Latest California Healthline Stories
Doing More Harm Than Good? Epidemic of Screening Burdens Nation’s Older Patients
Patients are often aggressively screened for cancer, even if they won’t live long enough to benefit.
No Sweeteners Added To Tax Bill To Spread Use Of Health Savings Accounts
These accounts are exempt from taxes and linked to high-deductible health plans. Republicans tried last summer in their unsuccessful efforts to replace the health law to make the accounts more enticing for consumers, but they didn’t make those changes in the current tax bill.
Drug Industry Spent Millions To Squelch Talk About High Drug Prices
Last year, the pharma industry’ biggest trade group raised millions to change the conversation about drug pricing.
When Nursing Homes Push Out Poor And Disabled Patients
Complaints are rising in California and other states about improper evictions and discharges. Advocates say some patients end up in cheap hotels, homeless or back in the hospital.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Farewell, Individual Mandate
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times discuss health issues in the emerging tax bill, including the likely repeal of fines for those who fail to obtain health insurance. They also talk about the end of “open enrollment” for 2018 individual health insurance coverage.
Oh, That Deadline? Doesn’t Apply To California
Consumers in the 39 states served by the federally-run health insurance exchange face a Friday deadline to sign up for Affordable Care Act health plans, but Californians have until Jan. 31 to enroll.
Pharmacy Costs Continue To Soar For California’s Public Employee Health System
The increase has been largely driven by the cost of specialty drugs. The agency, which provides health coverage for 1.4 million people, will address cost containment at a meeting Tuesday and at a panel discussion in January.
Good Friends Might Be Your Best Brain Booster As You Age
SuperAgers, men and women over age 80 with extraordinary memories, share a commitment to sustaining friendships.
Fear Compromises The Health, Well-Being Of Immigrant Families, Report Finds
Interviews with immigrants from 15 countries and pediatricians in eight states reveal that fear of deportation is putting parents and children under heightened stress, impeding daily activities and jeopardizing long-term health.
Consumers Who Froze Their Credit Reports Could Hit A Glitch Enrolling In Insurance
The federal marketplace generally uses credit reports to help verify identities, but that doesn’t work if consumers have put a security freeze on them — as some did after the Equifax breach this year. Workarounds for this issue exist, but they make the process more time-consuming.