Latest Kaiser Health News Stories
Thousands Mistakenly Enrolled During California’s Medicaid Expansion, Feds Find
California health officials do not dispute most of the findings, saying they have already made improvements in determining eligibility.
How Medicaid Became A Go-To Funder For Schools
Begun as a health care safety net for children and low-income families, Medicaid increasingly underwrites a range of services in America’s public schools.
Upsurge Of Suburban Poor Discover Health Care’s Nowhere Land
More low-income people now live in suburbs than in cities or rural areas, putting a strain on local health services. Suburbs, which traditionally have had fewer resources or infrastructure, are scrambling to catch up.
Giving Medicaid Enrollees Something To Smile About
More than 7 million California adults enrolled in Medi-Cal regained coverage for critical dental care, including crowns and partial dentures, this month.
Dangling A Carrot For Patients To Take Healthy Steps: Does It Work?
Many medical groups and state Medicaid programs are offering gift cards, cash and other rewards to low-income patients if they agree to get preventive screenings and make healthier lifestyle choices.
Enriched By The Poor: California Health Insurers Make Billions Through Medicaid
Medicaid is rarely associated with getting rich. But some insurance companies are reaping spectacular profits off the taxpayer-funded program in California, even when the state finds their patient care is subpar.
For Low-Income Drug Users, Medi-Cal Offers A Fresh Start
Under a five-year agreement with the federal government, California is using Medicaid dollars to expand drug treatment, including more inpatient care and a broader range of medications.
Medi-Cal Sued For Pushing Patients Into Managed Care Despite Judges’ Orders
Advocates say California’s Medicaid program is violating its own rules by overturning decisions that would allow seriously ill patients to stay out of managed care and keep their doctors.
A Community Seeks Answers, Assurances About Health Care — In 10 Languages
A forum for Asian immigrants in Oakland draws a crowd so large some attendees had to be seated in an overflow room. Many immigrants are eager for information relevant to them as changes to the health care system are debated in Washington.
Fearing Deportation, Parents Worry About Undocumented Kids In Medicaid Program
A 2016 California law allowed children without papers to sign up for full Medicaid benefits. More than 189,000 children have been covered, but some families now fear renewing coverage or signing up their kids for the first time.
Blue Shield CEO Says GOP’s ‘Flawed’ Health Bill Would Harm Sicker Consumers
CEO Paul Markovich said he opposes the Republican plan because it would allow insurers to once again discriminate against people with preexisting conditions. “We are better than that,” he said.
Grasping For The Middle Ground On Obamacare
A University of Southern California professor says conservatives and liberals should split the difference: Scrap the exchanges and expand Medicaid.
By Decade’s End, Calif. Estimates It Would Lose $24B Annually Under GOP Health Plan
“It’s challenging to see how it would not … jeopardize the entire [Medicaid] program,” a top health official said.
In Deep-Blue State, Millions in Reddish Heartland Are Counting On Medicaid
The prospect of cutbacks has led to agitation and activism in California’s largely agricultural Central Valley, with relatively high poverty rates and a significant number of Trump voters.
GOP Bill’s Unheralded Changes In Rules Could Undermine Health Of Neediest
Lesser-known provisions in the Republican proposal to replace the Affordable Care Act would push some Medicaid enrollees out of coverage and cause financial pain for others.
Many Californians Could Be Priced Out Of Exchange Coverage, Analysis Finds
California’s health insurance exchange released an analysis showing that Republicans’ plan to trim subsidies, on average, by 40% would fall hard on elderly and very low-income people, especially in expensive areas like San Francisco.
Proposed Law Would Require All California Children To Be Screened For Lead
Under the current statute, kids are tested for lead only if they’re on certain government programs or live in older buildings. That leaves many other California children at risk, lawmaker says.
Threat Of Obamacare Repeal Leaves Community Health Centers In Limbo
These clinics have long provided health care to low-income patients and enjoyed expansion under the Affordable Care Act. With repeal looming, the centers’ doctors worry about what’s next.
A Safety-Net Medical Center Wrestles With Specter Of ‘Repeal’
San Mateo Medical Center is among hundreds of safety-net hospitals in California and across the country that stand to lose big if the federal government slashes support for Medicaid and insurance exchanges.
Some Immigrants, Fearful Of Political Climate, Shy Away From Medi-Cal
Some foreign-born California residents fear they could be penalized for using Medi-Cal and other social benefits. Others, in families of mixed-immigration status, worry about jeopardizing their loved ones’ chances of becoming green-card holders or citizens.
