California Official Comes out of Retirement To Lead Troubled Mental Health Commission
By Molly Castle Work
Former California social services head Will Lightbourne has come out of retirement to lead the state’s mental health accountability commission following its executive director’s resignation in the wake of conflict of interest allegations.
How Measles, Whooping Cough, and Worse Could Roar Back on RFK Jr.’s Watch
By Arthur Allen
Inoculation campaigns that protect children and adults from dangerous diseases rely on a delicate web of state and federal laws and programs. If senior officials cast doubt on vaccine safety, the whole system might collapse, especially in red states.
Six Years Into an Appalachia Hospital Monopoly, Patients Are Fearful and Furious
By Brett Kelman
Ballad Health, with the largest state-sanctioned hospital monopoly in the nation, has failed for years to meet many quality-of-care goals, leaving some patients afraid of their local hospitals but with no other nearby options.
Por qué el sarampión, la tos ferina y otras enfermedades graves podrían resurgir con RFK Jr.
By Arthur Allen
Expertos afirman que una confluencia de factores podría causar el resurgimiento de epidemias mortales de enfermedades como el sarampión, la tos ferina y la meningitis, o incluso de polio.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': A Colorful Cast Could Lead Key Health Agencies
President-elect Donald Trump has made his choices to fill some top jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services. They include controversial figures who were vocal critics of the Biden administration’s handling of the covid pandemic and have proposed sweeping changes to the agencies they would lead. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University and Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
Daily Edition for Thursday, December 5, 2024
Network Disruption Halts Some Services At PIH Health Hospitals: A network disruption that started Sunday is impacting services at PIH Health hospitals across Southern California, leaving some patients unable to get ahold of their doctors and even causing some surgeries to be canceled. The affected hospitals are in Whittier, Downey, and Los Angeles. Read more from KABC.
An Arm and a Leg: New Lessons in the Fight for Charity Care
By Dan Weissmann
Host Dan Weissmann checks back in on the fight for hospital charity care, with lessons from Dollar For and a savvy listener.
Daily Edition for Wednesday, December 4, 2024
CEO Of Dairy Farm That Recalled Products For Bird Flu Might Play Role In Trump Administration: Raw Farm CEO Mark McAfee said he has been asked to apply for a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory position by the transition team for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time Raw Farm customer and President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Read more from Bay Area News Group. Keep scrolling for more health news about the incoming Trump administration.
Nursing Homes Fell Behind on Vaccinating Patients for Covid
By Sarah Boden
Last winter, only 4 in 10 nursing home residents got an updated covid vaccine. The low uptake leaves a fragile population vulnerable. Some industry watchdogs say it could be a sign of eroding trust between nursing home residents and providers.
How Potential Medicaid Cuts Could Play Out in California
By Bernard J. Wolfson
As Donald Trump prepares to reenter the White House with a Republican-controlled Congress, health officials and community advocates in California worry that large-scale Medicaid cuts could be enacted as soon as next year. More than 60% of California’s $161 billion Medi-Cal budget comes from Washington.
