Kristen Hwang
CalMatters-
All but two California counties are delaying their implementation of a new law that makes it easier for a court to place someone in involuntary confinement if they can’t care for their own medical needs or personal safety. -
Black women are three times more likely than any other women to die during or immediately after pregnancy. California lawmakers passed a law in 2019 requiring hospitals to train labor and delivery staff on unconscious bias in medicine.
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Several anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers are advertising ‘abortion pill reversal’. California Attorney General Rob Bonta calls the claims false advertising that mislead vulnerable patients.
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California collects a special tax on high incomes to fund mental health services. Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to change how the money is spent so a share of it can be used to fund housing for homeless people with mental illnesses.
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California voters likely will see a mental health ballot measure on the March 2024 election. One would issue a $6 billion bond to create housing for people with mental illnesses.
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It’s a confusing time in the COVID pandemic. A new booster is on the way, but cases are rising and you might want more protection now.
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Some hospitals in Southern California have a nurse vacancy rate of 30%, stressing overworked staff and causing some to leave the industry earlier than they planned.
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California still offers generous subsidies, but the rate hike signals that runaway health care costs are back after five years of low premium increases.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to rethink how California spends its millionaire’s tax by directing more money toward housing. Some county-run mental health programs could lose out.
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Medi-Cal is changing how it pays mental health providers. Many of those providers say they may no longer be able to afford peer support specialists, home visits and other services.
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The spending change would prioritize housing for homeless people, which children’s mental health advocates fear will cut their funding.
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California legislators have passed a slew of laws to protect abortion rights. But after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, many fear attempting to regulate “crisis pregnancy centers” is legally risky.
