Latest California Healthline Stories
From $17 Billion to $7 Billion so Far … How Far Will Medicaid Waiver Drop?
The state dropped about $10 billion from its request for a new federal Medicaid waiver. California now wants roughly $7 billion to jumpstart payment and delivery system reforms, but it may get only a portion of that lower number.
California’s Listing Widely Used Herbicide as Carcinogen Fuels Public Health Debate
California’s decision to add the main ingredient in popular herbicide Roundup to the state’s list of carcinogens adds fuel to a far-reaching public health debate.
Best Practices for Provider Directories? Study Aims To Inform California Lawmakers
Many first-time health insurance buyers rely on plans’ provider directories to select coverage or choose a doctor, so why is it so hard for insurers, Medicaid agencies and insurance exchanges to keep those lists up-to-date?
New Preventive Health Program Helps South L.A. Seniors Get ‘HAPPI’
Many South Los Angeles seniors are unaware of the availability of no-cost clinical preventive health services. The new “HAPPI” program aims to remedy that.
California Turns a Corner in Effort To Regain Prison Health Care Oversight
California’s correctional spending is increasing, but higher costs could be offset as the state’s prison population simultaneously shrinks, bringing the state closer to regaining control of its prison health care system, according to a new report.
State Takes Steps To Curb Overmedication of Foster Children — Is It Enough?
Former foster child Shanequa Arrington, state Sen. Jim Beall, public health nurse Susan Bullard, Bill Grimm and Anna Johnson of the National Center for Youth Law, Cathy Senderling-McDonald of the California Welfare Directors Association and Mike Wofford of the state Department of Health Care Services spoke with California Healthline about the possible over-prescribing of psychotropic and antipsychotic medication for foster children in California.
Health 2.0 Confronts Entrenched Health Challenges
At the 9th annual Health 2.0 conference last week in Santa Clara, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy talked about how “technology can actually help us tackle so many problems in health that we see as insurmountable.”
CIRM’s New Stem Cell Bank Up, Running
California’s taxpayer-supported stem cell agency opened the door to the world’s largest public stem cell bank last month, moving closer to the goal of new treatments and cures through regenerative medicine.
Bill Addressing Expensive Specialty Drugs on Governor’s Desk
With the high cost of specialty drugs garnering national headlines and gaining a foothold in the presidential race, California legislators sent a bill to Gov. Brown that would put a cap on Californians’ prescription drug spending.
Updated Environmental Tool May Delve Deeper, Identify Public Health Needs
A new version of CalEnviroScreen — the state’s tool to determine effects of environmental pollution — may provide better, more detailed information for improving public health through the state’s cap-and-trade program aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.