Latest California Healthline Stories
Fight Continues To Raise Smoking Age
Bill Dombrowski of the California Retailers Association, State Sen. Ed Hernandez, Debra Kelley of the American Lung Association and Assembly member Jim Wood spoke with California Healthline about the return of proposed legislation to raise the legal smoking age from 18 to 21 in California.
‘Meducation’ Putting Ethnically Appropriate Drug Information in Patients’ Hands
Bay Area clinics and hospitals are using a drug information platform, called Meducation, designed to help patients, especially those with low literacy and English as a second language, understand how and when to take medications by providing materials in 21 languages.
Are State Policies on Autism Treatment Limiting Access to Care for Children?
Advocates are calling the Medi-Cal requirements to access autism treatment onerous and say the state is putting up barriers to care. State officials say they’re just being deliberate.
Disagreement Over Charity Contributions Simmers in Blue Shield’s Care1st Deal
Blue Shield of California said it is abiding by the language outlining charitable contributions in its agreement with the Department of Managed Health Care clearing the way for its $1.2 billion acquisition of Care1st. Consumer advocates say the insurer is reneging on a promise.
Report Pegs Hospital Efficiency Savings at $10 Billion; Hospitals Beg To Differ
If California hospitals were more efficient, they could save the health system $10 billion a year, according to a recent report. At the same time, those hospitals have some of the top efficiency numbers in the nation. What gives?
UC-San Diego’s New Robotics Institute Aims To Help People Age at Home
UC-San Diego’s new Contextual Robotics Institute plans to develop robotics systems with the ability to sense and interpret human movement and emotion. It’s part of a growing trend to leverage technology to help the increasing number of older adults remain at home.
California and its Counties Leading Way on Health Benefits for Undocumented
Contra Costa County Supervisor Candice Anderson, Rosa Maria Arriaga, a 72-year-old patient, Álvaro Fuentes of Contra Costa County’s Community Clinic Consortium, Gerald Kominski of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, Gabrielle Lessard of the National Immigration Law Center, Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, Teshina Wilson, a physician at a Richmond clinic, and Anthony Wright of Health Access California spoke with California Healthline about the state’s efforts to provide health care to undocumented immigrants.
Mendocino Broadband Problems Persist Amid National Push for Better Access
While the health care industry’s increasing use of health information technology tools and Wi-Fi-enabled medical devices has renewed the conversation around broadband access in the U.S., a rural corner of California offers a cautionary tale of the hazards of unreliable, inconsistent service.
Medicare Advantage Competition Rated Strongest in Southern California
Riverside County and other Southern California counties rank higher for competitive Medicare Advantage markets than counties elsewhere in the state and nation.
Local Drug Take-Back Programs Could Be Pre-Empted by State Regulations
New statewide rules for proper disposal of old or discarded prescription drugs could conflict with a local ordinance already on the books in one California county and under consideration in other cites and counties..