Morning Breakouts

Latest California Healthline Stories

Aetna-Humana Deal Gets Green Light From California’s Managed-Care Regulator

Department of Managed Health Care Director Shelley Rouillard approves Aetna’s $37 billion proposed merger with Humana, despite her past criticism of Aetna’s repeated rate hikes. California’s other insurance regulator, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, hasn’t yet announced his decision. The decisions by California’s officials could be influential in how federal officials view the merger.

How Oscar Health’s Struggles Became A Case Study In The Age Of Obamacare

Startup companies like Oscar were initially attracted by the potential of millions of new customers added to the individual market by the health law. But the reality has been messier. there’s an uphill battle to reach out about health care coverage to immigrants who are in the country legally.

Public Option Could Let Clinton Tap Into Sanders Supporters’ Health Care Enthusiasm

Under the options, states would be able to set up their own insurance plans that compete against private industry. By embracing the idea, Hillary Clinton may be able to woo some of those who are enchanted by Bernie Sanders’ more ambitious “Medicare For All” plan. Meanwhile, The Washington Post checks Clinton’s facts on CHIP and analysts examine her health care policies.

Industrial Contamination Plagues Maywood Residents: ‘We’re Living In A Ticking Time Bomb’

The community in Southeast Los Angeles County is bordered on all sides by industry, including rail yards, plastics manufacturers, gas companies and, perhaps most well-known, Exide Technologies, and residents are fearful it is endangering their health.

L.A. County Launches Ambitious Plan To Help Police Better Respond To Mentally Ill

The number of 911 calls to the sheriff’s department involving mentally ill people has surged by 55 percent since 2010. To help officers handle the influx, the plan would increase the number of mental health teams and put many of the agency’s 9,000 deputies through a week-long training.

‘I Have 20 Gunshot Victims. I Need You’: Surgeon From Ventura Talks About Orlando Experience

Dr. Michael Cheatham raced to Orlando Regional Medical Center after his phone rang at 2:24 a.m. He didn’t know what had happened. “All I knew is there was a need,” he said. Also in the news, how the Food and Drug Administration came up with its blood donation regulations and the lessons communities can learn from the Orlando shooting.

Fresno County’s Veterans Court Focuses On Treatment Instead Of Incarceration

In the new program, veterans are examined by judges who are familiar with post-traumatic-stress disorder, substance abuse and the treatment services available. In other veterans health news, those who take care of a disabled spouse gathered to share experiences and talk about ways to handle stress, and a hydrogen bomb accident may have sickened airmen in the 1960s, but the Air Force is denying those claims.