Health CareSutter Health Settles $575 Million California Antitrust Suit, Agrees to Change PracticesDecember 20, 2019 | Sammy CaiolaSutter Health has settled a 2018 lawsuit filed by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who argued the hospital system’s anti-competitive practices are making care more expensive for Northern California patients.
Health CareMental Health Care Could Get Easier for New Moms Under New California RulesDecember 18, 2019 | Sammy CaiolaA new California law could help women receive consistent services even if their mental health provider leaves their insurance network. And a budget bill effective Jan. 1 allows mothers on Medi-Cal to access mental health services for longer.
Insight With Vicki GonzalezJon Bafus Talks About New Music Inspired By A Health ScareDecember 18, 2019Sacramento singer-songwriter Jon Bafus has new music out. He had a dramatic health scare recently. Besides sending him to the hospital, the scare pushed him into the recording studio. He’ll talk about his health and his music. Listen / download audio Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
Insight With Vicki GonzalezUC Davis Infectious Disease Expert Dr. Dean Blumberg Talks About Flu SeasonDecember 18, 2019UC Davis infectious disease specialist Dr. Dean Blumberg talks about flu season, this year’s flu shots, in particular, and some specifics about what Jon Bafus has experienced. Listen / download audio Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
Health CareEyeglasses, Speech Therapy And Other Services Returning To Medi-Cal Benefit ListDecember 17, 2019 | Sammy CaiolaCalifornia started slashing Medi-Cal benefits such as eyeglasses, speech therapy and incontinence treatments as a cost-saver during the last recession. But new funding in the latest budget will bring those benefits back this January.
Health CareCalifornians Need Health Insurance By Jan. 1 Or Risk Paying A New PenaltyDecember 11, 2019 | Sammy CaiolaCalifornians must carry health insurance in 2020, or face a state-imposed penalty. Covered California is encouraging the state’s uninsured to enroll in a plan by Dec. 20, the deadline for coverage that kicks in Jan. 1.
Health CareDental Patients Face Years Of Debt, Inflated BillsDecember 10, 2019An investigation by The Fresno Bee for the California Divide has found that some dentists are pressuring patients to take out high-interest credit cards to pay for thousands of dollars of dental care.
Health CareCalifornia Is Giving Doctors Incentives To Ask Patients About Childhood TraumaDecember 9, 2019 | Sammy CaiolaCalifornia health officials want children and adults on Medi-Cal get screened for traumatic childhood events that can cause negative health effects down the line. The state has begun giving doctors and nurses tools to do the screenings.
California DreamMed School Free Rides And Loan Repayments — California Tries To Boost Its Dwindling Doctor SupplyDecember 2, 2019By 2030, the state will be short some 4,000 physicians, according to a study from the HealthForce Center at UC San Francisco. Listen /Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.