVita subsidiary will pay $270 million over allegations that it cheated the federal government for years.
Judges In California Losing Sway Over Court-Ordered Drug Treatment
In a Medicaid-funded pilot project starting with 19 counties, clinicians and other providers are now in charge of deciding what kind of treatment an offender needs. The change has rankled some judges and attorneys — and forced some felons to spend more time in jail — but it has been largely embraced by clinicians and county agencies.
Eat, Toke Or Vape: Teens Not Too Picky When It Comes To Pot’s Potpourri
State legalization efforts, as well as the introduction of edible or vaporized cannabis- infused products, may be contributing to experimentation by teens.
Threat To The ACA Turns Up The Heat On Attorney General Races
As Republican and Democratic attorneys general square off on a Texas case that threatens to dismantle consumer protections in the federal health law, campaigns across the country for states’ highest legal officer get hotter.
‘Physicians Of The Mouth’? Dentists Absorb The Medical Billing Drill
Health insurance generally pays more than dental insurance, and newly minted experts say it’s legitimate to bill medical plans for services extending beyond tooth care. Medical insurers caution against inappropriate billing and fraud.
Mala calidad del aire y datos inadecuados son una combinación poco saludable
Los residentes del Valle respiran el aire más sucio de la nación, y las familias saben que deben tener máscaras en sus autos e inhaladores al alcance de la mano.
Despite Red Flags At Surgery Centers, Overseers Award Gold Seals
A decade ago, California stopped licensing surgery centers and then gave approval power to private accreditors that are commonly paid by the same centers they inspect. That system of oversight has created a troubling legacy of laxity, a Kaiser Health News investigation finds.
From Syria To Southern California: Refugees Seek Care For Wounds Of War
A clinic in El Cajon, Calif., treats patients recovering from anything from gunshot wounds to PTSD and anxiety about family left behind.
Paper Jam: California’s Medicaid Program Hits ‘Print’ When The Feds Need Info
Amid the buzz over apps and electronic medical records rescuing modern medicine, California’s Medicaid program still clings to 1970s-era technology. A reboot may cost half a billion dollars.
Doctor To The Stars Disciplined Over Use Of Controversial Menopause Therapy
Dr. Prudence Hall has made a name for herself in the field of “bioidentical hormones” — plant-based compounds purportedly customized for each patient’s needs. Experts say the popular approach is unproven; California regulators say she was grossly negligent in her care of two patients.
California: A Health Care Laboratory With Mixed Results
California frequently innovates to address its wide-ranging health care needs, but it has not always achieved its aims. A series of articles in the journal Health Affairs shows, among other things, that efforts to care for HIV patients, provide better access to reproductive services for low-income women and fill gaps in primary care have sometimes fallen flat.
As California Hospitals Sweep Up Physician Practices, Patients See Higher Bills
A Health Affairs study quantifies the financial effects of such mergers on consumers and their insurers. The hospital industry and doctor practices say the consolidation leads to better coordination of care.
