04/29/2013
We asked legislators, state officials and consumer advocates how California should manage Medi-Cal with enrollment going up by millions next year and reimbursements going down perhaps by as much as 10%.
04/04/2013
We asked legislators, stakeholders and consumer advocates to weigh in on a bill before the state Legislature calling for the state to establish a minimum amount of charity care for private, tax-exempt not-for-profit hospitals.
03/07/2013
Hoping to bolster the ranks of providers able to deal with millions of newly insured Californians, the California Legislature this month will consider a proposal to give mid-level health care practitioners more autonomy and authority. We asked legislators and stakeholders if that's a good idea.
01/31/2013
We asked policymakers, immigration experts and consumer advocates how immigration reform might influence health care reform in California.
01/17/2013
We asked mental health experts and lawmakers how California and the nation should respond to the public debate triggered by the killing of 26 people at an elementary school last month. Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg has urged the White House to use California's mental health system as a national model.
12/13/2012
We asked lawmakers and stakeholders to use post-election perspective to define priorities for both the state Legislature's special session on health care next month and the legislative session that follows.
11/05/2012
We asked stakeholders and experts if California should be actively pursuing changes to let consumers and purchasers get a clearer picture of pricing and performance in the state's health care system.
10/11/2012
Federal guidelines provide some direction, but state insurance exchanges are largely on their own when deciding details of offering vision and dental coverage under the Affordable Care Act. We asked stakeholders and consumer advocates what California should do.
09/24/2012
Two significant changes in California's health system -- federal reform and realignment of state and county responsibilities for government health programs -- offer new opportunities to improve the way things work in California on many fronts, including the criminal justice system, according to some. We asked experts to explain how.
08/30/2012
We asked experts and stakeholders if California should be considering something similar to Massachusetts' new law designed to allow health care costs to grow no faster than the state's economy.
08/13/2012
The California Legislature this month will consider a bill that could set the stage for a new tier of oral health care provider -- people less educated than dentists but with enough training to perform some dental procedures. We asked stakeholders and experts how the state should proceed.
07/16/2012
As the California Health Benefit Exchange board refines its design and marching orders, we asked stakeholders how far the exchange should lean in applying its considerable influence on the state's insurance marketplace.
06/28/2012
Battle lines against obesity are being drawn in several arenas -- from a proposed tax on sugary drinks in a Northern California city to a new national Walt Disney Company policy against accepting junk-food advertising. We asked experts what California should do.
06/04/2012
Is California still leading the way toward cultural competence in health care? We asked stakeholders how California legislators, policymakers, educators and business leaders can best prepare the health care system for an increasingly diverse population.
05/21/2012
The California Legislature is considering a proposal to create a Basic Health Program in California that would provide low-cost public health insurance for as many as one million Californians who otherwise might not qualify for subsidized coverage. We asked stakeholders and experts what California should do.