Image by Maliutina AnnaOPINION – Families across California experienced a decline in violence and poverty in the wake of COVID-19, but according to the Public Policy Institute of California, the rate of poverty has since grown from 11.7% in 2021 to 13.2% in 2023.
Laura Wilcox, whose shooting death in Nevada County inspired "Laura's Law." (Family photo)Ever since Ronald Reagan signed the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act in 1967 granting people with severe mental illness greater rights and speeding the emptying of state asylums, governors have been sidestepping the issue, until now. Unlike governors before him in this state or perhaps any other, Newsom is confronting the issue of untreated mental illness.
Constant glucose monitoring, image by russellleephotoOPINION – New guidelines issued today by the state’s Department of Health Care Services will increase access to essential medical devices called continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). With more than 10% of the population in California living with diabetes, 29% of which are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 22% American Indian and Alaska Native, the new policy for CGM access is not just a win for people living with diabetes but a win for our entire healthcare system.
Climate education, image by LightspringOPINION – People need to be convinced that a future in which their cars, houses, stoves, and garden equipment run on electricity – and that they will need to live sustainably – will not mean a decline in their quality of life. That’s why California should mandate climate change education in grades K-12 right now.
PSA testing, image by angellodecoOPINION – In California, an estimated 26,970 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. AB 632, authored by Assemblymember Mike Gipson, will allow more men to receive prostate cancer screenings without the worry of excessive healthcare expenses.
Blood sample, image by Jarun OntakraiOPINION: It would be a win-win for patients and public health if Americans were treated in a holistic and comprehensive manner.
Sen. Scott WienerCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: SB 932, a 2020 bill inspired by concerns about potential disparate impacts of COVID on LGBTQ people, directed the California Department of Public Health to collect sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data. A new report released by the State Auditor says that CDPH has fallen short and recommends that state law be amended to require more comprehensive practices around SOGI data collection.
Image by Rawpixel via ShutterstockAccess to a safe and consistent place to exercise can help improve the health and well-being of countless Californians.
Telemedicine male dentist showing dental X-rays on a screen of an elderly woman's tablet. He explains to the remote patient her problems like cavities and impacted teeth.OPINION: Orthodontists in practice throughout California embrace new technologies as a way to improve service delivery and access to care, but we want to caution policymakers and consumers that its utilization should not come at the expense of patient health and safety.
A sign at a downtown San Francisco rally urging support for the Affordable Care Act. (Photo: Kim Wilson, via Shutterstock)OPINION: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death has placed the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) back in the headlines because the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in November in a case, California v. Texas, that seeks to repeal it. The widely publicized prospect of eliminating health care coverage for more than 20 million Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic should be enough to give our elected leaders and the high court pause.