Latest Morning Briefing Stories
California’s Right-To-Die Law Sparks Reaction
Scott Shafer of KQED and The California Report hosted a special radio broadcast on California’s landmark aid-in-dying law, and talked to reporter April Dembosky, advocates and critics of the law, and the husband of the woman whose lobbying — and death — sparked the debate.
Leslie Michelson’s Checklist For Avoiding Diagnostic Errors – The KHN Conversation
Michelson, who runs a Los Angeles-based company that helps patients research their medical options and has written a book about how to avoid bad care, offers advice on how to navigate the health care system.
California Gov. Brown Signs Aid-in-Dying Bill Into Law
Brown said that he weighed the controversial issue carefully, and in the end decided that it would be a comfort to know the option was available if he were facing a painful, prolonged death.
Newly Insured Treasure Medicaid, But Growing Pains Felt
People newly covered by the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion appreciate their insurance. But seeing specialists is still a hurdle for many.
How One Minority Community In California Is Fighting ‘Environmental Injustice’
Residents say a lead battery recycler’s decades of contamination in low-income, largely Latino neighborhoods of Los Angeles County wouldn’t have been tolerated in wealthier areas.
Attention Shoppers: New Calif. Website Details Costs, Quality of Medical Procedures
Seeking to create smarter consumers, the California insurance department unveils a website showing wide variation in costs and quality of medical services across the state.
In L.A., Longevity And Health In Later Life Vary By Community
A report on aging in L.A. County finds pronounced differences in life expectancy and in the health of older residents, depending on ethnicity and neighborhood.
California Aid-In-Dying Bill Heads To Governor’s Desk
California would become the fifth state to allow doctors to prescribe lethal medication to terminally ill patients who request it.
Calif. Lawmakers Approve Bill Requiring Drug Labeling In 5 Foreign Languages
If Gov. Jerry Brown signs the measure, all pharmacies will have to provide medication instructions in Spanish, Tagalog, Chinese, Vietnamese or Korean, the most common languages in California after English.
California Passes Bill Delaying Transfer Of Fragile Kids Into Managed Care
Opponents of a state plan to move tens of thousands of seriously ill or disabled children into Medicaid managed care plans applaud the move to postpone the transfer.
For California, Last Year’s West Nile Season Was Most Severe Ever
The state reported a record number of serious West Nile illnesses in 2014, including cases of meningitis and encephalitis, according to federal data. Thirty-one people died.
Heart-Attack Patients More Likely To Die After Ambulances Are Diverted
A study finds patients who suffered heart attacks in California were more likely to die within a year if their ambulances were diverted from the closest emergency room.
When Prisons Need To Be More Like Nursing Homes
By 2030, nearly one-third of all inmates will be over 55, the ACLU says, and caring for aged prisoners often costs twice as much as caring for younger ones. Some states – New York, California and Connecticut — are confronting the problem, however, with innovative programs meant to improve care and save money.
Can Health Care Be Cured Of Racial Bias?
Even as the health of Americans has improved, the disparities in treatment and outcomes between white patients and black and Latino patients are almost as big as they were 50 years ago. A growing body of research suggests that doctors’ unconscious behavior plays a role in these statistics.
Survey Confirms Significant Drop In California’s Uninsured
The California Health Interview Survey shows significant gains in insurance coverage but also points to disparities among ethnic groups.
California’s Plan To Absorb Medically Fragile Children Into Managed Care Proves Controversial
State officials say Medi-Cal managed care plans will better coordinate treatment for children needing highly specialized care. Parents and pediatric medical centers say it’s a bad idea.
Achieving Mental Health Parity: Slow Going Even In ‘Pace Car’ State
California regulators have tried harder than most to make mental health parity laws work but it’s been tough to enforce the rules and gain the cooperation of insurers.
California: Más Personas Con Seguro Médico… Y Conformes
Un esfuerzo más concertado, incluso a través de los medios de comunicación en español, parece estar funcionando. Una encuesta de la Kaiser Family Foundation realizada en California halló que los blancos no hispanos y los hispanos que fueron elegibles para el Obamacare ganaron cobertura a un ritmo similar. Y la mayoría está conforme con su nuevo seguro.
VIH: Promueven Píldora Preventiva Entre Hispanos
La medicación, que se usa como “Profilaxis de Pre Exposición” (PrEP), conocida comercialmente como Truvada fue aprobada por la Administración de Drogas y Alimentos (FDA, por sus siglas en inglés) en el 2012 para prevenir el VIH, y ha demostrado ser más de un 90 por ciento efectiva, cuando se la usa correctamente. Pero los trabajadores de salud están encontrando barreras culturales y económicas entre muchos latinos.
Oscar Wants To ‘Revolutionize’ Health Care. But Will It Even Survive Covered California?
Covered California made it official last week: After two years in the wilderness, UnitedHealthcare will return to the state’s individual insurance market and begin selling health plans on California’s exchange later this year. Not much can overshadow news about the nation’s largest insurer — except maybe a story about one of the smallest. Hi, Oscar. […]
