Law and Order or Bystander Safety? Police Chases Spotlight California’s Competing Priorities
By Don Thompson
California’s governor is pressuring Oakland to allow more police pursuits as part of a crackdown on crime. But more pursuits mean a greater risk to public health, with more potential injuries and deaths among bystanders. Policies in cities including New York and San Francisco reflect divergent local priorities.
States Facing Doctor Shortages Ease Licensing Rules for Foreign-Trained Physicians
By Arielle Zionts
Amid doctor shortages, several states have stopped requiring foreign-trained providers to repeat residencies before they’re fully licensed. Critics say patients could be harmed because of the loosened training requirements.
Home Improvements Help People Age Independently. But Medicare Seldom Picks Up the Bill.
By Joanne Kenen
A small program celebrated by its proponents helps people modify their homes and safely live independently as they age. But most insurers won’t pay for it, including Medicare.
Para enfrentar la escasez, estados buscan facilitar que médicos extranjeros ejerzan en el país
By Arielle Zionts
Alrededor del 26% de los médicos que ejercen en el país nacieron en otro lugar, según el Instituto de Política Migratoria. Necesitan visas para vivir en Estados Unidos, además de licencias estatales para ejercer la medicina.
Fires Undercut L.A.’s Headway on Homelessness
By Angela Hart
As Los Angeles recovers from historic wildfires, both previously unsheltered and chronically homeless people are facing even greater instability. Some lawmakers and providers argue now is the time to put in even more resources to maintain the progress the county and state have made in fighting the crisis.
Daily Edition for Friday, February 28, 2025
Mental Health Facility Allowed To Expand: A south Sacramento residential care facility for people suffering from severe mental illnesses will more than double its occupancy, despite strong neighborhood opposition. The congregate care facility will expand from 53 people to 140. Read more from The Sacramento Bee.
A Runner Was Hit by a Car, Then by a Surprise Ambulance Bill
By Sandy West
A San Francisco man had friends drive him to the hospital after he was hit by a car. Doctors checked him out, then sent him by ambulance to a trauma center — which released him with no further treatment. The ambulance bill? Almost $13,000.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': House GOP Plan Targets Medicaid
The House passed a budget plan that likely would result in major cuts to the Medicaid program. But the plan now faces a battle in the Senate, where even Republicans seem reluctant to dramatically reduce a health program that covers roughly 1 in 5 Americans. Meanwhile, federal judges and the Trump administration continue to differ over whether the administration has the authority to unilaterally cancel programs approved and funded by Congress and to fire federal workers. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
Daily Edition for Thursday, February 27, 2025
California Bill Would Let CRNAs Practice Independently: Assemblyman Heath Flora, R-Ripon, wants to upgrade the status of nurse anesthetists amid a statewide shortage of physician anesthesiologists. Assembly Bill 876 would give certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) the long-sought-after authority to practice independently. A second bill would expand hospital medical staff membership to include nurse anesthetists and more. Read more from The Modesto Bee.
Future of Cancer Coverage for Women Federal Firefighters Uncertain Under Trump
By Kylie Mohr
In the waning days of the Biden administration, the Labor Department added ovarian, uterine, cervical, and breast cancer coverage for wildland firefighters. It’s unclear whether the new protections will stick under Trump.
