Latest California Healthline Stories
Insurer Slashes Breast Pump Payments, Stoking Fears Fewer Moms Will Breastfeed
Anthem, one of the country’s largest insurers, has cut the reimbursement rate it pays for breast pumps by nearly half, fueling concerns that new moms — especially ones with lower incomes — will not be able to afford the pumps they need.
California Hospital Giant Sutter Health Faces Heavy Backlash On Prices
In a case with possible national repercussions, the state’s attorney general has sued over alleged price gouging, and other legal and legislative challenges are afoot. Sutter is pushing back hard, denying anticompetitive behavior.
4 Takeaways From Trump’s Plan To Rescind CHIP Funding
President Donald Trump is recommending that Congress approve his plan to take back about $7 billion in funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Plan. Experts are divided about whether it would have any effect.
Trump amenaza con recorte de $7 mil millones al programa de salud infantil CHIP
Una estrategia presupuestaria permitiría a la administración retirar fondos del programa de salud que ofrece cobertura a 9 millones de niños en todo el país.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Medicaid, Privacy And Tom Price’s Return
Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo discuss the latest on states’ efforts to reshape their Medicaid programs, the kerfuffle over President Donald Trump’s medical records and comments by former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price about Congress’ repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s “individual mandate” penalty. Rovner also interviews Harvard professor Robert Blendon about the complex politics of health in the coming midterm elections.
Sprained Your Ankle? The Cost Of A Brace Could Sprain Your Wallet.
Your health insurance might not cover items such as wheelchairs, walkers, crutches and braces, or you may have to deal with a supplier that has a contract with your insurer.
Can You Hear Me Now? Senate Bill Aims to Broaden Access To Hearing Services.
The measure would allow Medicare beneficiaries to visit an audiologist to get a hearing test to diagnose a hearing problem without first being referred by a physician or nurse practitioner.
California Aims To Tackle Health Care Prices In Novel Rate-Setting Proposal
Proponents of the bill say high costs of care are gobbling paychecks and worsening income inequality. Doctors and hospitals say it will drive providers out of state.
Patient Advocacy Groups Take In Millions From Drugmakers. Is There A Payback?
Kaiser Health News launches “Pre$cription for Power,” a groundbreaking database to expose Big Pharma’s ties to patient groups.
Poll: Americans Aghast Over Drug Costs But Aren’t Holding Their Breath For A Fix
Almost three-quarters of Americans think the pharmaceutical industry has too much power in the nation’s capital, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.