Latest California Healthline Stories
Coverage Denied: Medicaid Patients Suffer As Layers Of Private Companies Profit
Managed-care plans, which reap billions in taxpayer dollars to coordinate care for low-income Americans on Medicaid, outsource crucial treatment decisions to subcontractors that aren’t directly accountable to the government. In California, health officials say one firm improperly withheld or delayed care for hundreds of people.
Hep C And Drug Abuse Often Go Hand In Hand, But Screening For Infection Lags
As the number of people who inject drugs has soared, the rate of hepatitis C infection has climbed steeply, too, because the disease can be tied to sharing needles. Yet many drug patients are not checked for the virus that can damage the liver.
Taking Surprise Medical Bills To Court
Some legal experts say contract law could provide consumers another avenue to challenge unexpected hospital bills.
Assisted Living’s Breakneck Growth Leaves Safety Of Dementia Patients Behind
An analysis of inspection records in California, Florida and Texas shows significant numbers of violations related to assisted living residents with dementia.
After Her Skiing Accident, An Uphill Battle Over Snowballing Bills
She took a bad fall on the slopes and her surgeon used a metal plate to put the splintered bones of her leg back together. When that device failed less than four months later, she and her insurer had to pay full price for the replacement plate.
Health Care Is Where The Jobs Are. But What Kind Of Jobs?
The health care industry adds thousands of jobs to the economy each month. While they aren’t all doctors and nurses, they aren’t all paper pushers either.
El año del “vapeo”: dramático aumento del uso de cigarrillos electrónicos en jóvenes
El “vaping” va en contra de la tendencia: el consumo de alcohol, de tabaco tradicional y de marihuana están bajando. El cigarrillo electrónico crece.
A federal district judge in Texas ruled Friday that Congress’ 2017 elimination of the tax penalty for failing to have insurance rendered the entire Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. What happens now? KHN’s Julie Rovner, along with panelists Joanne Kenen of Politico, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, discuss the bombshell decision and its potential fallout.
The Year Of The Vape: Teen E-Cigarette Use Spikes
More than a third of high school seniors said they have vaped in the past year — up nearly 10 percentage points from the previous year. The dramatic jump comes despite efforts by public health officials, educators and lawmakers to reverse the e-cigarette trend among youths, including a recent proposal to ban retail sales of flavored tobacco products in California.
Watch And Listen: Court Decision Rocks ACA
A federal judge’s decision jeopardizes the federal health law. KHN’s Julie Rovner helps explain the repercussions in appearances on radio and television.