States

Latest California Healthline Stories

Dental Shock: Six Pulled Teeth And One Unexpected Bill

One woman’s experience with the high cost of dental care and confusing Medicare coverage offers a teachable moment for other consumers. Her small church took up a collection, but the surprise bill — four times what she expected to pay — was sent to collections.

Despite A Birth By A Colorado Legislator, Paid Family Leave Bill Feels Labor Pains

A Colorado lawmaker giving birth near the start of the state’s four-month legislative session highlighted the lack of comprehensive paid family leave. Yet a bill to add a statewide system that once seemed a sure thing is getting bogged down.

Listen: How Paramedical Tattoos Provide Healing

KHN Midwest correspondent Cara Anthony spoke with “The 21st” host Jenna Dooley about an Illinois tattoo artist who is changing lives by inking nails on finger amputees, mocking up belly buttons after tummy tucks and fleshing out lips after dog attacks.

During A Pandemic, States’ Patchwork Of Crisis Strategies Could Mean Uneven Care

If a coronavirus pandemic were to hit the U.S., only 36 states have blueprints for “crisis standards of care” to sort out who gets what kind of medical care amid scarce resources. And not all the plans are of high quality. That means health care providers in some states will be better prepared for a crisis than others — but all could face tough decisions.