Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Rural Doctor Launches Startup To Ease Pain Of Dying Patients
Getting basic health care to rural areas has always been difficult, and delivering specialized care is even harder. One doctor is raising money to get palliative care to patients in rural California.
How California Can Improve Oversight of Home Caregivers
In California, hundreds of thousands of low-income elderly and disabled people receive daily care in their homes from their children, spouses, relatives and others. And, through a program called In-Home Supportive Services, the state pays many of those caregivers about $10 an hour to do the job.
Lots Of Responsibility For In-Home Care Providers — But No Training Required
The lack of instruction even in CPR and first aid in California program puts clients at risk, according to experts, advocates and some caregivers.
As Caregiving Shifts To The Home, Scrutiny Is Lacking
California’s publicly funded in-home care program leaves elderly and disabled clients vulnerable to abuse and poor treatment, Kaiser Health News investigation finds.
Deciding Whether Subsidized Health Insurance Is Worth The Hassle
A California woman had a bad experience with the state’s insurance exchange the first time around and struggled with whether to re-enroll her family.
One Man Explains Why He Is Still Uninsured
Leaburn Alexander works two jobs and has a monster commute. There’s no wiggle room in his budget to pay a health insurance premium – and no time even to meet with an enrollment counselor.
Researchers Campaign Against Americans’ Sweet Tooth With Public Health Initiative
The Sugar Science webpage spells out dangers from average consumption of sugar, including increased risks of diabetes, heart disease and liver problems.
California’s Managed Care Project For Poor Seniors Faces Backlash
Nearly half of those eligible for a combined Medi-Cal and Medicare program are opting out.
As California Expands Medicaid To New Beneficiaries, Many Others Are Dropped
Previous enrollees in the program for low-income residents must reapply and many are finding the new applications too onerous to complete, advocates say.
Insurance Exchanges Launch With Few Glitches
More than 100,000 apply for coverage of federal marketplace as year-two health law enrollment period begins.
State Health Insurance Exchanges Hope To Woo Urban Minorities
Tomorrow it begins again – open enrollment for Obamacare. Two very successful state health insurance exchanges, Connecticut’s and California’s, are both intent on reaching people who avoided signing up last year – especially young Latinos and African-Americans. “The big takeaway for us last year was that the uninsured were really pocketed in a couple of […]
L.A. County Health Department Allegedly Falsified Nursing Home Probe Records
Two staffers accuse the county of altering the dates when complaints were received amid rising concern over the pace of investigations.
Soda Tax Succeeds In Berkeley, Fizzles In San Francisco
The nation’s first tax on sugary drinks aims to combat obesity and diabetes, with a penny-per-ounce levy.
Undocumented Immigrant Not Allowed To Buy Health Insurance Through Marketplace
Even though Jessica Bravo, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, isn’t allowed to buy coverage under the Affordable Care Act, she works as a health outreach worker to educate people about the new health law. Until a few months ago, the 19-year-old Costa Mesa resident didn’t know coverage was a possibility for her as well.
California Audit Finds Backlog Of 11,000 Nursing Home Investigations
California’s public health department has failed to adequately manage investigations of nursing homes statewide, resulting in a backlog of more than 11,000 complaints, according to an audit released Thursday.
For Families With Mixed Immigration Status, Health Insurance Is A Puzzle
A young outreach worker for Obamacare is delighted to be eligible for coverage but worries about family members with no such luck.
L.A. County Officials Demand Details On Reduced Nursing Home Penalties
The order follows a Kaiser Health News report detailing three fatal cases in which sources say recommended nursing home citations were downgraded.
Soda Makers Battle Proposed Taxes In Berkeley, San Francisco
Voters could impose a penny per ounce tax on sugary drinks in Berkeley and a two-cent per ounce tax in San Francisco. Research shows that when soda prices go up, people drink less.
L.A. County Officials Allegedly Reduced Penalties In 3 Nursing Home Deaths
The cases appear to flesh out an auditor’s finding in August that citations recommended by inspectors were downgraded without explanation.
The Latest In Public Health Funding: Tapping Investors
An asthma prevention program in California hopes to offer returns based on savings from reduced hospital visits.
