Readers Address Drugged Driving, Suicide Prevention, Worker Shortages
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California Bureau
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Cheaper, Alternative Health Plans Are Having a Moment, but Critics Urge Caution
Congress' decision not to extend enhanced marketplace tax credits has boosted the appeal of alternative health coverage with lower monthly premiums. Consumer advocates dismiss the plans as "junk insurance,†while proponents say patients need alternatives to pricey marketplace options.
By Sarah Kwon -
Journalists Distill News on Ebola, Licensing Midwives, and California’s Budget
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø News journalists made the rounds on national or local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
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Efforts To Understand the Nation’s Drugged Driving Problem Stall Under Trump
The data behind alcohol-related traffic deaths is well studied. Less understood is the toll of vehicle deaths involving drugs or a combination of drugs and alcohol. Attempts to fix that have been stymied by federal budget and staffing cuts.
By Jace DiCola -
Eroding ACA Enrollment Portends Higher Insurance Rates
An uptick in people skipping Obamacare premium payments in many states suggests the Affordable Care Act’s rising costs — driven partly by lower subsidies to help people buy plans — are hitting home for 2026 enrollees. The trend adds to voter concerns about affordability ahead of the midterm elections.
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Trump and Kennedy Seek To Relax Safeguards for AI Healthcare Tools
For years, the Department of Health and Human Services built standards to make sure electronic health records were user-friendly and offered transparent advice to doctors. Now they’re relaxing those standards, and doctors and critics in the hospital industry are worried.
By Darius Tahir -
As Ranks of Uninsured Grow, Minnesota’s Hospitals Are Among Least Charitable in Nation
A Minnesota Star Tribune-ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø News investigation of hospital data and charity care programs shows most Minnesota hospitals provide little financial aid to patients and often make assistance difficult to get.
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In California Governor Race, Single-Payer Is a Litmus Test. There’s Still No Way To Pay for It.
Single-payer healthcare is a central talking point in the chaotic race for California governor. In a crowded field, top-polling Democrats are declaring their support for a government-run health system but providing few details about how they’d accomplish it in the nation’s most populous state.
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That Discount at the Pharmacy Counter May Pack Hidden Costs
The new TrumpRx program relies partly on connecting consumers with discount coupons offered by drugmakers. For insured patients, though, using a coupon can prove dicey.
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States Eye Aid To Prop Up Distressed Hospitals Amid Federal Medicaid Cuts
Hundreds of hospitals nationwide are bracing for Medicaid cuts as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Some state lawmakers are eyeing loans and other forms of financial aid to distressed hospitals in rural and urban areas, as healthcare providers warn of cuts to critical services and scramble for funding.
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She Survived 2 Shootings. Research Helps Explain Why Her Pain Persists Years Later.
Witnessing a shooting, hearing gunfire, losing someone, or living in a violent area can leave people with chronic pain and stress long afterward.
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Gavin Newsom, Early Champion of Single-Payer, Moderates in the Face of Fiscal Limits
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who campaigned on single-payer, has called healthcare a human right. In practice, however, the potential presidential candidate emphasizes safety net services, from expanding coverage to immigrants to constructing behavioral health supports, often for those experiencing homelessness.
By Angela Hart -
Big Companies Position Themselves for Payday From $50B Federal Rural Health Fund
A $50 billion federal fund is supposed to modernize rural health with electronic health records, AI, telehealth, and more. But community clinics and rural health advocates fear that the contractors administering the money for states will bite off a big chunk before it reaches rural patients.
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The Help That Many Older Americans Need Most
With shortages of medical professionals and an aging population, thousands of community healthcare workers prevent older adults from falling through the cracks.
By Paula Span -
California Lawmakers Seek Protections for Patients in ICE Custody
Moving through the California Senate are two bills, informed by ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø News reporting, that would strengthen protections for patients brought to health facilities by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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Real Estate Investors Profit From Long-Term Care While Residents Languish
Real estate investment trusts are landlords for thousands of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospitals. Some select the managers and keep close watch over their performance but deny responsibility for bad care.
By Jordan Rau -
Your New Therapist: Chatty, Leaky, and Hardly Human
With high demand for mental health care, a wave of artificial intelligence-powered chatbots are being marketed as therapy apps — with little evidence they work and few regulations.
By Darius Tahir -
Medi-Cal Immigrant Enrollment Is Dropping. Researchers Point to Trump’s Policies.
A ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø News analysis found Medi-Cal lost almost 100,000 immigrants without legal status in the second half of 2025. California officials say it’s not clear if immigrants are losing coverage faster than other populations, but researchers said the most obvious driver is fear of the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
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States Change Custody Laws To Keep Children of Detained Immigrants Out of Foster Care
As President Donald Trump’s heightened immigration enforcement continues across the country, some states are updating temporary guardianship laws to keep the children of detained and deported immigrants out of state custody.
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How To Make a High-Deductible Health Plan Work for You
Lower premiums often mean higher costs when you get sick and need care. Among the ways to plan ahead and soften the financial hit: health savings accounts, which act like a medical piggy bank.