Healthcare Systems & Policy

As the open enrollment period for health insurance from the nation’s government-run marketplaces opened, Americans found a changed landscape.

“California is way better situated to handle a lot of the bumps that are happening right now than pretty much any other state,” AP's Meghan Hoyer told journalists this week.

From threats to repeal the Affordable Care Act, to news about rising premiums and President Donald Trump's recent decision to do away with some subsidies, people who don't closely follow the issue are getting lost in the headlines and sound bites.

A proposal from a pair of Southern California lawmakers to establish a single-payer model went nowhere this year. But the political climate in deep-blue California is changing, with some high-profile California politicians now backing the effort.

In the wake of recent reports that the 2020 Census is facing a funding shortfall, advocates worry about the consequences of undercounting vulnerable populations.

Harvey Barkin wrote this story while participating in the USC Center for Health Journalism‘s California Fellowship. 
Other stories in the series include:
Full-scope Medi-Cal granted to undocumented children below 19 years old but for how long?
Isabella's story

The notorious 6-month wait imposed on patients suffering from liver failure caused by alcohol use disorder has fallen to a court challenge in Ontario, Canada.

Many Floridians have jobs but can't afford health insurance or to pay out-of-pocket for health care. For those patients, the more than 100 free and charitable clinics in Florida are often their only option for health care.

The U.S. spends more than any other country for health care. And economic ideals that should push costs down aren't actually working in our country's system.