Cartoon Mascot Masks Nasty Health Care Feud
California’s health insurers trotted out a heart-healthy character with an ulterior motive — taking a dig at drugmakers.
Hospitales quieren reducir la atención gratuita. Críticos dicen: de ninguna manera.
Bajo una ley federal, los hospitales sin fines de lucro deben proveer una cantidad inespecífica de atención gratuita. Ahora, algunos quieren destinar menos dinero a la caridad.
Hospitals Want To Cut Back On Free Care. Critics Say No Way.
Four California hospitals have asked the state attorney general to reduce the amount of free and discounted care they’re required to provide, arguing there’s less need for it under the Affordable Care Act. Critics say millions of people still can’t afford their hospital bills.
California To Drug Users: We’ll Pay For You To Test Your Dope
Fentanyl, a significant cause of overdoses and deaths across the country, has begun showing up in California street drugs. State health officials have responded with a bold but controversial policy: paying for test strips so users can check their stash.
Trump’s Work-For-Medicaid Rule Puts Work On States’ Shoulders
States that opt to change their Medicaid program must figure out how to delineate who is covered by the new mandate, how to enforce the rules and how to handle the people seeking exemptions. In California, leaders say, it’s a non-starter.
Trump Administration Rule Paves Way For Association Health Plans
Proponents say the proposed regulation will give some consumers more affordable insurance options. Critics warn that the coverage could be less comprehensive.
Drug Overdose Deaths Plateau In California, Soar Nationally
Fatalities are climbing in states that have been flooded by the deadly opioid fentanyl, but are remaining flat — or even falling — in many Western states, where it has not yet overwhelmed the drug supply.
Pharmacy Costs Continue To Soar For California’s Public Employee Health System
The increase has been largely driven by the cost of specialty drugs. The agency, which provides health coverage for 1.4 million people, will address cost containment at a meeting Tuesday and at a panel discussion in January.
Treating The New Hep C Generation On Their Turf
One Northern California physician is a foot soldier in the fight against a surge of hepatitis C, mainly among young drug users who share infected needles.
California Winces At Trump’s Turn Back To ‘Bad Old Days’ Of Health Plan Associations
State leaders vow to protect consumers from a presidential order to resurrect a health plan model that they say could destabilize the insurance market.