Do-It-Yourself Detox Can Be ‘Freddy Krueger’ Scary — And Usually Fails READ
There are recovery and treatment centers that can help people quit using drugs — in fact, it’s a multibillion-dollar industry. But this help can be expensive, and waiting lists for state and city-funded programs are often extremely long. So can detoxing on your own be the solution? In most cases, the answer is no. In fact, a growing movement within the field of addiction medicine is challenging the entire notion of detox and the assumption that when people cleanse themselves of chemicals, they’re on the road to recovery.
One-third in state rely on Medi-Cal. Who are they? READ
The debate about health care in the United States resonates in California, considering that over a third of all people in the state rely on Medi-Cal, according to data from the California Department of Health Care Services. But amid all the arguments and partisanship, it may be easy to lose track of who exactly is hit when cuts are made to the health program for low-income Americans.
California Sued For Allegedly Substandard Medi-Cal Care READ
Civil rights advocates sued California on Wednesday, alleging that care provided by Medi-Cal, the state’s health program for low-income people, is substandard and disproportionately hurts Latinos — by far the largest group of enrollees. The lawsuit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and the Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center, says Medi-Cal participants have “substantially worse access to health care than their counterparts” in employer-based insurance plans or Medicare, the federal program for seniors and people with disabilities. State and federal laws require Medi-Cal to provide a level of care that is on par with that available to the general population, according to the court filing.
McCain Votes No, Derails ‘Skinny Repeal’ In Marathon Session READ
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who interrupted brain cancer treatment to return to Capitol Hill and advance the health law repeal, cast the dramatic and decisive “no” vote in the early morning hours that upended the Republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act… The Senate struggled late into the night to craft and then vote on a “skinny bill” for health care reform but was defeated in a 51-49 vote that prompted gasps in the chamber. McCain’s vote was unexpected and ends — for now — the Republican Party’s effort to kill Obamacare.