California May Face More Than $40M in Fines for Lapses in Prison Suicide Prevention
By Don Thompson
A court expert reported that California prisons continue to lag on 14 of 15 suicide prevention measures, and even regressed in some areas. The state could face more than $40 million in fines after a federal judge warned more than a year ago that she would impose penalties for each violation.
Operating in the Red: Half of Rural Hospitals Lose Money, as Many Cut Services
By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez
A recent report finds half of America’s rural hospitals are losing money, and many are struggling to stay open. Researchers and advocates worry the hospitals’ financial spiral will have immediate and long-term health effects on their communities.
Daily Edition for Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Mental Health Funding Measure Leads In Early Returns: Proposition 1, the ballot measure to enact a key part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to get people off the streets and into treatment, is still too close to call. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle. For live updates from the Los Angeles Times, click here.
Why Even Public Health Experts Have Limited Insight Into Stopping Gun Violence in America
By Christine Spolar
Illustration by Oona Zenda
After the 1996 Dickey Amendment halted federal spending on research into firearms risks, a small group of academics pressed on, with little money or political support, to document the nation’s growing gun violence problem and start to understand what can be done to curb the public health crisis.
Biden Is Right. The US Generally Pays Double That of Other Countries for Rx Drugs.
By Samantha Putterman, PolitiFact
Research has consistently found that, overall, U.S. prescription drug prices are significantly higher, sometimes two to four times as high, compared with prices in other high-income industrialized countries. However, some market factors can obscure actual prices, making comparisons harder.
Daily Edition for Tuesday, March 5, 2024
Mental health care, homelessness, cancer treatment, opioid overdoses, OTC birth control, STDs, and more are in today’s news.
Whistleblower Accuses Aledade, Largest US Independent Primary Care Network, of Medicare Fraud
By Fred Schulte
A recently unsealed lawsuit alleges Aledade Inc. developed billing software that boosted revenues by making patients appear sicker than they were.
Statistical Models vs. Front-Line Workers: Who Knows Best How to Spend Opioid Settlement Cash?
By Aneri Pattani
A mathematical model designed to direct spending of opioid settlement funds is at the center of a debate over whether to invest in technology to guide long-term decisions or focus on the immediate needs of people in addiction.
Daily Edition for Monday, March 4, 2024
Mental health, covid guidelines, IVF, abortion pills, no-cost preventive services, and more are in the news.
Biden’s Got a Taker for One of His Gun Safety Proposals: California
By Samantha Young
California could give President Biden a political win this year on gun violence. State senators passed sweeping legislation in January that would toughen gun storage requirements, embracing a White House priority that has languished in Congress. Many states, including California, have laws in place requiring gun owners to securely store their firearms when children are […]
