Latest California Healthline Stories
VA Clears The Air On Talking To Patients Using Pot
Officials want clinicians to discuss how use of medical marijuana could interact with other parts of their care.
Her Sister’s Keeper: Caring For A Sibling With Mental Illness
Few bonds are as tight as those between sisters. But when one has paranoid schizophrenia, the relationship grows complicated.
Despite Prod By ACA, Tax-Exempt Hospitals Slow To Expand Community Benefits
Nationally, the ACA’s efforts to nudge nonprofit hospitals to provide more community-wide benefits have had limited success. Still, “California’s community benefits programs work well – and have since the 1990s,” a California Hospital Association official says.
Defending Against This Season’s Deadly Flu: 5 Things To Know Now
A particularly nasty flu is widespread in 46 states, including California. Nationally, at least 106 people have died from the infectious disease.
Care Suffers As More Nursing Homes Feed Money Into Corporate Webs
Increasingly, owners of nursing homes outsource services to companies in which they also have financial interest or control. That allows the nursing homes to claim to be in the red while owners reap hidden profits.
Running On Empty: CHIP Funding Could Run Out Jan. 19 For Some States
A fiscal patch that Congress approved last month proves not enough to keep coverage for children afloat, CMS says. But California has enough money to last through March.
Trump Administration Rule Paves Way For Association Health Plans
Proponents say the proposed regulation will give some consumers more affordable insurance options. Critics warn that the coverage could be less comprehensive.
Half Of Hospitals In Conn., Del. Hit By Medicare’s Safety Penalties
In California, Medicare penalized 30 percent of the hospitals it assessed. Seven states saw a third or more of their hospitals punished under the federal heath law’s campaign against hospital-acquired conditions.
Cloud Of Uncertainty Over Legalized Pot As Feds End Obama-Era Accommodation
Officials in marijuana-friendly states reacted strongly to new guidance from U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions giving federal prosecutors leeway to crack down on cannabis.
Readers Have Bones To Pick, From Health System Flaws To Covering Marijuana Beat
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.