Latest California Healthline Stories
KHN Investigation: The System Feds Rely On to Stop Repeat Health Fraud Is Broken
A months-long KHN examination of the system meant to bar fraudsters from Medicaid, Medicare, and other federal health programs found gaping holes and expansive gray areas through which banned individuals slip to repeatedly bilk taxpayer-funded programs.
Hospital Financial Decisions Play a Role in the Critical Shortage of Pediatric Beds for RSV Patients
Yes, the U.S. is experiencing an unusual spate of childhood RSV infections. But the critical shortage of hospital beds to treat ailing children stems from structural problems in pediatric care that have been brewing for years.
Los hospitales optimizan los ingresos tratando de mantener sus camas llenas al 100 %, y llenas de pacientes con condiciones que las aseguradoras reembolsan bien.
A Family Death During the Holidays Prompts Questions and Reflection
The death of a sharp but frail patriarch just days before Thanksgiving casts a shadow on a family’s holiday season.
Watch: Big Medicaid Changes in California Leave Millions of Patients Behind
California Healthline senior correspondent Angela Hart discusses how California’s big Medicaid experiment to bring social services to the sickest and costliest patients doesn’t help most patients.
Readers and Tweeters Decry Medical Billing Errors, Price-Gouging, and Barriers to Benefits
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Should Older Seniors Risk Major Surgery? New Research Offers Guidance
An important new study offers much-needed data to inform older Americans of the risks and benefits they must weigh when facing major surgery.
¿Deberían los adultos mayores someterse a cirugías invasivas? Nueva investigación ofrece guía
Casi 1 de cada 7 adultos mayores muere dentro del año después de someterse a una cirugía mayor, según un nuevo estudio que arroja luz sobre los riesgos que enfrentan las personas mayores cuando tienen procedimientos invasivos.
Rob Bonta Investigates Hospital Algorithms for Racial Bias
Attorney General Rob Bonta handily won election on a progressive, social justice platform. He’s already begun with an inquiry into hospital software programs that might bake in racial discrimination.
How Banks and Private Equity Cash In When Patients Can’t Pay Their Medical Bills
Hospitals strike deals with financing companies, generating profits for lenders, and more debt for patients.