Latest California Healthline Stories
Refugees’ Needs in U.S. Change As World’s Conflicts Shift
Syrian and Iraqi refugees arrive with decidedly different medical and mental health needs than other waves of refugees.
Elderly Hospital Patients Arrive Sick, Often Leave Disabled
Some hospitals try to avoid sharp declines in the health of elderly patients by treating them in special units geared to their specific needs.
Syncing Up Drug Refills: A Way To Get Patients To Take Their Medicine
A study published in Health Affairs concludes that the idea of coordinating prescription refill timelines for people with multiple chronic conditions could improve their medication adherence and health outcomes.
‘Lost In Translation:’ Hospitals’ Language Service Capacity Doesn’t Always Match Need
A study in Health Affairs finds that nationwide hospital-based language services are not available in a systematic way.
In Later Years, Disabilities End Blacks’ Active Lives Sooner Than Whites’
Elderly black women suffer most from shorter active life expectancy free of disabilities, showing no improvement since the early 1980s, Health Affairs study finds.
A Look At Veep Pick Tim Kaine’s Record On Health Care
As a Democratic senator and governor, Tim Kaine has backed the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid expansion and better access to mental health treatment for people in crisis.
Montana’s ‘Pain Refugees’ Travel To California To Get Prescribed Opioids
With rising awareness of opioid abuse, some pain patients say doctors are less likely to prescribe them. One Montana sufferer goes to great lengths to get his prescription — he flies to California.
Medicare’s Readmission Penalties Hit New High
Medicare will withhold an estimated $528 million in 2017 from more than 2,500 hospitals — including 225 in California — that have too many patients returning within 30 days.
University of California OKs $8.5 Million For Two Patients Suing Over Financial Conflicts
The patients allege that Dr. Jeffrey Wang, former executive director of UCLA’s spine center, failed to disclose his conflicts of interest with device maker Medtronic before using the company’s devices in surgeries that left them in chronic pain. Both UCLA and Medtronic deny wrongdoing.
Women And The Zika Virus: Smart Questions And A Few Solid Answers
Here’s a breakdown of what women should know, and what is still unclear, regarding how Zika is transmitted, who is at risk and how to take precautions against it.