Health - latimes.com

It's finals week: Do you know what your teen is taking to study so hard?

By Melissa Healy — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:18:00 PDT

By the end of high school, 12% of teens say they have taken a stimulant medication for reasons other than to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But parents, including many of those whose kids are taking ADHD drugs in a bid to boost their academic performance, appear to be clueless.

New California health insurance rates unveiled

By Chad Terhune, Los Angeles Times — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:59:00 PDT

Health insurance premiums for Covered California, the state-run marketplace, are lower than expected.

Amid anxiety over rising costs from the federal healthcare law, California received better-than-expected insurance rates for a new state-run marketplace, but many consumers still won't be spared from sharply higher premiums.

Some could have gaps in medical coverage under new law

By Anna Gorman, Los Angeles Times — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:37:00 PDT

Income fluctuations could interrupt coverage for 28 million low-income people who could bounce between Medicaid and insurance exchanges. The key will be ensuring people move smoothly between programs.

When the national healthcare law takes full effect next year, millions of Americans risk disrupted health coverage because of common life events: getting married or divorced, having children or taking on a second job.

Lack of strength training is most common U.S. health vice

By Karen Kaplan — Wed, 22 May 2013 06:15:00 PDT

Have you lifted weights today? Odds are, the answer is no. A new report on Americans’ health vices says failure to do strength-training exercises is far more common than the more obvious bad behaviors of smoking, heavy drinking, being a couch potato and staying up way too late.

UnitedHealth, Aetna and Cigna opt out of California insurance exchange

By Chad Terhune, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:59:00 PDT

Kaiser Permanente, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California are all expected to participate in the state-run market for individual health coverage.

Some prominent health insurers, including industry giant UnitedHealth Group Inc., are not participating in California's new state-run health insurance market, possibly limiting the number of choices for millions of consumers.

UC hospitals cancel surgeries, divert patients amid strike

By Anna Gorman and Maria L. La Ganga, Los Angeles Times — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:50:00 PDT

The walkout by patient care workers shuts down some services at medical centers in L.A., Irvine, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento.

A strike by University of California patient care workers Tuesday caused the cancellation of hundreds of surgeries, the closure of laboratory stations and the diversion of emergency room patients, officials said.

Patient care workers set to start walkout at five UC hospitals

By Anna Gorman, Los Angeles Times — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 PDT

Respiratory therapists, nursing aides and surgical technicians are striking over staffing, pay and pension reform. Citing safety, a judge rules that about 450 employees cannot take part.

Respiratory therapists, nursing aides, surgical technicians and other patient care workers plan to stage a walkout starting Tuesday morning at five University of California medical centers.

City of San Francisco, worker unions protest Kaiser premium hike

By Lee Romney, Los Angeles Times — Sun, 19 May 2013 17:38:00 PDT

In an unusual show of unity, they're demanding that the healthcare provider come up with an alternate proposal and explain the reasons for rate increases.

It's a trend many public employees can relate to: Health insurance premiums climb year after year, while at the bargaining table workers have agreed to kick in more for pensions, take salary cuts and sign on to furlough days.

Medicaid opposition underscores states' healthcare disparities

By Noam N. Levey, Washington Bureau — Sat, 18 May 2013 22:06:00 PDT

In states where Republican leaders are rejecting expansion of the government health plan for the poor, residents already have lower rates of coverage.

Republican opposition in many statehouses to expanding Medicaid next year under President Obama's healthcare law — opposition that could leave millions of the nation's poorest residents without insurance coverage — will likely widen the divide between the nation's healthiest and sickest states.

How to avoid a return to the hospital

By Lisa Zamosky — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:09:00 PDT

Patients and their families can play a big role in preventing readmissions. Here are resources and strategies to prevent complications after a patient is discharged.

The only thing less pleasant than a stay in the hospital is having to go right back there to deal with complications. And experts say it happens all too often.