Latest California Healthline Stories
No More Tater Tots? California Schools Put Healthier Lunches To The Test
In the Golden State and elsewhere, school lunches include less meat, fewer processed foods and more fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. One of the challenges nutrition advocates face is a new directive from the Trump administration that cuts the other way.
Patients Eligible For Charity Care Instead Get Big Bills
Nonprofit hospitals admit they sent $2.7 billion in bills over the course of a year to patients who probably qualified for free or discounted care.
Taking The Cops Out Of Mental Health-Related 911 Rescues
Denver is considering adopting a new 911 alternative used in Eugene, Ore., that allows mental health and medical professionals, not police officers, to respond to some emergency calls, saving money and de-escalating situations with mentally ill people.
‘We Vape, We Vote’: How Vaping Crackdowns Are Politicizing Vapers
In response to the crackdowns on vaping, those who use or sell the e-cigarette products are mobilizing. Touting the “We Vape, We Vote” slogan, this burgeoning movement is positioning itself to be a factor in 2020 elections.
Medicare Fraudsters Now Tap Telemedicine In Medical Equipment Scams
Scammers bent on defrauding Medicare are embracing the new technologies of remote diagnosis. Federal law enforcement is cracking down.
They Enrolled In Medical School To Practice Rural Medicine. What Happened?
Eight years ago, a new medical program opened in Salina, Kan., as an experimental way to promote rural medicine. Hailed as a solution to the rural doctor shortage, only three of its eight newly minted doctors are now working in the most rural communities.
Congenital Syphilis Continues To Rise At An Alarming Rate
The number of U.S. infants who acquired syphilis from their mothers during pregnancy rose 40% last year. Just five states, including California, accounted for nearly two-thirds of the cases.
Vapers Accuse Officials Of Overreach As Investigation Into Deadly Lung Illness Lags
With federal authorities offering few details about what is causing the deadly outbreak of vaping-related lung illnesses, vaping advocates are crafting an alternative narrative reverberating through online communities.
Why Hospitals Are Getting Into The Housing Business
Hospital systems now invest in housing to help some of their most frequent patients. This allows them to safely discharge patients who otherwise would have no place to go, freeing up beds for sicker patients and saving the hospitals money.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Trump Turns To Medicare
President Donald Trump, dogged by an impeachment inquiry, tries to change the subject by unveiling an executive order aimed at expanding the role of private Medicare health plans. The Trump administration also launched an effort this week to expand “wellness” programs aimed at getting people with insurance to practice better health habits – even though research has shown the efforts don’t generally improve health or save money. This week, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner and Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.