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The legislation would revive the age-old practice of paying providers for every service they perform ā a recipe for a busted budget, some experts say. Backers say the bill is a work in progress.
āItās unconscionable that such a basic, security 101 flaw could still exist at a major health care provider,ā says one cybersecurity expert.
"I feel like I am in a bad dream," said state Sen. Ed Hernandez, who chairs California's Senate Health Committee.
A state Senate panel considering the measure said money for existing public programs could cover half the cost. But the rest might have to come from new taxes ā a serious political obstacle.
Free, daylong sessions run by UCLA teach caregivers how to keep their loved ones safe and engaged, while minimizing the stress in their own lives. Similar programs exist in other states.
With limited federal subsidies under the GOP health care bill, experts say states like California and New York would be under pressure to cut costs. That could mean shrinking benefits and dropping the prohibition against charging sicker patients higher premiums.
A bill pending in Californiaās Legislature, sponsored by an influential health care union, would require hospitals and clinics to pay minimum wage to student trainees.
California lawmakers consider a bill to use state money to help homeless Medi-Cal patients pay rent ā shifting their focus from sheer survival to wellness. The move could save taxpayers millions, advocates say.
CEO Paul Markovich said he opposes the Republican plan because it would allow insurers to once again discriminate against people with preexisting conditions. "We are better than that," he said.
Health insurers must submit initial rates to Californiaās exchange on Monday, but confusion persists over core elements of the current health law.
Water board officials want to limit TCP, a former pesticide ingredient and human carcinogen that has contaminated water supplies. Groundwater in other states is contaminated as well.
A California lawmaker wants to strengthen collaboration among public agencies to bring down costs to taxpayers.
As a fountain of nonprofit milk banks emerge, one woman's abundant supply can fill another's yawning demand. But critics fear that poor women will sell start selling their milk for survival, depriving their own babies of vital nutrients.
A proposed ordinance would block access to menthol cigarettes, as well as e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco with flavors such as chocolate, cherry or popcorn. Studies show such products are overwhelmingly favored by teenagers and some minorities.
The nonprofit Leapfrog Group shows nearly half of California hospitals got a grade of C, D or F in patient safety measures ā an increase from two years ago.
Sales of sugary drinks dropped in the city by nearly 10 percent a year after tax took effect in 2015, while bottled water sales rose, researchers report.
A University of Southern California professor says conservatives and liberals should split the difference: Scrap the exchanges and expand Medicaid.
Such efforts have previously failed in the face of opposition from the drug industry, which questions their effectiveness and contends prices reflect research and development costs.
An environmental advocacy group plans to install 100 pollution sensors at homes, schools and businesses in the congested area near the Port of Oakland to capture variations in the level of diesel contaminants.
But it could take years to achieve coverage for everyone ā if it happens at all.
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