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California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones says a publicly run health plan would bolster competition in the state. But some question whether it would lower premiums.
The initiative would prohibit California state agencies from paying more for a prescription drug than what the Department of Veterans Affairs pays. Both sides are deploying veterans鈥 sympathetic and trusted image to win over voters.
The problem, known as balance billing, happens when patients are treated by an out-of-network professional at an in-network facility. Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to sign the legislation.
Consumers Union says Anthem Inc. and Blue Shield of California may be exploiting furor over prescription drug prices. State regulators are looking into the issue.
Participants in a mostly online diabetes self-management program had lower blood sugar and were more likely to take their medicine regularly, study finds.
Under a new state law, California consumers could get money back if they were charged out-of-network prices after going to a medical provider who was listed in their health plan鈥檚 network.
The public spending on health care outpaces the nation.
The opioid epidemic may be fueling a rise in the number of children in foster care. But a special family court is trying to keep families together by treating parents with substance abuse problems.
But the remaining uninsured are tough to reach.
The legislation would have required drug companies to notify the state and insurers about expensive new treatments or price hikes.
A big backlog of applications at the state鈥檚 licensing board is holding up hiring by hospitals and making it difficult for recent nurse graduates 鈥 and experienced nurses from out of state 鈥 to work.
Legislation that would allow nurse-midwives to practice independently is mired in a dispute about whether hospitals should be allowed to hire them.
After a teenager attempted suicide, her family searched in vain for therapists who would take their insurance and were accepting new patients. The family paid for therapy with credit cards instead.
Covered California says most consumers can avoid double-digit premium hikes next year if they shop around. But will enrollees be willing to switch plans if it means having to change doctors?
Most medical schools offer very little education on treating opioid addiction. Stanford University's medical school is trying to ramp it up.
Two Los Angeles area patients alleged a prominent UCLA spine surgeon harmed them by using Medtronic devices in experimental ways without their consent and failing to disclose his financial ties to the company. Both UCLA and Medtronic deny wrongdoing.
A single mom, a son with autism and a maddening search for the help she badly needed.
Some clinics on NIH's website charge people to participate in testing of unproven treatments 鈥 and it can come as a surprise to unsuspecting patients.
We answer some key questions to help consumers make sense of the news about large premium increases in the state鈥檚 Obamacare exchange.
A double-digit increase, which follows two years of moderate rate hikes, is likely to resonate across the country in debate over Obamacare.
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