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Tahoe Truckee Region Health Digest



California Birth Centers Are Shutting Down. A Lawmaker Has a New Plan to Help Them

12/02/2024

Birth centers are midwife-run facilities that deliver babies outside of hospitals. They have struggled to stay in business in part because of strict state licensing requirements.

California Democrats Plan to Crack Down on Cities That Block Abortion Clinics

12/02/2024

California Democrats have passed two dozen laws to protect abortion access since the Supreme Court in 2021 overturned Roe vs. Wade. New bills are on the table.

California Dairies Ignore Bird Flu Threat

11/25/2024

Learn how health officials and California dairies are responding, or not, to the explosive spread of bird flu through dairy herds across the state.

The Price Tag on Project 2025’s Abortion Plan: $300 Million Cut to Medi-Cal

11/25/2024

Gov. Gavin Newsom is urgently preparing to protect reproductive rights from the incoming Trump administration—and the looming possibility of Project 2025-inspired policies.

A California Child Tested Positive for Bird Flu. Here’s Why This Case Is Different

11/19/2024

Bird flu has been spreading among dairy workers in California’s Central Valley, jumping from cows to people. A new suspected case in the Bay Area came from an unknown source.

Santa Clara County Ramps Up Response as Invasive Mosquito Detected in More Areas

11/01/2024

The invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitos have been detected in more areas of Santa Clara County, prompting officials to hold meetings to discuss their response to the threat posed by the species. 

Bird Flu Jumped From Cows to People. Now Advocates Want More Farmworkers Tested

10/29/2024

A strain of bird flu that imperiled California poultry and cattle has jumped to people. In humans, the symptoms are mild and the virus has not been transmitted among people.

Election Explainer: Proposition 35

10/04/2024

The Mercury News explains the Proposition 35 to renew the existing tax used to fund Medi-Cal health services.

State COVID Surge Over But More to Come

10/02/2024

The summer COVID surge in California may be finally abating, but people are still advised to get update vaccines in anticipation of a resurgence in the fall and winter.

A Minimum Wage Increase for California Health Care Workers Is Finally Kicking In

10/01/2024

A California minimum wage law that was delayed amid budget troubles is now set to go into effect Oct. 16. It’s expected to benefit hundreds of thousands of workers.

Vomiting, Cramps and Lethargy: As Heat Rises, California Kids Are Sweltering in Schools With No Air Conditioning

09/30/2024

An estimated 1 in 5 schools has no air conditioning and another 10% need repair. Underfunded schools struggle to keep classrooms cool as heat waves intensify. “It’s a hot mess,” one teacher says.

Most Maternal Deaths Can Be Prevented. Here’s How California Aims to Cut Them in Half

09/17/2024

The California surgeon general is launching a campaign today to spread awareness about health conditions that contribute to pregnancy-related deaths, such as heart disease.

California’s Cap on Health Care Costs Is the Nation’s Strongest. But Will Patients Notice?

09/17/2024

California’s new cap on health care cost increases is regarded as the most aggressive in the nation. It includes potential fines against companies that exceed the limit.

H5N1 Bird Flu Infects California Dairy Cows

09/11/2024

H5N1 bird flu has been reported in three California dairy herds.

Should California Community Colleges Offer Bachelor’s Degrees in Nursing? Universities Say No

09/05/2024

Lawmakers approved two bills to allow some community colleges to provide bachelor’s degrees in nursing. That’s setting up another conflict with the California State University, which already offers these bachelor’s degrees.

Health Care in California: How the State Made Almost Everyone Eligible for Coverage

09/03/2024

Almost everyone in California has health insurance. That trend reflects about a decade and a half of policymaking designed to expand access to health care. The state’s average uninsured rate has dropped from nearly one in four Californians in 2009 to less than one in ten today.

These Middlemen Say They Keep Drug Prices Low. California Lawmakers Don’t Buy It

08/27/2024

Pharmacy benefit managers attempt to negotiate cost savings for insurers. California is considering new rules that would require them to pass their discounts on to consumers.

Millions of Californians Have Medical Debt. It Wouldn’t Hurt Your Credit Under Proposed Rules

08/26/2024

About 4 in 10 Californians are carrying medical debt. Lawmakers are advancing a bill that would prevent that debt from affecting credit scores.

Lawmakers Say Newsom Staff ‘Inflated’ Cost of Failed Health Care Bills

08/26/2024

A trio of California Democratic lawmakers say they’re frustrated by high cost estimates that helped kill their health care legislation. Did the Newsom administration inflate the numbers to quietly kill the bills?

They Delivered 5,600 Babies. They Blame California Rules for Putting Them Out of Business

08/25/2024

Birth centers are popular options for families who want to deliver a baby outside of a hospital. Nineteen of them closed in California in the past decade, deepening the state’s maternity care crisis.

Dangerous Herbicide Used on California Crops Banned

08/07/2024

The chemical, used for decades, can harm babies’ developing brains. Farmworkers and people living near fields are most at risk. The EPA issued a rare emergency order.

A Soil Fungus That Can Kill Is on the Rise in California: What to Know About Valley Fever

08/01/2024

About 80 Californians die every year after contracting Valley fever, a fungal disease that typically affects the lungs. A recent outbreak was traced to a music festival in Kern County.

CA Indoor Heat Rule Put on Fast Track

07/25/2024

After years of delay, a new California regulation to protect indoor workers from extreme heat is now in effect.

West Nile Cases in Yuba and Stanislaus Counties

07/24/2024

The first two human cases of West Nile virus this season were reported in Yuba and Stanislaus Counties.

California Sent a Mentally Ill Man to a State Hospital. Then It Charged Him $760,000

07/17/2024

California State Hospitals can bill patients for the care they receive during confinement. The charges often run in the tens of thousands of dollars, putting vulnerable people in debt for years.

Can California’s Health Care Providers Help Solve the State’s Homelessness Crisis?

07/10/2024

Taking advantage of new state funds, some California healthcare providers are starting to offer what their homeless patients really need: housing.

Drinking Water of Almost a Million Californians Failed to Meet State Requirements

06/25/2024

Almost 400 suppliers, two-thirds in communities of color, don’t meet safety and reliability standards. Fixing them would cost billions.

‘Total System Breakdown’: California Firefighters With PTSD Face a Workers’ Comp Nightmare

06/25/2024

Even when suicidal, California firefighters struggle to find medical help and navigate the workers’ comp morass to pay for it.

The California Maternity Wards That Are Staying Open

06/06/2024

Over the last decade, nearly 50 maternity wards have closed across California, with more than half shutting down in just the last four years.

Why CA Families Are Getting a Tax Surprise for Health Care

06/04/2024

For families seeking affordable health insurance, the state’s health insurance marketplace, Covered California, can provide major relief. But if they’re not careful, they can get hit by an unexpected federal tax bill.

Bill Would Allow Arizona Abortion Providers to Practice in California Temporarily

04/24/2024

Newsom-backed bill would allow Arizona abortion providers to practice in California as the Republican-led state restricts access.

Newsom Calls Out Republican Abortion Policies in New Ad Running in Alabama

04/21/2024

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new ad blasts GOP efforts to make it harder for people to leave states with abortion bans and seek treatment elsewhere.

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