Will California Kick Butts Off State Beaches? Not This Year
By Pauline Bartolone
Gov. Jerry Brown last week vetoed two bills that would have limited or banned smoking at state parks and beaches.
Taking A Page From Pharma’s Playbook To Fight The Opioid Crisis
By Pauline Bartolone
Doctors and pharmacists in Northern California are emulating drug company sales reps with a fresh purpose in mind: They visit medical offices in the hardest-hit counties to change their peers’ prescribing habits and curtail the use of painkillers.
Could California Shape The Fate Of The Affordable Care Act In November?
By Chad Terhune and Pauline Bartolone and Ana B. Ibarra and Alex Leeds Matthews
With the primary now over, health care may well emerge as an issue that helps voters distinguish between candidates for governor, attorney general and other offices in the general election.
Trump’s Work-For-Medicaid Rule Puts Work On States’ Shoulders
By Phil Galewitz and Pauline Bartolone
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.
New Law Challenges ‘Evils’ Of Pharma Profits, California Governor Claims
By April Dembosky, KQED
Gov. Jerry Brown signed the measure, which takes effect next year and will require drug companies to publicly justify big price increases.
Trump Administration Rule Paves Way For Association Health Plans
By Julie Appleby and Pauline Bartolone
Proponents say the proposed regulation will give some consumers more affordable insurance options. Critics warn that the coverage could be less comprehensive.
Hospitals Step In To Help House The Homeless. Will It Make A Difference?
By Pauline Bartolone
They say it will help reduce unnecessary ER visits and ensure better follow-up care. It’s also good P.R., and helps them meet their obligations to provide benefits to the community in exchange for significant tax breaks.
California Drug Price Bill Sweeping In Scope, Lacking In Muscle
By Pauline Bartolone
The proposal, which is headed to the desk of Gov. Jerry Brown, would impose new reporting requirements on drugmakers and health plans but wouldn’t have the power to bring down prices directly.
5 Takeaways From Congress’ Failure To Extend Funding For Children’s Coverage
By Phil Galewitz
Federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program expired Sept. 30. Many states still have money in their budgets, but California has enough money to last only through the end of the year.
