Latest California Healthline Stories
St. John’s Hospital Reaches Agreement Over In-Network Doctors With Anthem
Health news from around the states comes out of Ventura, Riverside, Coachella, North and Alameda counties, as well as Los Angeles and San Bernardino.
It’s getting even harder to see and breathe, as an already difficult wildfire season is being compounded by larger fires than in the past and changing weather patterns. KQED has the Bay Area’s air quality report and the Los Angeles Times reports on the dangers firefighters face. And watch satellite maps of the fires’ smoke spread across the nation.
Single-Payer System Continues To Be Contentious Issue In California Governor Race
But Politico reports that the idea, which has become a favorite for parts of the Democratic base, may not be playing well in other 2018 races. Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) defends his “Medicare for all” plan in the face of media fact checks.
Legislature Votes To Block Short-Term Plans In California; Bill Heads To Governor
The bill would ban the sale of short-term health insurance plans, which offer consumers lower premiums in exchange for skimpier benefits that do not meet the Affordable Care Act’s coverage requirements. The move follows the Trump administration’s rule allowing such plans nationally. The legislation, authored by state Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina), heads next to Gov. Jerry Brown (D).
Public Health Roundup: Changing Blood Pressure Guidelines; Are Video Games Harder To Turn Off?
And in other public health news: the health benefits of vacation; the efficacy of birth control apps; and gut health.
Detaining Children With Parents Can Also Be Traumatizing, Mother Says, Citing Her Son’s Fears
As the Trump administration grapples with how to treat asylum seekers after critics assailed the zero-tolerance policy, one mother who was detained in Texas with her son several years ago says a detention center is no place for a child. Other news on the handling of immigrants comes out of California, also.
Sangamo’s Study Of Genome Editing In Rare Disease Is First To Target Effects On Humans
Biotech company Sangamo Therapeutics, headquartered in Richmond, Calif., is expected to release preliminary results next month in the first clinical trial using genome editing to treat real patients. In other health research news: a banking and regulatory adviser works to get private investors to bankroll a cure for blindness; the “perfect lab animal”? worms; and drug comparative effectiveness research.
Putting More Focus On The ‘Invisible Cancer Generation’
Young people with cancer, and their specific needs, are a sometimes-overlooked population, but there are signs that’s changing. In other cancer-related news: exposure to secondhand smoke during childhood is linked to lung disease later in life; and more ex-spouses are taking on the role of cancer caregivers.
Black Men More Likely To Have Certain Health Tests If Discussed With A Black Male Doctor: Study
A survey of 702 black men in Oakland, Calif., indicates that the lack of black physicians may be a factor in the health care disparity for black men. In other news: some docs have a hard time talking to patients about the downsides of cancer screenings; and the growing number of practicing osteopaths.
More Patients Discover They Are Shelling Out Higher Copays Than The Cash Cost Of The Drug
“I was very shocked,” said a patient’s husband who bought a generic blood pressure medicine for $40 at a San Francisco-area Costco, after previously paying a $285 copay through insurance. “I had no idea if I asked to pay cash, they’d give me a different price.” In other drug pricing news: California is one of several states taking steps to tackle the issue of increasing prescription costs.