Category: California

New Medicare Advantage Plans Tailor Offerings to Asian Americans, Latinos, and LGBTQ+

As more seniors opt for Medicare Advantage, a few small insurers have begun offering plans that provide culturally targeted benefits for cohorts including Asian Americans, Latinos, and LGBTQ+ people. The approach, policy researchers say, has potential and perils.

Massive Kaiser Permanente Strike Looms as Talks Head to the Wire

Both sides, still at loggerheads over pay and staffing, agreed to keep bargaining after unions announced a possible strike Oct. 4-7. If no deal is reached, a walkout by about 75,000 KP workers in five states could disrupt care.

When You Think About Your Health, Don’t Forget Your Eyes

Americans think losing their eyesight would be one of the worst possible health outcomes, yet millions lack a fundamental understanding of eye health.

California Officials Seek ‘CARE’ Without Coercion as New Mental Health Courts Launch This Fall

In Orange County, California, officials are threading a delicate needle. They want to persuade people with psychosis to accept treatment without coercion as the state’s new CARE Courts roll out in October.

California Lawmakers Approve Nation-Leading $25 Minimum Wage for Health Workers

A sweeping agreement approved by state lawmakers would gradually raise the minimum wage for hundreds of thousands of health workers to a nation-leading $25 an hour. The pact would also end labor’s years-long battle with dialysis clinics.

California Legislature Passes Gov. Newsom’s Proposal to Retool Mental Health Services Act

The California Legislature greenlighted Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest plan to build more housing and increase addiction treatment as part of his response to the state’s homelessness and drug crises.

‘Dr. Google’ Meets Its Match: Dr. ChatGPT

With the rise of generative AI, people who once turned to “Dr. Google” to check on medical symptoms are now turning to chatbots. Researchers say the bots are often more accurate, but urge caution in the absence of any regulations.

Heat-Related Deaths Are Up, and Not Just Because It’s Getting Hotter

Excessive heat contributed to 1,670 deaths nationwide last year, according to federal data — the highest rate in at least two decades. An increase in drug use and homelessness, along with hotter temperatures, were among the reasons.

Hollywood’s A-List Health Insurance Is Jeopardized by the Labor Strikes

Hollywood actors and writers who qualify for their union health plans get a very good deal compared with other Americans. But not working during the strike threatens their eligibility in the system.

Californians Headed to HBCUs in the South Prepare for College Under Abortion Bans

As high school graduates prepare to leave states like California that protect abortion rights for historically Black colleges in states where abortion is banned, they’re getting ready to safeguard their reproductive health during college.