Capitol Desk

Latest California Healthline Stories

Universal Health Coverage In California: Is It Even Possible?

On Southern California Public Radio, California Healthline Senior Correspondent Chad Terhune discusses the prospects for coverage-for-all proposals by gubernatorial hopeful Gavin Newsom and others given GOP plans in Washington D.C.

California Hospitals Get A Second Law On Notifying Observation Care Patients

A new federal law requires that hospitals give Medicare patients notice after placing them under observation, along with the reason why they were not officially admitted. In California, it comes on top of a state law that requires quicker notice for all observation patients but does not oblige hospitals to explain their decision not to admit.

Los Angeles County Finds E-Success In Managing Specialist Care

An electronic consulting and referral system adopted by the county’s safety-net public health system in 2012 has reduced waiting times for appointments with specialists and eliminated the need for such appointments in a significant number of cases, according to a new study in the journal Health Affairs.