Latest California Healthline Stories
Judges In California Losing Sway Over Court-Ordered Drug Treatment
In a Medicaid-funded pilot project starting with 19 counties, clinicians and other providers are now in charge of deciding what kind of treatment an offender needs. The change has rankled some judges and attorneys — and forced some felons to spend more time in jail — but it has been largely embraced by clinicians and county agencies.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Health On The Hill
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Joanne Kenen of Politico talk about a spate of health-related legislative action on Capitol Hill, including Senate passage of a bill to address the opioid epidemic. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week.
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.
Half As Many People Are Trying Heroin, But Marijuana Use Grows
An annual government survey of drug use and health shows a dramatic drop in the number of people who tried heroin but an uptick in pot use.
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.
Confusión deja a niños de bajos ingresos en un limbo de atención de salud
Bajo la ley federal, los niños son elegibles para una amplia gama de servicios, pero proveedores confundidos y los planes de salud a menudo solo consideran los pocos servicios aprobados para los adultos.
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.
¿Como la diabetes? Legisladores buscan nuevas formas de tratar adicción a opioides
Un proyecto de ley requeriría que las aseguradoras privadas cubrieran los medicamentos para la adicción a los opioides sin necesidad de aprobación previa.
As Treatable As Diabetes? Lawmakers Push New Ways To Stem Opioid Addiction
California lawmakers approved 14 measures to address the opioid crisis, including one that requires health plans to cover medication-based treatments for opioid addiction without requiring pre-authorization. Gov. Jerry Brown has until the end of September to approve or reject the proposals.
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.