COVID-19

When Inequity Gets Measured, It Gets Managed

October 19, 2020

Xenia Shih Bion

Stories That Caught Our Attention: How California is trying to ensure that its 58 counties don't overlook the health of neighborhoods most deeply affected by COVID-19.

Large Numbers of Californians Have Delayed Care for Urgent Health Issues During COVID-19

October 8, 2020

Nearly one-third of Californians have delayed receiving care for urgent or emergency health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 36% of those with low incomes say their mental health has gotten "worse" or "a lot worse," according to a new survey conducted by the California Health Care Foundation and NORC at the University of Chicago.

Listening to Californians with Low Incomes

Jen Joynt, Rebecca Catterson, Lucy Rabinowitz Bailey

Listening to Californians with Low Incomes: Health Care Access, Experiences, and Concerns Since the COVID-19 Pandemic is a compilation of early findings from a statewide survey of the health care experiences of California’s residents. The survey included an oversampling of residents with low incomes.

New Laws Strengthen California’s Response to Mental Health Crises

October 5, 2020

Xenia Shih Bion

Behavioral Health, Medi-Cal

Stories That Caught Our Attention: Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law four bills intended to improve Californians’ access to mental health and substance use disorder services.

Improving the Health of Black Women in California

October 2, 2020

Claudia Boyd-Barrett

Behavioral Health, Health Equity, Maternal Health

An interview with Sonya Young Aadam, CEO of California Black Women's Health Project.

Hanging On to Coverage?

Katherine Wilson, Laurel Lucia

Coverage Trends

Millions of Californians lost jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. But early information from California’s insurance regulators suggests that — at least through June — the number of Californians with job-based health insurance has not changed as dramatically as feared. This may help partially explain why the state’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, has not yet experienced a big surge in enrollment.

This Legal Attack on the ACA Could Be the Big One

September 28, 2020

Xenia Shih Bion

Medi-Cal, Health Equity, Expanding Health Coverage

Stories That Caught Our Attention: Supporters of the landmark health care law are feeling uneasy about future rulings on it by the US Supreme Court.

Online COVID-19 Self-Assessment Eases Burden on Southern California’s Safety Net

September 22, 2020

USC triage tool, piloted with AltaMed Health Services, has helped half a million people worldwide decide whether to seek testing or in-person medical help.

COVID-19 Goes Viral on College Campuses

September 21, 2020

Xenia Shih Bion

Stories That Caught Our Attention: The New York Times has counted at least 88,000 COVID-19 cases and 60 deaths at American colleges.

October 8, 2020

Webinar — Seriously Ill, Vulnerable Patients During Extreme Stress: How Are Needs Changing in the COVID-19 Era?

Serious Illness & End-of-Life Care

October 8, 2020

A panel-style conversation with two physician leaders highlighted how the needs of seriously ill Californians are changing due to COVID-19, especially for disproportionately impacted communities.

Stressors Take Toll on Students’ Mental Health

September 14, 2020

Xenia Shih Bion

Behavioral Health, Telehealth

Stories That Caught Our Attention: Experts worry that compounding pressures are taking a toll on the mental, emotional, and physical health of young people.

COVID-19 Tracking Poll: One in Five Californians Knows Someone Who Died of COVID-19

September 3, 2020

Kristof Stremikis

Black and Latinx Californians are more likely than white Californians to know someone who has died of the new coronavirus.

Public Health Officials Are Our COVID-19 Commanders. Treat Them With Respect.

September 1, 2020

Battle-scarred public health officers are making deeply personal sacrifices to steer us to safety.

California Wildfires Add Toxic Threat to Pandemic Crisis

August 31, 2020

Xenia Shih Bion

Stories That Caught Our Attention: Experts months ago warned that the crises would converge, but they didn't expect them to overlap so early in the year.

How Can Health Plans Support People Experiencing Homelessness During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Center for Health Care Strategies

Homelessness & Health Care

L.A. Care Health Plan has rapidly recalibrated existing homelessness support services to address the immediate needs of people experiencing homelessness related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Center for Health Care Strategies spoke with the director of Safety Net Programs and Partnerships at L.A. Care to discuss how the health plan has been supporting those experiencing homeless during the pandemic.