Senators Ask GAO to Examine Medicaidās Low Covid Vaccination Rates
Sens. Robert Casey Jr. and Ron Wyden want a probe into what barriers are keeping Medicaid plans from reaching enrollees.
California Bureau
Visit for an archive of reporting prior to October 2025.
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Can Melatonin Gummies Solve Family Bedtime Struggles? Experts Advise Caution
Throughout history, parents have searched for the secret to getting fretful children to sleep through the night. The latest strategy involves giving children melatonin-infused gummies and tablets, a trend that concerns some doctors.
By Jenny Gold -
Health Officials See Bright Future in Poop Surveillance
Sewage surveillance is proving so useful in mapping covid trends that many public health officials say it should become standard practice in tracking infectious diseases. Whether that happens will depend on the nationās ability to make it viable in communities rich and poor.
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To Familiesā Dismay, Biden Nursing Home Reform Doesnāt View Them as Essential Caregivers
Relatives who often provide vital caregiving for nursing home residents say the lockdowns during the covid pandemic showed the need for family members to visit in person with their loved ones. About a dozen states have passed laws guaranteeing that right, and California is considering one.
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Money Flows Into Addiction Tech, But Will It Curb Soaring Opioid Overdose Deaths?
Experts are concerned that flashy Silicon Valley technology wonāt reach those most in need of treatment for substance use disorders.
By Brian Rinker -
Sharing Covid Vax Facts Inside ICE Detention, One Detainee at a Time
Thousands of ICE detainees nationwide have tested positive for covid; 11 have died. Medical providers in California are volunteering to educate immigrants awaiting trial or deportation about covid treatment and vaccination.
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Want Vulnerable Californians to Have Healthier Pregnancies? Doulas Say the State Must Pay Up.
California was supposed to start paying doulas this year to help Medicaid enrollees have healthy pregnancies. But the benefit has been delayed because doulas feel lowballed by the stateās proposed reimbursement rate, which is below what most other states pay.
By Rachel Bluth -
Listen: An Unsettling Investigation Into the Closure of a Chain of Pain Clinics
KHN senior correspondents Jenny Gold and Anna Maria Barry-Jester joined KVPRās Kathleen Schock on āValley Editionā to discuss their investigation into the abrupt closure of one of Californiaās largest chain of pain clinics ā and the patients left behind.
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One California University Has Unified Town and Gown to Fight Covid. Why Havenāt Others?
The University of California-Davis has spent close to $50 million preventing the spread of covid on campus ā and among residents and workers in the adjacent city of Davis. By most accounts, this town-gown experiment has paid off nicely.
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Watch: Californiaās Top Health Adviser on Learning to Live With Covid
KHN Senior Correspondent Samantha Young joined California Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly for an engaging conversation about how California moves forward in an environment in which covid persists, but at more manageable levels.
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When Teens Blow Off Parentsā Pleas to Get Vaccinated, the Consequences Can Be Deadly
Kennedy Stonum, a 17-year-old high school junior, resisted getting vaccinated against covid-19, as did 20-year-old Tyler Gilreath, whose mother had nagged him for months to get the shots. Both died.
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California Governor’s Big Promises on Drug Prices Are Slow to Materialize
Gov. Gavin Newsom has launched several initiatives to cut rising drug prices, but the savings havenāt been as monumental as he promised. And his plan to have California make its own generic drugs hasnāt gotten off the ground.
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J&J-Vaxxed, mRNA-Boosted, and Pondering a Third Shot
Many of the nearly 17 million U.S. members of J&J Nation, myself included, are wondering whether to set aside the current official guidance and get a second booster. Some experts say: Chill out.
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From Alabama to Utah, Efforts to Vaccinate Medicaid Enrollees Against Covid Run Into Obstacles
Inoculation rates remain low despite massive outreach efforts and incentives from federal and state programs and Medicaid plan operators, leaving many low-income people vulnerable to the virus.
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The Demise of Single-Payer in California Trips Up Efforts in Other States
The failure of single-payer health care legislation in California casts doubt on the ability of other states to pass government-run, universal health care. But activists in New York, Washington state, and elsewhere say they are taking lessons from California and changing their tactics.
By Angela Hart -
Changes to Medi-Calās Troubled Drug Program Reduce Backlog in California, but Problems Persist
After a troubled start to the new Medi-Cal prescription drug program, the stateās contractor has hired staffers to reduce wait times for medication approvals and patients seeking help. But some doctors and clinics report that patients continue to face delays.
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An $80,000 Tab for Newborns Lays Out a Loophole in the New Law to Curb Surprise Bills
The insurance company said that the birth of the Bull familyās twins was not an emergency and that NICU care was ānot medically necessary.ā The familyās experience with a huge bill sent to collections happened in 2020, but it exposes a hole in the new No Surprises law that took effect Jan. 1.
By Jay Hancock -
āInjections, Injections, Injectionsā: Troubling Questions Follow Closure of Sprawling Pain Clinic Chain
In May 2021, Lags Medical Centers, one of Californiaās largest chains of pain clinics, abruptly closed its doors amid a cloaked state investigation. Nine months later, patients are still in the dark about what happened with their care and to their bodies.
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Journalists Review Hospital Penalties and Problems Riddling Medicaid Rx Program
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Hereās a collection of their appearances.
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āI Just Want to Stay in One Spotā: From Homeless to Housed in Rugged Del Norte
Californiaās homeless crisis is often understood through cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, where the sheer number of people living unsheltered can quickly capsize the programs designed to help them. But in remote counties like Del Norte, Californiaās Project Homekey is having a tangible impact.