Latest California Healthline Stories
Medicare Enrollment Blitz Doesn’t Include Options to Move Into Medigap
TV ads and mailings targeting seniors tout Medicare Advantage plans this time of year, but millions choosing traditional Medicare make a costly and difficult decision about Medigap coverage, which gets much less attention.
La catarata de información sobre la inscripción a Medicare no explica bien las opciones de Medigap
En parte porque las políticas sobre el acceso y los costos de Medigap cambian dependiendo del estado, o por la información confusa, muchos beneficiarios no eligen lo que más les conviene.
New Health Plans Offer Twists on Existing Options, With a Dose of ‘Buyer Beware’
Fueled by consumer frustration with high premiums and deductibles, two new offerings promise a means for consumers to take control of their health care costs. But experts say they pose risks.
Nursing Home Residents Overlooked in Scramble for Covid Antibody Treatments
A federal allocation plan meant to ensure equitable distribution of powerful monoclonal antibody treatments for high-risk patients fails to prioritize nursing home residents, a population that remains particularly vulnerable even after vaccination.
California’s Reboot of Troubled Medi-Cal Puts Pressure on Health Plans
The nine commercial insurers in Medi-Cal must reapply by submitting bids for new contracts. The state hopes the process will improve care for low-income residents and tighten accountability, something critics say has been missing.
Jaw Surgery Takes a $27,119 Bite out of One Man’s Budget
A Seattle patient discovers the hard way that you can still hit a lifetime limit for certain types of care. And health plans can vary a lot from one job to the next, even if the insurer is the same.
Análisis: ¿No quieres una vacuna? Prepárate para pagar más por tu seguro de salud
A pesar de que las compañías de seguros negocian precios más bajos y cubren gran parte del costo de la atención, los costos asociados al tratamiento de covid deberían ser un incentivo bastante aterrador.
Analysis: Don’t Want a Vaccine? Be Prepared to Pay More for Insurance.
Health insurers could do more to encourage vaccination, including letting the unvaccinated foot their bills.
Diabetes Drug’s New Weight Loss Formula Fuels Cost-Benefit Debate
Health plans’ coverage of the medication, branded as Wegovy — which has a $1,300-a-month price tag — is not a sure thing.
Watch: More Long-Covid Cases Seen in Kids
While covid is generally mild in children, doctors report a growing number of long-haul covid symptoms and MIS-C cases, particularly among Black and Latino children.