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Latest California Healthline Stories

Medicare ‘Buy-In’ Proposal — A Toned Down Alternative To Single-Payer — Gains Momentum With Moderate House Democrats

Under the proposal, anyone aged 50 to 64 who buys insurance through the health-care exchanges would be eligible to buy in to Medicare. While some Democrats are eager to work on the plan, others from the left-wing of the party view it as too incremental. Elsewhere on Capitol Hill: Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) wants to work on a bipartisan fix to shore up the health law.

Escalating Drug And Suicide Crises Contribute To Longest Sustained Decline In U.S. Expected Life Span In A Century

Public health experts are alarmed by the new statistics released by the CDC. In contrast, life expectancy has marched steadily upward for decades in most other developed nations. “After three years of stagnation and decline, what do we do now?” asked S.V. Subramanian, a professor of population health and geography at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “Do we say this is the new normal?

Steep Drop In Health Law Enrollment Likely Due To Lack Of Awareness And Trump Administration Policy Changes

A slow start doesn’t necessarily mean a slow end to the six-week season, experts say. A flood of sign-ups could arrive as the deadline prods procrastinators to act. But health law backers are worried that many Americans don’t even know it’s open enrollment season. Meanwhile, the Democrats say the numbers are a result of the Trump administration’s attempts to “sabotage” the law.

San Francisco Supervisor Makes Impassioned Argument For Removing Mark Zuckerberg’s Name From Public Hospital

Formerly named San Francisco General Hospital, the facility changed its name in 2015 to the Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center after Zuckerberg and his wife, pediatrician Priscilla Chan, made a $75 million donation. But now San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin wants it removed.

Number Of People Getting Flu Vaccinations Has Skyrocketed Over Last Year’s Rate

The surge in California residents running out to get their shots follows one of the most vicious flu seasons in years. So far, there has not been much to signal that this year’s will be as terrible, but officials warn that it’s still early and people should continue getting their vaccination if they haven’t yet.

The Wildfire Generation: How The Lasting Negative Health Effects From Fires’ Smoke Will Affect Today’s Children

A study done on monkeys who had spent infancy in a wildfire haze found that they had less lung capacity, stiffer lungs that couldn’t stretch as far when they breathed and reduced immune system function than monkeys who weren’t born into that environment. The results paint a grim picture of what young California residents may have to deal with in the future.

‘Troubling’ Increase In Number Of Uninsured Kids Has Experts Worried That Country Is Backsliding On Pediatric Care

This is the first time in a decade the number of uninsured children has increased, and experts are worried it’s a trend. “Without serious efforts to get back on track, the decline in coverage is likely to continue in 2018 and may, in fact, get worse for America’s children,” said Joan Alker, the report’s lead author.

‘I Feel Proud’: Chinese Scientist Who Used CRISPR To Edit Babies’ Genes Defends Work As Ethics Uproar Escalates

in his first public remarks about the research, He Jiankui also said that a second pregnancy may be underway. He set off a firestorm this week after announcing that he’d created the world’s first gene-edited babies, using a technique called CRISPR, to make sure that the twin girls are impervious to HIV infection. Other scientists have lambasted the research as “deeply unethical” and “driven by hubris.”