Latest California Healthline Stories
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Health Plans Busting Out All Over
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal discuss Democratic, Republican and bipartisan health proposals all being pursued in Congress, including the latest version of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) “Medicare-for-All” proposal. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week.
FDA Guards Against Abuse Of ‘Orphan Drug’ Program
Following a KHN and NPR investigation, the Food and Drug Administration has moved to speed up approvals of “orphan drugs” while closing a loophole that allowed drugmakers to skip pediatric testing.
Kaiser Permanente Names Dean Of New California Medical School
Dr. Mark Schuster is a health policy expert and pediatrician who co-wrote “Everything You Never Wanted Your Kids To Know About Sex (But Were Afraid They’d Ask).” The school is set to open in fall 2019.
Uninsured Rate In U.S. Falls To A Record Low Of 8.8%
In California, the rate of uninsurance was 7.3 percent in 2016, below the national figure and less than half of the Golden State’s 17.2 percent rate in 2013, the year before the Affordable Care Act’s coverage expansion provisions took effect.
UC Cancer Centers Join Forces To Fight One Of California’s Top Killers
Doctors and researchers at the five University of California centers will pool their expertise and resources to tackle an illness that kills 60,000 Californians each year and costs $14 billion in medical care and lost work days.
If You’re Blindsided By Health Plan Changes, Learn The Root Causes — And Your Rights
Insurers can reduce benefits or change cost sharing, but they are generally supposed to tell enrollees about the change beforehand. And although plans must tell patients when they are denied coverage, sometimes treatment is affected for other reasons.
A Rare Dementia Gene Runs In The Family, But He’s Fine — So Far
A Washington state man inherited the mutated gene that stole his mother’s mind. He doesn’t have the disease, and doctors don’t know why.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Welcome Back, Congress. Now Get To Work.
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Mary Agnes Carey of Kaiser Health News discuss the return of Congress and bipartisan efforts to shore up the individual health insurance market for 2018, as well as renew the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Guess Who Pays The Price When Hospital Giants Hire Your Private Practitioner?
Gobbling up doctors’ independent practices is lucrative for hospital systems — but not necessarily a good deal for the physicians or consumers, critics say. Northern California is a case in point.
Hurricane’s Health Toll: A Texas Doctor Taps Lessons From Katrina
After weathering the catastrophe in New Orleans 12 years ago, Dr. Ruth Berggren moved to Texas, where she again finds herself in the center of a hurricane crisis. In a Q&A, she draws parallels between the harrowing events and pinpoints risks in Harvey’s aftermath.