Latest KFF Health News Stories
Analysis: Can States Fix The Disaster Of American Health Care?
The governor of California has proposed some big ideas. Who knows whether he can pull them off, but there’s reason for hope.
Pain From The Government Shutdown Spreads. This Time It’s Food Stamps
Food stamps for February are being distributed about two weeks early because officials say the federal money to pay for them won’t be available later due to the government shutdown. State and local officials are scratching their heads about what might happen in March if the impasse continues.
Call The Midwife! (If The Doctor Doesn’t Object)
Hospitals and medical practices are battling outdated stereotypes and sometimes their own doctors to hire certified nurse midwives. Research shows that women cared for by certified nurse midwives have fewer cesarean sections, which can produce significant cost savings for hospitals.
California’s Top Lawyer Cements His Role As Health Care Defender-In-Chief
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra scores a win for California and other states in his effort to block Trump administration birth control rules. It is one of many suits he has filed to defend the Affordable Care Act from efforts to erode it.
Providers Walk ‘Fine Line’ Between Informing And Scaring Immigrant Patients
Some doctors and clinics are proactively informing patients about a proposed policy that could jeopardize the legal status of immigrants who use public benefit programs such as Medicaid. Others argue that because this “public charge” proposal isn’t final — and may never be adopted — disseminating too much information could create unnecessary alarm and cause some patients to drop benefits.
Newsom Diverges Sharply From Washington With Health Care Budget
California Gov. Gavin Newsom made health care a priority in his proposed state budget, asking lawmakers to authorize state-funded financial aid for health insurance, impose a penalty on uninsured Californians and expand Medicaid coverage to unauthorized immigrants.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ New Year, New Health Proposals
Democratic governors and mayors are unveiling new ideas to control costs and expand coverage. The federal government shutdown has spared most health agencies, but not all. And learn the latest on that lawsuit out of Texas, which is threatening the Affordable Care Act once again. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and, for “extra credit,” provide their favorite health policy stories of the week. Rovner also interviews KHN’s Jordan Rau about the latest “Bill of the Month.”
Addiction Rooted In Childhood Trauma, Says Prominent Specialist
Dr. Gabor Maté of British Columbia recently visited Sacramento and laid out his theories in an interview with California Healthline.
Newsom Comes Out Swinging On Day One For Single-Payer, Immigrant Coverage
Just hours into his tenure as California’s new governor, Democrat Gavin Newsom proposed major plans to insure more Californians, including state-funded financial aid for health insurance and a requirement for Californians to have coverage.
Newsom se posiciona sobre salud para inmigrantes y un sistema de pagador único
El gobernador dijo que quiere ampliar la cobertura de salud de Medi-Cal para adultos jóvenes indocumentados.
End Of Tax Penalty Could Fall Hardest On Previously Uninsured Californians
A new report shows that Hispanics, young people, the healthy and the poor — all groups with high rates of uninsurance before the Affordable Care Act — are the most likely to forgo insurance now that the tax penalty for not having it has been eliminated.
NO a manejar ebrio: estados imponen alcoholímetros para prevenir muertes
Los alcoholímetros son dispositivos que se colocan en el volante y evitan que el auto arranque si se detecta aliento etílico en el conductor.
No-Go On Drunken Driving: States Deploy Breathalyzers In Cars To Limit Road Deaths
On New Year’s Day, California joined the majority of U.S. states that require people convicted of drunken driving to install ignition-linked breathalyzers in their vehicles. If the devices detect alcohol above a predetermined level, the cars don’t start.
En Route To Congress, California Democrats Hit Wall On ‘Medicare-For-All’
California’s incoming congressional delegation will be the largest in the U.S. House of Representatives to support progressive health care policies such as “Medicare-for-all.” But the political reality of a Republican Senate and president means that they will need to pursue ideas that “aren’t pie in the sky.”
Health Care Industry ‘Pays Tribute’ To California’s Influential Lawmakers
The leaders of California’s legislative health committees who wield power over state health policy have been showered with money from the health care sector, with drug companies, health plans, hospitals and doctors providing nearly 40 percent of their 2017-18 campaign funds.
Feds Say California May Have Spent Nearly $1B On Ineligible Medi-Cal Beneficiaries
The potentially improper payments occurred in 2014 and 2015, when the state says it was under pressure from a massive influx of new applicants due to the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion.
Muy pocos casos de médicos sospechados de conducta sexual inapropiada en el estado terminan en acusaciones formales o en revocación de licencias.
Feds Join Lawsuit Alleging Sutter Health Padded Revenue With False Patient Data
The whistleblower complaint says that Sutter, one of the largest health systems in the U.S., exaggerated how sick certain Medicare patients were in order to collect higher payments from the government-funded program.
In California, Doctors Accused Of Sexual Misconduct Often Get Second Chances
The state medical board grants probation in more than a third of cases, a KHN analysis found. Even as other institutions adapt to lessons of the #MeToo movement, the board plans no significant changes, saying it has always prioritized discipline for sexual misconduct.
Blue Shield’s Trims To Out-Of-State Coverage Give Some Californians The Blues
To keep costs down, Blue Shield of California next year will scale back on a program allowing members to receive a wide range of care beyond the state’s borders. Customers with individual plans mostly won’t be able to get coverage out of state except for emergencies or other exceptional circumstances.
