Latest California Healthline Stories
Doling Out Pain Pills Post-Surgery: An Ingrown Toenail Not The Same As A Bypass
As the opioid epidemic rages, a Johns Hopkins surgeon and researcher is leading an effort to curb overprescribing by offering procedure-specific guidelines to ensure that post-surgical patients leave the hospital with enough, but not too much, pain medication.
California Poised To Expand Access To Hepatitis C Drugs
New state rules and funding, which are pending approval from the governor, would make almost all Medi-Cal recipients with hepatitis C eligible for pricey, lifesaving medications, as long as they are at least 13 and have more than one year to live.
1 In 5 Immigrant Children Detained During ‘Zero Tolerance’ Border Policy Are Under 13
The White House’s latest immigration strategy has created challenges for the HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is now responsible for more children — many far younger than in previous administrations.
Administration Eases Way For Small Businesses To Buy Insurance In Bulk
The Trump administration issued the final rule on association health plans, which supporters say will make coverage more affordable for some employees but led others to warn about “junk insurance.” Officials in California, aware of the state’s bad experience with such plans, are eager to avert their return.
After Opioid Overdose, Only 30 Percent Get Medicine To Treat Addiction
Patients revived from an opioid overdose who get methadone or Suboxone treatment for addiction afterward are much more likely to be alive a year later, says a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
If You’ve Got Hep C, Spitting Can Be A Felony
About a dozen states have added hepatitis C to the list of medical conditions for which people can face criminal prosecution if they engage in certain activities like sex without disclosure, needle-sharing or organ donation.
First Female Dean ‘A Sea Of Change’ At USC’s Scandal-Plagued Medical School
Laura Mosqueda, a geriatrician, wants to train new doctors to better care for elderly people as the country’s population ages. She will face a big challenge as USC reels from drug and sexual misconduct scandals that have enraged students and landed the university in legal hot water.
Unwieldy Health Costs Often Stand Between Teachers And Fatter Paychecks
Cash-strapped school boards, cities and legislatures scrounge to cover pay raises and pricey benefits and turn to teachers to fork over more of their shrinking take-home pay.
New Hospital Leader Fights Price Controls Despite Reputation As A Reformer
Carmela Coyle was known as an innovator when she led Maryland’s hospital association and supported a groundbreaking program that capped hospital revenue. But less than a year into her new job representing California’s hospitals in Sacramento, Coyle has already helped kill a proposal to regulate pricing.
As Medicaid Costs Soar, States Try A New Approach
New programs, known as ACOs, reward hospitals and physician groups that hold down costs by keeping enrollees healthy. The health care providers are asked to address social issues — such as homelessness, lack of transportation and poor nutrition — that can cause and exacerbate health problems.