Latest California Healthline Stories
Health Coverage Expansions Take Aim at Young Adults
Insurers and policymakers are pondering the best strategy for reaching young adults, a population that has a greater percentage of uninsured residents than other age groups in California. State lawmakers and WellPoint, a major insurer, disagree on the solution.
Waiting on Health Care Reform, Counties Struggle To Fund Kids’ Health Programs
Wendy Lazarus of the Children’s Partnership and Janie Tyre of the Santa Clara Family Health Plan spoke with California Healthline about the push for increased public funding of the state’s Children’s Health Initiatives.
The Clock Is Ticking for Health Care Reform in California
Gridlock over the state budget could eat into what time remains in the legislative session for debate on how to overhaul California’s health care system. What’s it going to take to get health care reform done in 2007?
Cost Takes Center Stage in Health Care Reform Efforts
CalPERS isn’t taking a position in California’s health care reform debate, but the giant pension fund is backing efforts to control health care cost increases. Other groups agree that costs are a problem but instead are pushing for a complete overhaul of the way Californians get health care.
San Francisco Moves Ahead With Health Coverage Expansion
The Healthy San Francisco program won’t offer health insurance, per se, but the effort to make health care services available to all city residents is drawing attention, as businesses and advocates await the outcome of a suit challenging one aspect of the plan’s funding mechanism.
What’s Behind All the Bad Press for Health Insurers?
Health insurers say they are getting a bad rap when the real target of the public’s outrage should be rising health care costs. Consumer advocates argue that the two are inextricably linked in the current health care system, and California regulators are stepping up oversight.
Tallying the Uninsured a Challenge in Health Care Reform Debate
Agreeing on how many people actually lack health insurance is a major step in any discussion of how to rework the system. Key California lawmakers have made it that far, leaving the question: What, if any, health care reform will come out of the 2007 legislative session?
On Health Reform, Ask: Where Is the Opposition Coming From?
One of the greatest challenges for any of the proposals to rework California’s health care system is the possibility of a referendum, pushing backers of the efforts to carefully consider whether interest groups will outright oppose a plan, even if they won’t support it.
Public Health Insurance Is There But Enrollment Is Lagging
Almost three million of California’s uninsured are eligible for immediate health insurance, but such an influx of new beneficiaries would require the state and federal governments to increase funding for a range of public health insurance programs.
What Kind of Health Care Vehicle Is California Looking for?
Business interests agree that the health care system is in need of a fix, but they have yet to fall in line behind a single proposal. Looking back on the repeal of California’s last attempt at large-scale health reform, those pushing reform are quick to recognize the need to win businesses’ favor.