Latest News On Dental Health

Latest California Healthline Stories

Lonely? Anxious? Depressed? Maybe Your Dentist Can Help

An Oakland dental clinic has started screening its patients for depression, and referring them to a mental health counselor down the hall for immediate care if necessary. The program at Asian Health Services could be replicated elsewhere, and make help for mental health problems more accessible to hard-to-reach populations.

Nonprofit Dental Insurer Under Scrutiny For ‘Flagrant’ Spending

Delta Dental of California, with more than 36 million enrollees across the country, is looking to buy a stake in a for-profit insurance company based in Oregon. Consumer advocates are calling on regulators to scrutinize the transaction, arguing that it is just the latest questionable move by the nonprofit dental insurer whose corporate practices may be out of step with its tax-exempt status.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Ask Us Anything!

From Medicare dental coverage to drug prices to fetal tissue research, the panelists answer listeners’ questions. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post join KHN’s Julie Rovner.

Confusion Leaves Low-Income Children In Health Care Limbo

Some low-income children in California are not getting medical, dental and mental health treatments to which they are entitled under federal law. Legal aid advocates blame a confusing disconnect between state and federal law, and a bill to address the problem is awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown’s approval — or veto.