Health

Five years ago, Gavin Newsom pledged support for a single-payer health care system but has since backed away. Even the universal coverage he now advocates for has become elusive goal.

Despite various investments and political action, maternal death rates have climbed in recent years, especially for Black women. California passed a law in 2021 to confront racial disparities in maternal and infant health, but advocates say there needs to be mechanisms for transparency and accountability and deeper investment.

California officials are proposing to increase reimbursement rates for some Medi-Cal providers, who say low pay rates prevent them from taking more patients.

To fight the skyrocketing cost of insulin, California is using multiple tactics, including making its own generic versions.

Several hospitals have warned that they are struggling financially after the strains of the pandemic. A new loan program, if approved, could offer short-term relief.

As many resume their pre-pandemic lives, those with long COVID struggle with debilitating symptoms. In California, there are no legislative proposals to help despite long wait times for care and expensive treatments.

As hospitals and other health care facilities struggle with staffing shortages, health workers could get a wage increase under a legislative proposal. But some smaller facilities already struggling financially say they can’t afford it.

The California State Board of Pharmacy is considering regulatory changes that could make it more difficult for pharmacies to add flavoring to medicine, a generally safe and increasingly sophisticated practice that helps children take medication.

The court decision preserves the FDA's approval of the abortion pill mifepristone until a lower federal court hears the case. California legislators and officials vow to protect abortion rights no matter the final outcome of the case.

The state ended masking and vaccination requirements, including in high-risk settings such as health care facilities. Some patients with chronic illnesses say they may avoid treatment rather than risk contracting COVID-19.