Latest California Healthline Stories
Children’s Hospitals Again Cry For Help From Voters, But Are They Really Hurting?
California’s 13 children’s hospitals are asking voters in November to approve $1.5 billion in bonds to help them pay for construction and equipment, the third such measure in 14 years. Some health care experts and election analysts believe the repeated financial requests aren’t justified.
Thousands Of Medi-Cal Patients Regain Access To UC Davis In Deal With Insurer
UC Davis Health has inked a deal with the insurer Health Net that will allow up to 5,000 Sacramento County Medi-Cal patients to get primary care from the university health system. The agreement comes about two months after UnitedHealth — the only insurer that had allowed its Medi-Cal members access to primary care at UC Davis — said it would terminate its contract with the university.
California’s Newly Minted Health Care Laws: Doctor Misconduct, Drug Prices, Kids’ Meals And More
Gov. Jerry Brown approved numerous new health care laws addressing a broad range of issues, but he vetoed several bills, including one that would have allowed parents to administer medical marijuana to their children in school and another that would have made the abortion pill available at the student health centers of California’s public universities.
Whipsawed: Low-Income Patients At UC Davis Losing Coverage Again
UnitedHealthcare is pulling out of Sacramento County’s Medi-Cal market, which could force 1,000 patients at UC Davis Medical Center to scramble for new primary care doctors. It’s a replay of three years ago, when Health Net and the university parted ways, leaving the medical center with no managed Medi-Cal contract for primary care.
5 Things To Know About Trump’s New ‘Public Charge’ Immigration Proposal
Trump administration officials say the policy would promote “immigrant self-sufficiency and protect finite resources.” Critics, including California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, say it could have serious public health consequences and are considering legal challenges.
From Syria To Southern California: Refugees Seek Care For Wounds Of War
A clinic in El Cajon, Calif., treats patients recovering from anything from gunshot wounds to PTSD and anxiety about family left behind.
Paper Jam: California’s Medicaid Program Hits ‘Print’ When The Feds Need Info
Amid the buzz over apps and electronic medical records rescuing modern medicine, California’s Medicaid program still clings to 1970s-era technology. A reboot may cost half a billion dollars.
Medicaid Covers Foster Kids, But Daunting Health Needs Still Slip Through The Cracks
Nearly all children in the foster care system are covered by Medicaid. Yet, foster parents still struggle to meet the extraordinary health needs of their children. In California, over 67,000 foster kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, the state’s version of Medicaid. And nearly 23,000 former foster youth are enrolled in the program as a result of the Affordable Care Act.
Confusion Leaves Low-Income Children In Health Care Limbo
Some low-income children in California are not getting medical, dental and mental health treatments to which they are entitled under federal law. Legal aid advocates blame a confusing disconnect between state and federal law, and a bill to address the problem is awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown’s approval — or veto.
California: A Health Care Laboratory With Mixed Results
California frequently innovates to address its wide-ranging health care needs, but it has not always achieved its aims. A series of articles in the journal Health Affairs shows, among other things, that efforts to care for HIV patients, provide better access to reproductive services for low-income women and fill gaps in primary care have sometimes fallen flat.
