Latest California Healthline Stories
Post-‘Roe,’ Contraceptive Failures Carry Bigger Stakes
Science Friday and KHN ran the numbers on birth control failure. Depending on the contraception method, typical-use error rates can add up to hundreds of thousands of unplanned pregnancies each year.
Supreme Court to Hear Nursing Home Case That Could Affect Millions
An Indiana man’s family sued a state-owned nursing home for alleged mistreatment. A U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case could determine the right of many Americans to sue government agencies.
Centene Showers Politicians With Millions as It Courts Contracts and Settles Overbilling Allegations
Centene, the largest Medicaid managed-care company in the U.S., has thrown more than $26.9 million at political campaigns across the country since 2015, especially focused on states where it is wooing Medicaid contracts and settling accusations that it overbilled taxpayers. Among its tactics: Centene is skirting contribution limits by giving to candidates through its many subsidiaries.
For Republican Candidates, Talk About Moms and Babies Is a Thorny Issue
The abortion issue looms large over the midterm elections, and some in the Republican Party, long associated with efforts to restrict access, are looking to reassure voters they have women’s health in mind.
Haven’t Seen Your Doctor in a Few Years? You May Need to Find a New One
Some primary care physicians will drop seldom-seen patients. That’s a particular problem for those who postponed doctor visits during the pandemic.
California’s Proposed Flavored Tobacco Ban Gives Hookah a Pass
Californians will decide Nov. 8 whether to approve a statewide ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes. But the measure, known as Proposition 31, exempts hookah tobacco. Anti-smoking activists criticize the carve-out, calling it the latest example of businesses using identity politics to profit from a deadly product.
Colorado Voters to Decide Whether All Schoolkids Get a Free Lunch
In September, a popular pandemic benefit expired: free school lunch for all children attending public schools. Some states are stepping up to try to keep the free food available, and it is on the ballot next week in Colorado.
Hurricane Ian’s Deadly Impact on Florida Seniors Exposes Need for New Preparation Strategies
Lengthy checklists from public health officials on handling emergencies miss vulnerable seniors who can’t always follow the recommendations.
‘Fourth Trimester’ Focus Is Pushed to Prevent Maternal Deaths
Public health investigators found that 53% of maternal deaths happened well after a mother left the hospital — from seven days to a year after the birth.
Knoxville’s Black Community Endured Deeply Rooted Racism. Now There Is Medical Debt.
Despite the end of Jim Crow segregation, its legacy lives on in medical debt that disproportionately burdens Black communities.