Latest KFF Health News Stories
Incendios forestales afectan el doble a californianos de bajos recursos
Ya viven en vecindarios a pocas millas de fábricas y carreteras. Los incendios solo han agravado los problemas de salud de esta población vulnerable.
A Texas Lawsuit Being Heard This Week Could Mean Life Or Death For The ACA
On Wednesday, a federal judge in Fort Worth, Texas, is set to hear arguments from Republican attorneys general who want him to strike down the federal health law and from Democratic counterparts who say the law is constitutional and should remain.
Lawmakers Push To Protect Patients And Counter Trump
California legislators approved some significant health care proposals in their rush to meet the Friday end-of-session deadline. They tackled controversial topics, such as making abortion pills available on college campuses, and adopted measures countering Trump administration attacks on the Affordable Care Act.
Low-Income Californians Feel Twice The Burn From Wildfires
People living near highways and agricultural and industrial zones get hit with a “double whammy” when smoke blows into their neighborhoods, where the air is often polluted already.
Cáncer, qué importa. En California, el café sigue siendo el rey
A pesar de la pasión de los californianos por el café, a los vendedores les preocupa que las advertencias sobre el cáncer publicadas en sus puertas no se vean exactamente como señales de bienvenida
Cancer, Schmancer. In California, Coffee Is King
The Golden State, with the rare support of the Trump administration, is seeking to circumvent a court order that would require cancer warnings in every establishment that sells a hot cup of Joe.
The Pluses And Minuses Of Allowing Medical Marijuana At School
As more parents turn to medical marijuana to treat their sick children, a handful of states have changed the rules to allow them to administer the drug on campus. California is considering it — at the possible risk of losing federal funding.
Californians Living Longer With Cancer — Some Longer Than Others
A new study from the University of California-Davis shows a significant increase in five-year survival rates for more than 20 types of cancer, but with significant disparities by race, ethnicity and economic status. That is in line with the national trend.
Parent Alert! Your Kid May Be Vaping More Than Nicotine
Educators and researchers say that as vaping becomes more common among young people, some are putting pot in their pods.
A Black Eye For Blue Shield: Consumers Lash Out Over Coverage Lapses
California’s third-largest insurer faces anger from customers in the individual market who unexpectedly lost their insurance despite paying premiums faithfully. In its recently filed lawsuit, the company blamed a contractor for “egregious” billing problems.
Rehabilitation Plus Rehab? Jails Dispense Drugs To Treat Inmates’ Addictions
Rather than go cold turkey, inmates increasingly have the option to take medication to help beat addiction to opioids and other substances. But some warn these substitute drugs serve as another crutch — and a costly one at that.
Shortage Of Insurance Fraud Cops Sparks Campaign Debate
About a quarter of fraud investigator positions at the state Department of Insurance are open, and Steve Poizner has made the vacancies a focus of his campaign for insurance commissioner. His opponent, Ricardo Lara, says chasing criminals isn’t the only solution to rising health care costs.
Voters To Settle Dispute Over Ambulance Employee Break Times
Unlike most other workers, private-ambulance employees are frequently called away from their meals and rest breaks to respond to emergency calls, but there’s no law explicitly allowing that practice. Proposition 11 would change that, but some say its real purpose is to get California’s largest ambulance company out of costly litigation.
Medicaid Officials Target Home Health Aides’ Union Dues
Federal officials are proposing a rule to prohibit home health aides paid directly by Medicaid from having their dues for the powerful Service Employees International Union automatically deducted from their paychecks. The effort would likely mean those workers are far less likely to pay dues and could diminish the union’s influence.
Clinicians Who Learn Of A Patient’s Opioid Death Modestly Cut Back On Prescriptions
A study published Thursday shows that doctors, dentists and other medical providers cut overall opioid dosages by nearly 10 percent after receiving notification of a death from a medical examiner and information on safe prescribing.
Breathing ‘A Chore’: California Wildfires Threaten The Health Of Young And Old
The state battles at least 17 large blazes, with no clear end in sight. Climate change is among the factors that fuel the fires, scientists say.
Medicaid Expansion Making Diabetes Meds More Accessible To Poor, Study Shows
The number of diabetes drug prescriptions filled for low-income people enrolled in Medicaid rose sharply in states that expanded eligibility for the program under the Affordable Care Act, according to a new study.
Listen: Why Red States Challenging ACA Tread Precariously On A Popular Protection
Many of the GOP-led states seeking to overturn the Affordable Care Act could end up jeopardizing the health of their own residents, who suffer from preexisting conditions at rates higher than the national average. The ACA requires insurers to cover people with histories of illness and not charge them more for it. If the law is overturned, that protection could be lost, as California Healthline reporter Harriet Rowan explains on “The VICE Guide to Right Now” podcast.
For Many College Students, Hunger Can ‘Make It Hard To Focus In Class’
With rising college costs, up to half of college students’ finances are stretched so tight they report that they were either not getting enough to eat or were worried about it, studies find.
Community Frets As Buyer For Cherished Rural Hospital Slips From View
Some residents of remote Surprise Valley in Northern California fear their hospital will close like so many others around the country, as hope wanes for financial support from a Denver entrepreneur. The businessman, Beau Gertz, had planned to raise money through lab billing for faraway patients.
