Carmen Heredia Rodriguez

With Hospitalization Losing Favor, Judges Order Outpatient Mental Health Treatment

Nearly every state in the country allows courts to force people with severe mental illnesses into treatment against their will. But critics argue these controversial intervention programs fail to address underlying problems in behavioral health services. In California, only one-third of counties have such programs, but they account for nearly two-thirds of the state’s population.

Immigrants’ Health Premiums Far Exceed What Plans Pay For Their Care

Immigrants accounted for nearly 13 percent of premiums paid to private plans but only about 9 percent of insurers’ expenditures, according to a new study in Health Affairs. The cost of care for the group of native-born customers, however, exceeded their premiums. In California, per enrollee, immigrants contributed an average of $795 more to private insurance than what they spent.