The need for more affordable coverage is real, but association health plans have had a dismal track record through the years.
The proposed merger of Cottage Health, operator of the only hospitals in South Santa Barbara County and the Santa Ynez Valley, with Sansum Clinic, the largest physician practice in the area, raises questions about cost, quality and access to care.
The average man or woman on the street who needs insurance doesn’t care one whit what policy wonks and partisan bloggers have to say about premium costs. They will decide to buy or not buy based on their pocketbooks, a point overlooked in the media rush to report the spin.
The latest on a national salmonella outbreak, rising Medicare and Medicaid costs and good news for some Californians with expensive health insurance, plus more in our Daily Briefing.
There are a lot of ways to work in health news and information beyond general interest journalism. Learn about a career in medical copy-editing from Katharine O'Moore-Klopf, who has been helping medical professionals and researchers write about their work for 16 years.
Studying the health of people who live near polluted rail yards, a California medical school in jeopardy, health reform court battle and more in our Daily Briefing.
The Future of Music Coalition conducted a survey in 2010 showing that 33 percent of musicians responding had no health insurance. It's a problem that resonates with freelance journalists or those who do not receive health benefits from their employers. Broader concerns about health access in the
So it’s been three months already since health reform passed, and journalists around the country are still looking for ways to keep this story fresh. Earlier, I wrote about lessons you can learn from some top Washington DC health reporters, with an eye on Sept. 23, when the next set of new provisions takes effect.
Well, here we go! In a historic 219-212 vote late Sunday night, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $914 billion health reform package extending health coverage to as many as 32 million Americans
The Washington Post's Shailagh Murray and Lori Montgomery summed up the legislation's enormous significance in the ultimate nut graf:
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Most recent site update: 11/8/09
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I recently had the privilege to attend the semi-annual CCLHO (California Conference of Local Health Officers) meeting in Oakland, California. This meeting represents an opportunity for county public health officers (often physicians) to collaborate with each other face-to-face.