California Budget Cuts: Will Low-Income Kids Be Dropped from Healthy Families Insurance Program?

Kids' Health: California's SCHIP program, known as Healthy Families, is facing a nearly 40 percent budget cut that could potentially force tens of thousands of children off the subsidized health insurance it offers, David Gorn reports for California Healthline. The program currently serves about 870,000 kids.

Environmental Health: Researchers have found more evidence that people with high levels of certain pesticides in their blood may have a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes, especially if they're overweight, Amy Norton reports for Reuters.

Community Health: The use of promotoras, Spanish-speaking community health outreach workers, is catching on in Philadelphia, Juliana Schatz reports for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Medicare: Paris Achen of The Columbian profiles one senior couple's long search to find a doctor in Washington state who would accept Medicare, noting that reimbursement rates are relatively low in the Pacific Northwest compared to other parts of the country.

Cervical Cancer: Most doctors screen their female patients for cervical cancer more often than screening guidelines suggest, according to a new study, Genevra Pittman reports for Reuters. Most experts believe that Pap smears or other screening tests every two to three years are just as effective as an annual test.

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Photo credit: Christina Spicuzza via Flickr