California and other states are struggling to meet the demand for dentists as they expand eligibility under the Affordable Care Act, according to this report from Kaiser Health News.
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The state’s $1.7 billion project to build a new computerized claims management system for the Medi-Cal program is at risk of falling behind schedule this year, a state audit says. The project, managed by Xerox, has completed one of five planned phases, but the next phase, due in June, is far more complex and not likely to be completed on time, according to the audit.
California officials have formed a new bureau designed to help some of the state’s most vulnerable children. The Bureau of Children’s Justice aims to help kids who have experienced trauma, educational discrimination, human trafficking or problems in the foster care or juvenile justice system, state Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris announced Thursday.
People with mental health disorders have a death rate that is more than twice as high as those without mental illness, according to a study published this morning.
State Senate Majority Leader Bill Monning is launching another try to require a warning label on sugar-sweetened drinks.
After reports of inaccurate provider directories, a California state senator and three advocacy groups are hoping to require insurers to keep their doctor lists up to date.
As an outbreak of measles linked to Disneyland sweeps across the state, researchers have identified five Northern California areas that have higher proportions of unvaccinated children than the general population.
A study by researchers at Brigham Young and Cornell University offers a recommendation for getting kids at school to eat more fruits and vegetables: schedule recess before lunch.
A new study by researchers at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University shows portion sizes of fast foods did not change much between 1996 and 2013. The USDA researchers analyzed the calorie, sodium, saturated fat and trans fat content of cheeseburgers, french fries, cola beverages and grilled chicken sandwiches at three national fast-food chains between 1996 and 2013. They found that average calories, sodium, and saturated fat stayed fairly constant—and high, except for declines in the trans fat content of fresh fries since about 2006.
A new study by researchers at Brigham Young University finds that many pediatric checkups don’t provide enough information about the children being examined to determine that a child is autistic. According to the researchers, during such a short window many children show mostly typical behavior and so may not get a referral for additional testing for autism.