Rachel Bluth

Rachel Bluth was a correspondent for KFF Health News until February 2023.

@RachelHBluth

‘It’s a Minefield’: Biden Health Pick Must Tread Carefully on Abortion and Family Planning

KFF Health News Original

President Biden vowed to reverse reproductive health restrictions enacted by President Trump. His pick to run HHS, Xavier Becerra, fought the Trump efforts but must now navigate a difficult legal and political landscape.

New Single-Payer Bill Intensifies Newsom’s Political Peril

KFF Health News Original

With the introduction of a single-payer bill Friday, a group of California Democratic lawmakers set the terms of the health care debate in the Capitol this year. The move puts Gov. Gavin Newsom in a delicate political position, threatening to alienate voters as he faces a likely recall election.

Farmworkers, Firefighters and Flight Attendants Jockey for Vaccine Priority

KFF Health News Original

Everyone — from toilet paper manufacturers to patient advocates — is lobbying state advisory boards, arguing their members are essential, vulnerable or both — and, thus, most deserving of an early vaccine.

Limpieza dental, gafas nuevas… y la vacuna contra COVID-19

KFF Health News Original

Con múltiples vacunas de COVID-19 en camino, optometristas y dentistas presionan para que se autorice vacunar a los pacientes durante los exámenes oculares de rutina y las limpiezas dentales.

App-Based Companies Pushing Prop. 22 Say Drivers Will Get Health Benefits. Will They?

KFF Health News Original

Ride-sharing and delivery services such as Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart are bankrolling California’s Proposition 22, which would keep their drivers classified as independent contractors, not employees. But health benefits? That’s something of a stretch.

Californians Asked to Pony Up for Stem Cell Research — Again

KFF Health News Original

More than a decade of research tied to California’s stem cell agency hasn’t yielded many cures or much revenue. But backers of a ballot initiative that asks voters for billions more in funding say the work is vital for patients and the scientific community.

Pandemic Erects Barriers for Prized Bloc of Voters in Nursing Homes, Senior Facilities

KFF Health News Original

Voting is a point of pride for many older Americans, and senior living facilities in past years have encouraged the civic act by hosting voting precincts, providing transportation to the polls and bringing in groups to help explain election issues. But fears of the spread of the coronavirus among this vulnerable population make voting more difficult this year.

‘Terrible Role-Modeling’: California Lawmakers Flout Pandemic Etiquette

KFF Health News Original

As California workers and schoolchildren struggled to work from home, state lawmakers met in person. And as their legislative session came to a close in late August, they broke COVID rules: They huddled, let their masks slip below their noses, removed their masks to drink coffee — and required a new mom to vote in person while toting her hungry newborn.

Long-Fought Nurse Practitioner Independence Bill Heads to Newsom

KFF Health News Original

The measure caps one of the most contentious health policy debates in recent memory, potentially altering how Californians get their medical care. Gov. Gavin Newsom has until the end of September to sign or veto it.

Amid COVID Chaos, California Legislators Fight for Major Health Care Bills

KFF Health News Original

There’s less time, less attention and fewer resources this year, but that isn’t stopping lawmakers from acting on controversial health care legislation not directly related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Medicaid Mystery: Millions of Enrollees Haven’t Materialized in California

KFF Health News Original

State officials had projected that 2 million Californians would join Medi-Cal, the state’s health insurance program for low-income people, by July because of the economic devastation wrought by COVID-19. Yet enrollment has barely budged, and why is unclear.