Latest California Healthline Stories
The $18,000 Breast Biopsy: When Having Insurance Costs You a Bundle
An online calculator told a young woman that a procedure to rule out cancer would cost an uninsured person about $1,400. Instead, the hospital initially charged almost $18,000 and, with her high-deductible health insurance, she owed more than $5,000.
Timely Mental Health Care Is a Key Factor in Strike by Kaiser Permanente Workers
A new state law requires timely follow-up appointments for mental health and addiction patients. But striking workers at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California say patients continue to wait up to two months.
Journalists Dig Into Questions About the 988 Hotline and Inflation Reduction Act
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
California Wants to Snip Costs for Vasectomies
Vasectomies can cost hundreds of dollars out-of-pocket — or more. State lawmakers are debating whether to make the procedure free to millions of men.
More Communities Are Giving Flavored Tobacco the Boot. Will California Follow?
San Jose and Sacramento this summer joined scores of other California cities and counties that have banned the sale of flavored tobacco products such as menthol cigarettes and candy-flavored e-cigs. In November, California voters will decide whether to allow a statewide ban to take effect.
Cada vez más comunidades rechazan el tabaco aromatizado. ¿Es el turno de California?
Aunque comunidades grandes y pequeñas de todo el estado ya han actuado, los californianos decidirán en noviembre si promulgan una de las prohibiciones estatales más completas del país sobre el tabaco aromatizado.
Big Pharma Went All In to Kill Drug Pricing Negotiations
For more than a century, the drug industry has issued dire warnings of plunging innovation whenever regulation reared its head. In general, the threat hasn’t materialized.
Inflation Reduction Act Contains Important Cost-Saving Changes for Many Patients — Maybe for You
The legislation, which the House is expected to pass Friday, would allow the federal government, for the first time, to negotiate the price of some drugs that Medicare buys. It also would extend the enhanced subsidies for people who buy insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces.
Rapper Fat Joe Says No One Is Making Sure Hospitals Post Their Prices
A TV and social media ad offers a reason to check on the enforcement of a sweeping rule that requires hospitals to post information about what they charge insurers and cash-paying patients.
Newsom Pins Political Rise on Abortion, Guns, and Health Care
As California Gov. Gavin Newsom claims the role as the national Democratic Party’s political attack dog, he is trolling red-state governors over their positions on guns and abortion. He’s also making a case for himself — with health care front and center.