Latest California Healthline Stories
Unemployed Californians Dig Deeper as COBRA Subsidies Expire
The federal stimulus package included money to help newly unemployed pay for health insurance, but those subsidies are coming to an end. Health advocates say uninsured ranks will grow if subsidies aren’t renewed.
Senate Bill Could Dilute Consumer Protections by Creating Interstate Market for Health Plans
Jerry Flanagan of Consumer Watchdog, Nadereh Pourat of UCLA, J.P. Wieske of the Council for Affordable Health Insurance and Mike Larsen, a spokesperson for Rep. Jackie Speier, spoke with California Healthline about the proposal.
School-Based Telehealth in Line for Double-Barreled Boost
A new report detailing the potential of school-based telehealth services arrives as those services move into position for an extra boost from broadband expansion plans in the federal stimulus package and new funding in national health reform legislation.
What Will New Timely Access Rules Mean for California?
Department of Managed Health Care Director Cindy Ehnes joins health care advocates and representatives of the insurance industry and physician lobby in debating the implications of rules that will cap wait times for medical services for HMO members.
Health Centers Play Bigger Role in California Health Care
Federally qualified health centers are seeing more patients in California, providing a new career alternative for family physicians and new options for county governments struggling to fulfill their obligation to care for the state’s indigent population.
Shorter Waits To See a Doctor Coming Soon to California
In the works since 2002, new state regulations will go into effect this fall limiting the amount of time patients have to wait to see a doctor in managed care systems.
What Will Post-Budget Health Care Look Like in California?
Health care programs have seen major cuts in state funding in recent months, prompting some stakeholders to worry that the reductions are undermining California’s health care safety net. Representatives of three organizations share their thoughts on the matter.
What Could National Health Care Reform Mean for California?
Mitchell Katz of the San Francisco Department of Public Health and Erica Murray of the California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems weigh in on the implications of health care reform efforts in Washington, D.C.
California Group Seeks Tighter Rules for Public Benefits, Citizenship
A wide array of organizations, ranging from the California Medical Association to the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, is lining up in opposition to a campaign to get an initiative on the ballot that would end public benefits for undocumented immigrants, deny welfare payments for their children and establish new rules for birth certificates.
Obama, Democratic Leaders Push for Swift Action on Reform
President Obama has called for both houses of Congress to pass health care reform legislation before lawmakers adjourn for the August recess. House Democrats stepped up to the plate and unveiled their proposal yesterday, and the Senate HELP Committees approved its bill this morning.