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Latest California Healthline Stories

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Surprise! Fixing Surprise Medical Bills Is Harder Than it Looks

Joanne Kenen of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss the efforts to curb “surprise” medical bills to patients who inadvertently get out-of-network care; a look at where the 2020 presidential candidates stand on health; and the Trump administration’s efforts to end HIV in the U.S. Also, Rovner interviews Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who is leaving his job in early April.

Crowd At Capitol Demands Immigrant Health Coverage

Immigrants rallied at the state Capitol on Wednesday, calling for lawmakers to support a proposal to expand full Medicaid benefits to adult immigrants who are in the country illegally. Opponents cited potentially exorbitant costs.

Costly Confusion: Medicare’s Wellness Visit Isn’t The Same As An Annual Physical

Medicare doesn’t pay for an annual physical, but it does cover an annual wellness visit focused on preventing disease and disability by coming up with a “personalized prevention plan” for future medical issues. It is important to use the correct term when scheduling a doctor’s visit.

Does It Make Sense To Delay Children’s Vaccines?

The renewed squabble over vaccinations obscures a large group of parents who aren’t anti-vaxxers but spread out their children’s vaccines at a more gradual pace than doctors recommend. Pediatricians warn that could leave small children vulnerable to disease.