For Terminally Ill In California, End Of Suffering Is Now In Sight
Terminal patients and doctors prepare themselves for California’s new assisted suicide law, which takes effect June 9.
Saving Amanda: One Family’s Struggle To Deal With A Daughter’s Mental Illness
It took eight years for Amanda Lipp to get adequate care for her mental illness. Now, she and her mom, Pam, are sharing their story to fight stigma around mental illness so others don’t have to go it alone.
N.H., Calif. Seek To Help Consumers Get Details On Health Care Prices
New Hampshire is expanding its website that lists the cost of specific medical procedures to include dental treatments and 65 prescription drugs. California is expanding its report cards on large medical groups to include cost of medical services by an average patient.
Housing Project Takes On Seniors’ Health
An innovative new approach in Oakland combines low-income housing and a health program for seniors.
Retail Clinics Add Convenience But Also Hike Costs, Study Finds
Researchers say the clinics tucked in stores and pharmacies lead patients to seek more medical attention than they otherwise would for minor ailments.
Leading Scope Maker Olympus Agrees To Hefty Settlement In Kickback Cases
The company will pay $646 million to end civil and criminal probes. Olympus’ leaders acknowledge responsibility for ‘past conduct’ they say was inconsistent with the firm’s values.
UCLA Freshmen Learn About Growing Old
A UCLA course on aging teaches students about the physical, emotional and financial realities of growing old. Professors hope they will consider careers that serve the elderly.
R2D2’s Next Assignment: Hospital Orderly
A gleaming new hospital in San Francisco has a fleet of robots dropping off meals, picking up trash and saving some money in a very 21st century way.
Aetna CEO Answers Burwell’s Call, Vows Support For Exchanges Amid Losses
But Mark Bertolini wants the country’s marketplaces to better serve young people, who define
healthy as “looking good in their underwear.”
Will Healthcare.gov Get A California Makeover?
Feds propose taking a page out of Covered California’s book and moving to a simplified health insurance marketplace.
Latino Youth In California See Significant Rise In Psychiatric Hospitalizations
Some experts say the 86 percent increase in psychiatric hospitalizations since 2007 means preventive care is seriously lacking; others believe reduced stigma has led more kids to accept help.
California Marketplace May Require Insurers To Pay Agent Commissions
Covered California’s Executive Director Peter Lee said the measure is needed to keep insurers from slicing commissions to avoid enrolling the sickest patients.
Needle Exchanges Can Now Get Federal Funding
Proponents hail the change in policy but say it doesn’t go far enough because federal dollars cannot be used to buy syringes.
Farm Contractors Balk At Obamacare Requirements
The federal health law is putting farmers in a tough spot. Many contractors supplying workers have to offer health coverage. Insurance is costly, and contractors worry about immigration fallout.
Blue Shield Top Choice On California Exchange
Anthem sign-ups are trailing, and UnitedHealth and newcomer Oscar are playing a minor role in coverage thus far, according to unofficial reports.
Cutting Edge DNA Technology Could Boost Cystic Fibrosis Screening For Newborns
Researchers say tests could be faster, cheaper, more accurate.
Head Of California Exchange Scolds UnitedHealth For Blaming Woes On Obamacare
Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, says the giant insurer’s complaints about ACA exchanges are “total spin and unanchored in reality.”
Buying Supplemental Insurance Can Be Hard For Younger Medicare Beneficiaries
Congress left it to states to determine whether private Medigap plans are sold to the more than 9 million disabled people younger than 65 who qualify for Medicare. The result: rules vary across the country.
Surprise! Here’s Another Bill For That ‘Paramedic Response’
California cities increasingly are billing patients for paramedic services that they say were not covered by insurers. One 85-year-old woman took on city hall.
Bosses Find Part-Time Workers Can Come With Full-Time Headaches
Health law requirements that small employers offer insurance to full-time workers prompted some fast-food restaurants to convert more employees to part time. Now owners are rethinking that approach.
