Morning Breakouts

Latest California Healthline Stories

Doctors Said He Had The Flu. In Reality, He Had Flea-Borne Typhus.

Tom Sachs is one of about 60 reported people who have contracted flea-borne typhus this year, an outbreak that reflects an increasing trend in typhus cases since 2009. The symptoms of the sickness are very similar to the flu.

Administration’s ‘Public Charge’ Rule Would Weaken Herd Immunity, Putting All Children At Risk, Physicians Warn

“The flu season is just upon us, and we are seeing that we are having difficulty getting our immigrant children and adults in for flu shots,” said Dr. Lisa Ward, president of the board of the California Association of Family Physicians. “It is quite likely that one of the reasons is that they are too afraid not only to get health care for the adult parents but for their U.S.-born children as well, and that’s just one tiny bit of health care.”

Decision Requiring Companies To Remove Lead Paint From Calif. Houses Stands After Supreme Court Passes On Case

A California state court of appeal last November upheld an earlier court’s finding of public nuisance but said the companies only have to pay for abatement in homes built before 1951. The paint companies have called the previous rulings unprecedented and noted lead paint was lawful at the time.

Premiums, Subsidies And Insurers: What You Need To Know As Covered California Enrollment Kicks Off

Open enrollment has begun in California, and experts offer tips and advice on navigating the process. Average premiums for Covered California plans have gone up 8.7 percent, but Covered California says about 90 percent of its consumers are eligible for financial assistance to help pay for their insurance coverage.

Investigation On Medicare Advantage Plans Finds Widespread, Persistent Problems Related To Denials Of Care

The investigation by the HHS inspector general raises some concerns just as Medicare Advantage plans become more and more popular. Analysts predict that one in two seniors will have them in a few years despite predictions that the health law would hobble the marketplace.

‘Somebody Needs To Fix It’: As Each Party Locks In Health Care Rhetoric, Many Voters Just Want A Solution

“It’s crippling people. It’s crippling me,” Pennsylvania voter Kaci Rickert says of health care costs. The topic has taken center stage in the weeks before the midterm elections, as Democrats focus on Republicans’ threat to popular health law provisions, such as preexisting conditions protections, while Republicans go after progressives’ “Medicare For All” plan.

After Hep A Outbreak Among Homeless, Critics Wonder Why San Diego Didn’t Tap Millionaire’s Tax Fund

The city has $170 million in special funding that’s dedicated for services that help mentally ill people, and it’s just sitting in the bank. But officials say the money had no bearing on the county’s response to the deadly hepatitis A outbreak, and that with the current plans in place, the funding will be all but gone by mid-2020.

Unapproved, Sometimes Dangerous Drugs Found In Dietary Supplements

The research concluded the drug sold as Viagra was often found in adulterated supplements. Despite what consumers may think, the supplements are actually regulated as food and therefore not subject to premarket safety and effectiveness testing imposed on pharmaceuticals.