California

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Cáncer, qué importa. En California, el café sigue siendo el rey

KFF Health News Original

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

KFF Health News Original

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

KFF Health News Original

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

KFF Health News Original

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.

A Black Eye For Blue Shield: Consumers Lash Out Over Coverage Lapses

KFF Health News Original

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

KFF Health News Original

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

KFF Health News Original

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

KFF Health News Original

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

KFF Health News Original

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

KFF Health News Original

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.

Medicaid Expansion Making Diabetes Meds More Accessible To Poor, Study Shows

KFF Health News Original

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

KFF Health News Original

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.

Community Frets As Buyer For Cherished Rural Hospital Slips From View

KFF Health News Original

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.

California’s ACA Rates To Rise 8.7% Next Year

KFF Health News Original

The average increase in California is smaller than the double-digit hikes expected around the nation, due largely to a healthier mix of enrollees and more competition in its marketplace. Still, health insurance prices keep growing faster than wages and general inflation.

Children With Disabilities Endure Long Waits For Life-Changing Medical Equipment

KFF Health News Original

Some California children with serious health care problems wait more than a year for wheelchairs, bath benches, commodes, specialized crutches and other crucial medical equipment. Critics blame the delays on a confusing bureaucratic maze of private insurers and public programs.

The Other Victims: First Responders To Horrific Disasters Often Suffer In Solitude

KFF Health News Original

Some firefighters, emergency medical providers and law enforcement officers say recent mass shootings and other calamities — disturbing enough in themselves — have brought to the surface trauma buried over years on the job. Many are reluctant to seek help, though some employers are trying to change that.