Readers Weigh In on Abortion and Ways To Tackle the Opioid Crisis
California Healthline gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Daily Edition for Monday, July 29, 2024
Bay Area Resident Dies Of West Nile Virus, The First Time Since 2006: A Bay Area county has reported its first mosquito-related death in nearly two decades. Contra Costa County officials announced Saturday that a resident succumbed to a West Nile virus infection this month. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN.
California Lawmakers Debate Sending Local Health Inspectors Into Immigration Facilities
By Vanessa G. Sánchez
Immigration is regulated by the federal government, but California lawmakers may give local public health inspectors the authority to inspect privately operated immigration detention facilities, citing complaints and lawsuits from detainees alleging inadequate medical care and unsanitary conditions.
Maternity Care in Rural Areas Is in Crisis. Can More Doulas Help?
By Jess Mador, WABE
Rural communities are losing access to maternity care, raising the risk of pregnancy complications, especially for Black women, who face higher rates of maternal mortality. Now, a Georgia medical school is trying to help by training doulas, practitioners who offer patients extra support before, during, and after childbirth.
Why Many Nonprofit (Wink, Wink) Hospitals Are Rolling in Money
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
Legal maneuvering, industry lobbying, and lax IRS oversight leave lots of room for “operating surpluses.”
Daily Edition for Friday, July 26, 2024
Governor Issues Executive Order For Removal Of Homeless Encampments: Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered state officials to dismantle thousands of homeless encampments. The move comes on the heels of a recent Supreme Court decision that gave local and state governments more latitude to remove people from their streets. Read more from the Palm Springs Desert Sun, Los Angeles Times, and The Sacramento Bee.
The CDC’s Test for Bird Flu Works, but It Has Issues
By Arthur Allen and Amy Maxmen
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention promises better tests are being developed, but the episode points to vulnerabilities in the country’s defense against emerging outbreaks.
Union With Labor Dispute of Its Own Threatened To Cut Off Workers’ Health Benefits
By Phil Galewitz
The National Education Association, the nation’s largest union, told striking workers that their health coverage would be cut off Aug. 1 absent a deal on a new contract. Tensions have mounted after staff disrupted the union’s convention, at which President Joe Biden had been scheduled to speak.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Harris in the Spotlight
For the 2024 campaign, Joe Biden is out, and Kamala Harris is in. As the vice president makes moves toward the top of the Democratic presidential ticket, health policy is resurging as a campaign issue. Meanwhile, Congress tries — and again fails — to make timely progress on the annual government spending bills as abortion issues cause delays. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Stephanie Armour of KFF Health News, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Anthony Wright, the new executive director of Families USA, about his plans for the organization and his history working with Harris on health topics.
Daily Edition for Thursday, July 25, 2024
Covered California Premiums Are Going Up: Premiums for health insurance sold through the state’s marketplace will increase by nearly 8% in 2025, Covered California officials announced Wednesday. That’s a smaller increase than this year’s 10% hike, which was the biggest jump in Covered California insurance costs since 2018. Read more from CalMatters.
