Latest California Healthline Stories
Newsom Touts California’s ‘Public Option.’ Wait — What Public Option?
Gov. Gavin Newsom says the state already has a public option: Covered California, the state health insurance exchange. While there is no single definition of a public option, some health care experts say that’s a stretch.
Women Shouldn’t Get A Bill For An IUD … But Sometimes They Do
The Affordable Care Act requires that insurers cover birth control with no out-of-pocket costs, but the enforcement mechanism is weak and a pending court case could add further complications.
Patients Stuck With Bills After Insurers Don’t Pay As Promised
Insurance companies often require patients to have medical procedures, devices, tests and even some medicines preapproved to ensure the insurers are willing to cover the costs. But that doesn’t guarantee they’ll end up paying. Some patients are getting stuck with unexpected bills after the medical service has been provided.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Fact-Checking President Trump’s State Of The Union
President Donald Trump spent a good deal of time on health issues in his State of the Union address, but not everything he said checks out. Meanwhile, Iowa Democrats heading into the caucuses said health is their top issue, but it’s hard to see how that played out in their actual choices. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, Rovner interviews KHN’s Julie Appleby and NPR’s Selena Simmons-Duffin about the latest “Bill of the Month” feature.
To Boost Bottom Lines, Single-Payer May Be Just What These Restaurateurs Ordered
Small-business owners, frustrated by the byzantine health system, are warming to the idea of a “Medicare for All,” government-run system, even if it increases their taxes. But they have questions.
More Resources — Check These Fact Checks From Previous Trump Health Care Claims
Here’s a sampling of recent fact checks related to some of the health care claims made during President Donald Trump’s Feb. 4 State of the Union speech.
Trump On ‘Medicare for All’ And The Costs Of Extending Health Care To Undocumented Immigrants
In his Feb. 4 State of the Union address, President Donald Trump said the cost of extending health care to people regardless of their citizenship status would “bankrupt” the U.S.
On Drug Pricing, The President’s Numbers Are Still Off
We checked again. The data has not changed.
Patients Caught In Crossfire Between Giant Hospital Chain, Large Insurer
Insurance giant Cigna and San Francisco-based Dignity Health have failed to ink a 2020 contract, leaving nearly 17,000 patients in California and Nevada scrambling to find new health care providers. Meanwhile, Dignity faces financial and legal challenges while it strives to implement its merger with Catholic Health Initiatives, which created one of the nation’s largest Catholic hospital systems.
What To Do If Your Home Health Care Agency Ditches You
If you’re told Medicare’s home health benefits have changed, don’t believe it: Coverage rules haven’t been altered and people are still entitled to the same types of services. All that has changed is how Medicare pays agencies.