Morning Breakouts

Latest California Healthline Stories

VA Suicide Hotline Calls Go To Voicemail

Veterans calling an overloaded crisis hotline run by the Department of Veterans Affairs can encounter long wait times or voicemail, according to a watchdog report. Meanwhile, two different couples fight against the VA’s policy on in vitro fertilization coverage.

In Latest Critique, Economists Slam Health Savings Claims Cited By Sanders

Their letter states that there is no credible research that backs up the overly rosy projections of economic growth touted by Bernie Sanders’ campaign. In other 2016 election news, Donald Trump, when asked about Americans having access to health care, says as president he would work out a deal with the hospitals.

Flu Season Remains Mild Even As San Diego Sees Bump In Cases

The county reported its sixth flu-related death, but that number is far lower than last year’s 66. In other news, cars with illegal defective device software may have taken a toll on public health, and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation has named its new CEO.

Startup Gets $45M To Fight Baffling Lung-Scarring Disease

Pliant Therapeutics Inc.’s CEO Dr. Bernard Coulie says the company’s founders have discovered a pill that they believe is highly selective in inhibiting a specific protein on a certain cell type that is found to drive fibrosis.

DOJ Reaches Settlements With 51 Hospitals In Final Stage Of False Claims Investigation

The Justice Department was looking into the overuse of implantable cardiac defibrillators, which cost about $25,000. San Francisco-based Dignity Health and its 18 affiliated hospitals were among the 508 total number of institutions involved in the probe. Dignity will pay $5.9 million over the billing allegations.

Based On Latest Enrollment Numbers, Covered California Now ‘Running In Place’

Despite Covered California’s $29 million marketing campaign, many uninsured Californians continue to say they can’t justify paying for health insurance. Meanwhile, a new startup insurer falters in the land of the giants.