Category: California

New Budget Boosts Health Coverage For Low-Income Californians

California lawmakers spent big on Medi-Cal in the 2019-20 state budget, voting to cover more older residents and people with disabilities, restore benefits cut during the recession and open the program to eligible young adults who are in the country illegally. 

Meth In The Morning, Heroin At Night: Inside The Seesaw Struggle of Dual Addiction

Many users now mix opioids with stimulants like meth and cocaine — and researchers believe opioids kicked off this new stimulant wave.

Vaccine Drama On Display In California’s Capitol

Hundreds of protesters descended on the state Capitol on Thursday, warning against government tyranny and corporate greed. Their target: not taxes, not high-tech surveillance, but a bill that would determine which kids must get their routine shots.

Legal Weed’s A Growing Danger To Dogs, So Keep Your Canine Out Of Your Cannabis

As more states legalize recreational and medical marijuana, dogs are accidentally ingesting the drug and becoming highly intoxicated.

Why You Should Take A Peek At Your Doctor’s Notes On Your Health

Some patient advocates say your doctor’s notes offer insights you might never hear from your physician, putting patient and provider on the same page.

California Vaccine Bill Amended To Appease Governor

In the wake of concerns from Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Medical Board of California, a state senator on Tuesday unveiled significant amendments to his bill to tighten vaccine requirements. A hearing on the measure is likely to draw hundreds of people to the state Capitol on Thursday.

A Proposal To Make It Harder For Kids To Skip Vaccines Gives Powerful Voices Pause

California lawmakers are debating whether to tighten the rules on childhood vaccinations and give the ultimate say to state public health officials. But questions are emerging from unexpected quarters: the state medical board and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Drug Users Armed With Naloxone Double As Medics On Streets Of San Francisco

The widespread availability of naloxone, which reverses overdoses, has radically changed the culture of opioid use on the streets, giving drug users a sense of security and inducing them to seek out the more powerful high of the synthetic opioid fentanyl.

How Measles Detectives Work To Contain An Outbreak

Across the nation, public health departments are redirecting scarce resources to try to control the spread of measles. Their success relies on shoe-leather detective work that is one of the great untold costs of the measles resurgence.

Payroll Tax Is One State’s Bold Solution To Help Seniors Age At Home

Under a program enacted in Washington state this spring, workers can get up to $36,500 to help pay for long-term health care and services such as installing grab bars in the shower or respite care for family caregivers.