Latest KFF Health News Stories
Californians Favor Tougher Rules On Health Insurance Rates, Survey Says
Proposition 45 would give the state insurance commissioner authority to reject rate hikes, but some experts suggest this could complicate the online insurance marketplace.
Fast Track For Primary Care Docs At One Calif. University
Some doctors in the state of California will soon be able to practice after three years of medical school instead of the traditional four. The American Medical Association is providing seed money for the effort in the form of a $1 million, five-year grant to the University of California at Davis. Student Ngabo Nzigira is in […]
Allynne Noelle: Ballerina Gets Insured
Ballerinas risk injury and high health care costs every time they perform. Allynne Noelle, 32, principal ballerina with the Los Angeles Ballet, says the new health care law offers some relief.
Restaurant Owner Struggles To Afford Health Insurance
Sandra Lopez, 41, owns Las Fajitas, a popular Mexican restaurant in Newport Beach, Calif. She has to make decisions about health insurance coverage for her family and her business under the Affordable Care Act.
Good News On California ACA Rates. But Why?
Two top insurance officials in California have competing theories on what’s keeping prices in check for 2015.
Rx For Clarity: Calif. Considers Bilingual Drug Labels
Every Saturday morning, a steady stream of Chinese and Vietnamese patients line up at the Paul Hom Asian Clinic in Sacramento, Calif. Most of them speak little to no English. Patient assistance director Danny Tao says people come here to get free medical consultations and drug prescriptions. But, he says that when patients take those […]
As Ballet Stretches Her Body’s Limits, Insurance Brings Peace of Mind
When you pirouette for a living, injury is nearly certain. But one veteran says coverage under the nation’s health law provided some relief.
California Makes Significant Progress In Enrolling Previously Uninsured, Survey Finds
But more than 40 percent of those who lacked coverage last fall still don’t have insurance.
California Nurses Union Braces For Contract Battle
The powerful California Nurses Association is threatening to strike as it begins negotiations with Kaiser Permanente on a new four-year contract.
California Releases Proposal For Clearing Medicaid Backlog
As the federal government demands more accountability, other states are working on plans to fix delays and glitches in their systems as well.
A Small Business Owner Enters The Insurance Marketplace
Initially, the restaurateur was frustrated in trying to find health insurance for her family, but her effort was ultimately successful. Now she hopes to insure her ‘work family.’
Lawsuit Accuses Anthem Blue Cross Of ‘Fraudulent’ Enrollment Practices
Consumer group alleges the insurer put out inaccurate information about benefits and providers to gain market share.
The Latest In Medical Convenience: ER Appointments
Hospitals around the country are allowing patients to wait at home rather than endure hours in crowded emergency rooms. Warning: It’s not for life-threatening cases, and you could be bumped for someone sicker.
Mountainous Backlog Stalls Medi-Cal Expansion in California
It’s hard to pin down why applicants are waiting so long for approval, and when the problem will be resolved. Meanwhile, some people are putting off treatment.
For Women Just Out Of Jail, Health Care Could Be Key To Better Life
Sheriff in San Francisco wants to make sure the 30,000 prisoners who come through the jail system every year have health insurance on the day they’re released.
Even With Obamacare, Many Latinos Still Seek Treatment In Mexico
Patients say they drive across the border because costs are lower, waits are shorter and doctors speak their language.
From Zero To 3.3 Million Sign-Ups: How California ‘Won’ The Obamacare Race
No state signed more people up for health law coverage in the first health law enrollment period, but a sometimes faulty website and spotty customer service often frustrated the process.
What Obamacare? Meet 4 People Choosing To Remain Uninsured
Despite a surge in enrollment in the two weeks before the April 15 deadline to enroll for insurance under the health law, many more Californians have not signed up.
Teresa Martinez: Waiting For Medi-Cal
Teresa Martinez, 62, from East Los Angeles makes $10,000 a year working as a hairdresser in a Koreatown salon. With her modest income she is likely to be eligible for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act’s Medi-Cal expansion.
Waiting For Medicaid To Kick In
About 800,000 people in California are presumed to be eligible for the newly expanded program but lack final approval. For a Los Angeles hairdresser and others like her, that means medical appointments are on hold.
