Database Category: Healthcare & Telemedicine

Under previous rules, family members of those who had insurance through an employer were not eligible for Covered California. In some cases, those employer plans cover the employee but are expensive for spouses and children, leaving families with few options.

Health officials say a key difference between this upcoming winter and the last two is the wider availability of COVID antivirals like Paxlovid. But many infected people aren’t aware of their availability or have difficulty accessing them.

State health officials last year launched a first-ever competitive bidding process for its Medi-Cal insurance contracts, aiming to implement higher standards. But when the winners were announced, several insurers complained about the process and potential impact on patient care.

Few Californians have more severe health needs than people experiencing homelessness, but they’re also the least likely to get care. In a state where nearly 174,000 people experience homelessness, less than a third of unhoused people enrolled in the state’s free insurance program have ever seen their primary care provider

Health officials say a key difference between this upcoming winter and the last two is the wider availability of COVID antivirals like Paxlovid. But many infected people aren’t aware of their availability or have difficulty accessing them

California’s statewide mask mandate is set to expire on Feb. 15, and state health officials may not extend it in an endemic COVID strategy. California is approaching yet another pandemic inflection point – one that could mark the state’s transition to treating COVID like any other virus.

Although many workers may be exposed to the novel coronavirus, healthcare workers (HCWs) have an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 due to their close contact with patients affected by SARS-CoV-2.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the media have repeatedly praised healthcare workers for their ‘heroic’ work. Although this gratitude is undoubtedly appreciated by many, we must be cautious about overuse of the term ‘hero’ in such discussions.