Latest California Healthline Stories
Patients Eligible For Charity Care Instead Get Big Bills
Nonprofit hospitals admit they sent $2.7 billion in bills over the course of a year to patients who probably qualified for free or discounted care.
How Newsom’s Bill-Signing Marathon Affects Your Health Care
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed off on an array of health care bills that will significantly affect the lives of Californians, including many college students, pregnant women, schoolchildren and dialysis patients.
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.
Age-Old Health Care Debate Shifts From Insuring More People To Cutting Costs
U.S. political parties for years have argued about the role of government in providing health care and expanding coverage to more people. But as the cost of medical services continues to grow faster than most Americans’ incomes, even people with private insurance coverage are finding the cost of care becoming unaffordable, KHN’s Julie Rovner writes in a new article in BMJ.
California’s New Transparency Law Reveals Steep Rise In Wholesale Drug Prices
Pharmaceutical companies raised the wholesale cost of their drugs by a median of nearly 26% from 2017 to early 2019, according to California’s first-ever report stemming from a new drug price transparency law. Prices for generic drugs rose nearly 38% during that time.
VCU Health Will Halt Patient Lawsuits, Boost Aid In Wake Of KHN Investigation
Patients at VCU Health will no longer be taken to court and can more easily get financial assistance to pay their bills.
As Medicare Enrollment Nears, Popular Price Comparison Tool Missing Key Details
For more than a decade, customers used the online plan finder to compare dozens of policies. Yet after a redesign of the website, the search results no longer list which plan offers a customer the best value. Federal officials say it will be fixed before enrollment begins next week.
Trump’s New Order For Medicare Packs Potential Rise In Patients’ Costs
The president’s directive, which he said is designed to give beneficiaries more choices in their health care, could lead to higher costs for seniors. Final rules are to be written by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Where Contraception’s A Lifestyle Drug Not A Medical Need — So Women Pay The Tab
Unlike in the U.S., health insurance in Germany doesn’t cover birth control. Advocates here say that causes health problems — but change is unlikely.
Why Hospitals Are Getting Into The Housing Business
Hospital systems now invest in housing to help some of their most frequent patients. This allows them to safely discharge patients who otherwise would have no place to go, freeing up beds for sicker patients and saving the hospitals money.