Latest California Healthline Stories
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don’t have to.
More Seniors Are Dying In Falls. Doctors Could Do More To Reduce The Risk.
Doctors should assess older adults for the risk of falling, come up with individualized plans and refer seniors to physical therapists, occupational therapists and evidence-based programs.
In Secret, Seniors Discuss ‘Rational Suicide’
Running counter to the efforts of suicide prevention experts and many religious and social norms, some seniors are quietly exploring the option of turning to suicide when they feel they’ve lived long enough.
New Budget Boosts Health Coverage For Low-Income Californians
California lawmakers spent big on Medi-Cal in the 2019-20 state budget, voting to cover more older residents and people with disabilities, restore benefits cut during the recession and open the program to eligible young adults who are in the country illegally.
Stem Cell Company Persuades Employers To Steer Workers Toward Controversial Therapy
Regenexx, which runs a string of clinics, says stem cell injections can save employers a lot of money, but critics say there’s no proof.
Never Say ‘Die’: Why So Many Doctors Won’t Break Bad News
It’s never easy to tell a patient about a terminal illness, but a longtime doctor whose own diagnosis was botched says physicians must do better.
Why So Many Older Americans Rate Their Health As Good Or Even Excellent
As people advance in age, the expectations for what constitutes good health change. People focus on positive emotions and satisfaction with life, while physical ailments play a less important role.
Mini-Biographies Help Clinicians Connect With Patients
Some Veterans Affairs hospitals around the country use writers to record patients’ life stories, then place a short biography in each vet’s medical record. The My Life, My Story program gives clinicians another way to get to know their patients.
Social Security Error Jeopardizes Medicare Coverage For 250,000 Seniors
The problem affects private drug policies and Medicare Advantage plans that provide both medical and drug coverage and substitute for traditional government-run Medicare. It could leave plan members without coverage.
A Doctor Speaks Out About Ageism In Medicine
A frank conversation with geriatrician and author Dr. Louise Aronson about medicine’s biased treatment of older adults and what needs to change.