Healthcare Systems & Policy

Reporting on Health Contributing Editor William Heisel set off a spirited discussion this week on Twitter on the risk of addiction to opioid pain medicine. What are the implications for chronic pain management and treatment?

Patient Safety and Ethics

Virginia houses approximately 30,000 inmates annually in state prisons, making the Department of Corrections the most expensive agency in Richmond, with a billion dollar annual budget. It spends $160 million on healthcare, but critics say that care is inadequate.

Chronic Disease, Environmental Health

Duane Middleton died shortly after a routine colonoscopy. Then his life insurance provider denied his wife any benefits, a decision later held up in court. So how could three judges conclude that Middleton's death didn't qualify as an "accident"?

Healthcare Regulation and Reform, Health Insurance and Costs, Patient Safety and Ethics, Aging

Duane Middleton's colon was torn during a colonoscopy, and he died shortly after. His death was ruled an accident. But when Middleton's wife sought benefits from his insurance policy, she was told his death didn't meet the policy's definition of an accident.

Healthcare Regulation and Reform, Health Insurance and Costs, Patient Safety and Ethics, Aging

Getting coverage for the uninsured is a big part of the federal health-care reform, which goes into effect Jan. 1. Those just getting insured could require a huge amount of care and referrals, which stands to overburden providers until the system stabilizes.

Chronic Disease, Health Insurance and Costs

Unyque Jackson started kindergarten in Oakland. Her parents divorced when she was five. And Unyque moved to the San Joaquin Valley where she lived in her father’s house and was raised by her grandmother.

Poverty and Class, Environmental Health, Women's and Maternal Health, Community Safety

This project was led by Catherine Stifter, a 2013 California Fellow, who takes an up-close look at the high rates of high school dropouts through the lives of four young people from the Central Valley.

Race and Equity, Poverty and Class, Mental Health, Community Safety