After 12-year-old Yahushua Robinson died after exercising in 107-degree temperatures last summer in Lake Elsinore, a bill making its way through the Legislature would require the state Department of Education to set threshold temperatures for when it’s too hot or too cold for students to exercise or play sports outside, among other guidelines.
Samantha Young / KFF Health News
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California bans controversial ‘excited delirium’ diagnosis
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law a bill that prohibits California doctors and medical examiners from attributing deaths to “excited delirium,” a term often applied to Black men in police custody.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
‘Somebody is gonna die’: Omicron hobbles California’s new Medicaid prescription system
Problems with California’s new Medicaid prescription drug program are preventing thousands of patients from getting their medications, including some life-saving ones. State officials say they’re working on fixes.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
California inks sweetheart deal with Kaiser Permanente, jeopardizing Medicaid reforms
The backroom deal with politically connected Kaiser Permanente, which infuriated other Medi-Cal health plans, allows the health care giant to continue selecting the enrollees it wants.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Clinics say California’s new Medicaid drug program will force them to cut services
On Jan. 1, California started buying prescription drugs for its nearly 14 million Medicaid enrollees, a responsibility that had primarily been held by managed-care insurance plans. State officials estimate California will save hundreds of millions of dollars by flexing its purchasing power, but some health clinics expect to lose money.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
California ballot will be heavy on health care
In the Nov. 8 general election, California voters will consider overturning the state’s flavored tobacco ban and hiking medical malpractice awards. Other proposals to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms, target dialysis clinics and boost public health funding could also be on the ballot, along with a plan to limit business and school closures during public health emergencies.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
‘Not quite on board’: Parents proving a tough sell on COVID vax for teens
California offers a lens on the challenges officials face in persuading parents to embrace COVID shots for young children. While the state has a strong showing in overall vaccination rates, just 59% of kids 12 to 17 — eligible for a shot since May — are fully vaccinated.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Health industry wields power in California’s high-stakes battle to lower health care costs
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to regulate out-of-control health care spending in California. The effort is being shaped by the very health industry players that would be regulated.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
It’s not just COVID: Recall candidates represent markedly different choices on health care
Those seeking to replace California Gov. Gavin Newsom in Tuesday’s recall election disagree with him on more than mask and vaccine mandates. The conservative candidates tend to favor free-market solutions over Newsom’s expansion of publicly funded health coverage.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
California could become first state to let adults add parents to healthcare plans
A bill in the California legislature would require state-regulated health plans to cover policyholders’ dependent parents. Advocates say the measure would reduce the number of uninsured people, while business groups warn of premium increases.