Ana B. Ibarra /CalMatters

California officials are proposing to increase reimbursement rates for some Medi-Cal providers, who say low pay rates prevent them from taking more patients.

Several hospitals have warned that they are struggling financially after the strains of the pandemic. A new loan program, if approved, could offer short-term relief.

As hospitals and other health care facilities struggle with staffing shortages, health workers could get a wage increase under a legislative proposal. But some smaller facilities already struggling financially say they can’t afford it.

After Madera Community Hospital in Madera County closed earlier this year, other hospitals have signaled they are struggling financially. Legislators are considering several solutions to funnel more money to hospitals to prevent them from cutting services or closing.

In April, the state will resume its annual eligibility reviews for Medi-Cal. With some enrollees no longer qualifying or unaware they need to renew their coverage, officials estimate 2 million to 3 million people could lose their insurance.

Some seniors have been homeless for years and are now growing older. But the increasing numbers also reflect another trend: those experiencing homelessness for the first time after age 50.

California plans to roll out an ambitious plan to manufacture its own insulin, but in the meantime, legislators are proposing to cap what diabetics pay.

It’s been close to 30 years since California enacted the bulk of its seismic safety standards, but hospitals continue to ask for more time and flexibility. They argue that many facilities, especially smaller ones, can’t afford the retrofitting or replacement costs.

The new rules will improve access to health care in many communities where it is lacking, supporters say. Some physicians are concerned the rules will expand the scope of services nurse practitioners provide.

Low-income patients who need specialized cancer treatment often struggle to get it. Advocates say a new law is a small step toward improving services for those patients.

In the face of overwhelming demand, a Medi-Cal program providing assisted living for low-income patients is expanding, but slowly. In the meantime, family caretakers struggle with jobs, child care and other responsibilities as they wait.

Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed a handful of California cities and counties to operate supervised drug injection sites. In his veto message, he said he’s concerned these sites could result in unintended consequences or worsen the drug crisis.