Health

California is getting old. Within a decade, more than 20% of the state’s residents will be seniors -- a higher proportion than currently resides in Florida, a state famous for its large population of snowbird retirees.

The question in the Capitol now: Is it time to restore several health benefits the state took from Medi-Cal recipients a decade ago, including the clearer vision that eyeglasses provide?

California is getting grayer. Over the next two decades, as more Baby Boomers reach retirement age, the state’s senior population will double. We profile California seniors and look at how their experiences have been shaped by, and will continue to shape, the California Dream.

Housing costs have forced many board-and-care homes to shutter. Mental health advocates say the closures will exacerbate the homeless crisis in California.

A closely watched bill in the California Capitol to end the "tampon tax" is one of several efforts to get the state to remedy "period poverty" and “menstrual equity.” Advocates also want the state to ensure tampons and pads are provided as freely as toilet paper in public schools and universities, government buildings and prisons.

The pharmaceutical industry has shown a hostility to e-cigarettes because they present a direct threat to pharmaceutical products.

California's new toxics warning rules apply to something that didn’t even exist when Prop. 65 first took effect: online markets for products, including wine. It's the latest expansion for the measure, whose signs are ubiquitous at gas stations, retailers and even Disneyland. But after pushback, coffee is getting a pass.

Californians with mental illness—and their family members—describe pleading with insurance providers for the treatment they need.

The tobacco-tax hike passed in 2016, but it's still unclear whether more medical providers will accept Medi-Cal, the state's health plan for low-income Californians.