Latest California Healthline Stories
Easier-to-Use Coronavirus Saliva Tests Start to Catch On
Regulators and scientists have been leery of introducing the tests, preferring to rely on tried-and-true methods, but evidence is mounting that the spit and swab tests may be more convenient and just as accurate.
Old Drug Turned ‘Cash Cow’ as Company Pumped Price to $40K a Vial, Emails Show
The CEO of Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals defended the price hikes of Acthar gel, an orphan drug that treats infantile spasms at a House Oversight Committee hearing on Thursday.
Promises Kept? On Health Care, Trump’s Claims of ‘Monumental Steps’ Don’t Add Up
The president entered office seeking to overturn the Affordable Care Act, revamp Medicaid and drive down prescription drug prices, among other things. He’s hit some stone walls.
Heartbreaking Bills, Lawsuit and Bankruptcy — Even With Insurance
With health insurance that can leave him on the hook for more than a quarter of his salary every year, a Kentucky essential worker who has heart disease is one of millions of Americans who are functionally uninsured. At only 31, he has already been through bankruptcy and being sued by his hospital. This year, he faced a bill for more than $10,000.
‘An Arm and a Leg’: A Primer on Persisting in Difficult and Uncertain Times
Laura Derrick’s personal fight for affordable health care eventually landed her in the middle of a historic political fight ― and a movement that transformed American health policy.
‘An Arm and a Leg’: She Tangled With Health Insurers for 25 Years — And Loved It
When people had a health insurance headache, these two words were a relief: “Call Barbara.” No problem was too big, or too small, she’d fix it.
Pence Praises Trump’s ‘Seamless’ COVID Response, Leaves Out His State Feuds
Early in the pandemic, Trump feuded with governors over whose responsibility it was to secure supplies and states sometimes found themselves competing with each other and the federal government for scarce personal protective equipment and testing materials.
Prognosis for Rural Hospitals Worsens With Pandemic
Rural hospitals were already struggling before the coronavirus emerged. Now, the loss of revenue from patients who are afraid to come to the emergency room, postponing doctor’s appointments and delaying elective surgeries is adding to the pressure.
They Pledged to Donate Rights to Their COVID Vaccine, Then Sold Them to Pharma
Advocates of cheap and widely available vaccines thought the pandemic might change business as usual. They were wrong.
Veteran’s Appendectomy Launches Excruciating Months-Long Battle Over Bill
An uninsured Colorado man owed $80,232 after two surgeries — the second to correct a complication from the first. After months of negotiating with the hospital, he still owes far more than most insurers would pay for the surgery he had.