Cost and Quality

Latest California Healthline Stories

Lawmakers Debate How Much Wiggle Room To Give States In Health Care

The federal health law includes a provision that allows states to alter some of its rules if they can think of a better way to provide health care to their residents, but it’s not clear how far outside the box states can go.

Why One California County Went Surgery Shopping

Fed up with high hospital costs and limited competition, Santa Barbara County sends willing employees out of town for better bargains. Local governments are slowly joining private employers in aggressively seeking out the best care for the lowest price. 

5 Outside-The-Box Ideas For Fixing The Individual Insurance Market

As lawmakers look for ways to stabilize the health law marketplaces, a number of ideas — such as expanding who can “buy in” to Medicare and Medicaid or pushing young adults off their parents’ plans into the marketplaces — might come into play.