Latest California Healthline Stories
Journalists Discuss Dangerous but Little-Known Disease, Heat Deaths, and Doctor License Fees
California Healthline ethnic media editor Paula Andalo appeared on Radio Bilingüe to explain why doctors want more done to combat Chagas disease. Contributor Stephanie O’Neill Patison reported an increase in heat-related deaths and a proposal to increase doctors’ licensing fees.
California’s Medical Board Can’t Pay Its Bills, but Doctors Resist Proposed Fixes
Patient advocates have long alleged the Medical Board of California is ineffective at policing doctors. But a proposal to beef up its budget and overhaul procedures faces stiff resistance from the doctors’ lobby.
Feds Say Hospitals That Redistribute Medicaid Money Violate Law
Federal officials are trying to clamp down on private arrangements among some hospitals to pay themselves back for the Medicaid taxes they’ve paid. State health officials and the influential hospital industry argue that regulators have no jurisdiction over the agreements.
Patients in California County May See Refunds, Debt Relief From Charity Care Settlement
As hospitals are criticized for skimping on financial assistance, Santa Clara County has agreed to notify 43,000 former patients of possible billing reductions as part of a settlement. Some patients had sued, alleging the county’s hospital system sent them to collections for bills they shouldn’t have received.
Promising Better, Cheaper Care, Kaiser Permanente’s National Expansion Faces Wide Skepticism
Kaiser Permanente, the California-based health care giant, is looking to dramatically expand its national presence. It’s committed $5 billion to a new unit called Risant Health and has agreed to acquire Pennsylvania-based Geisinger, but skeptics wonder how it will export its unique model to other states.
Amid Lack of Accountability for Bias in Maternity Care, a California Family Seeks Justice
April Valentine’s family wants to know whether racism could have played a role in her death. A California Healthline analysis shows state regulators are ill-equipped to find discrimination in its many forms.
As a Union Pushes to Cap Hospital CEO Pay, It’s Accused of Playing Politics
A union is asking Los Angeles city voters to cap hospital executive pay at the U.S. president’s salary. However, hospitals accuse the union of using the proposal as political leverage, and policy experts question whether the policy, if enacted, would be workable.
Blood Test That Screens for Cancer Raises Hopes, and Worries
The first of a new wave of cancer-detection blood tests likely saved Gilbert Milam Jr.’s life. But many cancer researchers, wary of overtesting, argue it’s premature to prescribe the Galleri test widely.
Covered California to Cut Patient Costs After Democrats Win Funding From Newsom
California’s health insurance exchange will reduce how much some patients pay for care next year, including hospital deductibles, appointment copays, and prescription drugs. Lawmakers pressed Gov. Gavin Newsom to make good on a four-year-old pledge to use proceeds from a tax penalty on uninsured people to help people pay for treatment.
Black Women Weigh Emerging Risks of ‘Creamy Crack’ Hair Straighteners
Social and economic pressures have long compelled Black girls and women to straighten their hair. But mounting evidence shows chemical straighteners — products with little regulatory oversight — may pose cancer and other health risks.