Latest California Healthline Stories
That ‘Living Will’ You Signed? At The ER, It Could Be Open To Interpretation.
End-of-life documents express your preferences for care but may not be binding medical orders. Here’s how to better prepare for the unexpected — that your last wishes won’t be carried out.
How America Got Hooked On A Deadly Drug
An inside look at how Purdue Pharma pushed OxyContin despite risks of addiction and fatalities.
Medicare Takes Aim At Boomerang Hospitalizations Of Nursing Home Patients
Nationally, one in five Medicare patients who leave the hospital for a nursing home end up back in the hospital. In California, one-fifth of the more than 1,200 nursing homes send at least 24 percent of their Medicare patients back to the hospital. To discourage this trend, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will soon give bonuses and penalties to facilities based on their rehospitalization rates.
Remote Rural Hospital Puts Its Fate In Hands of Denver Entrepreneur
Residents of Surprise Valley, in the state’s northeastern corner, voted to sell its hospital to a businessman with a controversial plan to bring in revenue. Its dismal financial plight exemplifies the woes of rural hospitals around the country.
Outsiders Swoop In Vowing To Rescue Rural Hospitals Short On Hope — And Money
The community of Surprise Valley, Calif., wrestled with the idea of selling its tiny, long-cherished hospital to a Denver entrepreneur who sees a big future in lab tests for faraway patients. Last summer, another exec had a similar idea but left town.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Virginia, The VA, And Military Medicine
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post and Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call discuss the Virginia legislature’s about-face with a vote to expand the Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act and the new bill to expand health programs for veterans. Plus, Rovner interviews Dr. Arthur Kellerman, dean of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
Desafío médico y moral: tratar a pacientes indocumentados con enfermedad renal terminal
Se estima que, en los Estados Unidos, hay 6.500 inmigrantes indocumentados con enfermedad renal en etapa terminal. Muchos de ellos terminan recibiendo diálisis en salas de emergencias.
Another Cause Of Doctor Burnout: Being Forced To Give Immigrants Unequal Care
Undocumented patients with kidney disease often can’t get treatment unless they are in a state of emergency. This bothers clinicians who want to treat all patients equally.
Watch: Beyond Puerto Rico’s Grim Statistics, Stories Of Lives And Deaths
KHN senior correspondent Sarah Varney reports from Puerto Rico in the aftermath of the devastating Sept. 20 hurricane.
In Health Care Arena, The Prize For Calif. Insurance Commissioner Is A Bullhorn
The California Department of Insurance, headed by the commissioner, regulates only a small fraction of the market. But the job comes with a bully pulpit that amplifies its impact. Three of the four candidates would use it to push for a statewide single-payer system.