Healthcare Systems & Policy

On Monday, Montana became the 30th state to expand Medicaid. On Tuesday, election results cast Kentucky's Medicaid expansion into doubt. What does this all have to do with kids' health? When it comes to children's health insurance, a state's Medicaid status can make a big difference.

Healthcare Regulation and Reform, Health Insurance and Costs

A hospital in Marin County, California, has successfully lowered its Cesarean-section rates by employing nurse midwives. As KRCB’s Danielle Venton reports, duplicating those results around the state is going to require some creative thinking.

Women's and Maternal Health

Health insurance premium hikes have been modest in recent years, but out-of-pockets costs are another story. Our Thursday webinar on "Out of Pocket: Surprise Costs After Health Reform" offered a primer on the trends and a host of story ideas for reporting on these topics.

Health Insurance and Costs, Healthcare Regulation and Reform

During several inspections over the past five years, federal regulators cited the five local hospitals tracked by the Orange County Register nearly 100 times for infection control violations. The most common problems were incorrectly sterilized surgical tools and dirty operating rooms and equipment.

Patient Safety and Ethics

Dr. Gupta was performing a procedure in which a pacemaker is inserted through a patient's blood vessels. But he skipped a key step, and the patient's condition steadily worsened. The case is a reminder that the skills a physician has earlier in their career don’t always remain sharp toward the end.

Patient Safety and Ethics

In a watershed development on Tuesday, the American Cancer Society announced it was backtracking on its aggressive breast cancer screening recommendations. The new guidelines are much more aligned with the practice of Slow Medicine, and they should change how we talk to patients about screening.