Millions of Californians feel they can’t afford to address their health needs, whether through medication, doctor’s visits or insurance coverage.
California’s new Office of Health Care Affordability recently proposed capping medical spending growth at 3 percent. This would limit how much things like insurance premiums or the cost of medical services could rise every year.
Congregate Living Health Facilities are a housing option for ventilator-dependent adults that balance independence with the need for medical care.
The problem is, there are not enough of these homes to care for all the ventilator-dependent adults who would benefit from them. And those homes that do exist mostly don’t accept Medi-Cal patients.
Victims of Crime Act funding is the largest funding source for victims’ services throughout California and the country. But it’s in jeopardy.
If California doesn’t allocate additional funds, grants to victim service providers will face a devastating 30 percent cut.
It’s common for people with disabilities to have trouble accessing health care, but this problem is often overlooked. These challenges can affect people as they move from pediatric to adult care, and also as they age.
I’ve seen how disability and health intersect, both in my academic studies and through my own lived experiences as a person with disabilities.
Improving access to high-quality primary care is one of the best things we can do to improve health in America. The consolidation and corporatization of primary care is delivering the greater access and lower costs consumers are demanding.
Yet long-term, this approach may be harming, not improving, health equity.
As a practicing physician for more than 20 years and the son of two immigrant parents, patients often ask me whether applying for Medi-Cal health care coverage will affect their ability to stay in this country.
Medi-Cal has expanded to include every low-income California resident regardless of immigration status. When my patients ask me if they should apply for Medi-Cal, I can now assure them it is safe.
For me, the most important thing about the holidays is food. I love cooking almost as much as I love eating.
But that perception was challenged when my son, James, was born with medically intensive disabilities. I wanted my son to have a positive relationship with food, even though he is fed through a tube. To do that, I had to tackle my own emotional baggage about what it means to feed my family.
California’s ambitious journey to reshape health care through the multiyear Medi-Cal reform effort known as California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) represents a profound leap forward.
As someone with more than 30 years of experience in health care information technology, here are the strategies I believe can make CalAIM a success.
Domestic violence is a problem that exists in all communities irrespective of culture, religion, sexual orientation, income or immigration status.
Yet, despite its prevalence, we are facing federal budget cuts for programs that help domestic violence survivors and try to prevent future abuse.
An estimated 50 percent of children in the United States do not receive regular dental care because of social, economic and geographic barriers to care. Mexican American and Black preschool children have a higher prevalence of cavities than their white peers. More than 50 percent of low-income adults and even 20 percent of those above the poverty line have untreated cavities.
We have recommendations that can help end these disparities.