An estimated 50 percent of children in the United States do not receive regular dental care because of social, economic and geographic barriers to care. Mexican American and Black preschool children have a higher prevalence of cavities than their white peers. More than 50 percent of low-income adults and even 20 percent of those above the poverty line have untreated cavities.
We have recommendations that can help end these disparities.
Our governor could take two steps right now that would bring together the committed players in domestic violence prevention, help identify and fill in gaps in support, and put the state even further along the road to meaningful leadership in preventing intimate partner violence.
In California, 58 percent of adult residents have been impacted by domestic violence directly or through a close friend or relative.
For the first time since 2020, millions of Californians are renewing their Medi-Cal benefits.
Since the health of approximately 40 percent of Californians depends on Medi-Cal coverage, the state and counties must look at everybody’s files — and find ways to contact them and evaluate them for ongoing coverage — before cutting off Medi-Cal.
To experience a world free from violence, California must invest in the necessary funding and resources to prevent it.
However, with one-time funding for sexual and domestic violence prevention set to expire in April 2024, effective prevention programs will become more difficult to maintain.
For optometrists in California, the gap between the cost of providing care and what the state covers is growing wider each year.
While Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed improving Medi-Cal access by paying medical doctors, OB-GYNs and hospitals more this year, eye care is not included in this proposal.
When inclement weather results in a state of emergency, survivors live in constant fear and uncertainty.
It is critical that legislators understand the myriad impacts of domestic violence and natural disasters driven by climate change, so that they can fund and implement more impactful ways to prevent both.
California has become a model for ensuring schools can provide nutritious breakfast and lunch for all students without accruing district debt and stigmatizing students whose families can’t afford to pay.
Students in Upland Unified School District, where I work, not only get to grow and taste their own food in our school gardens, they also get to taste new fruits and veggies through a Harvest of the Month program.
Amid the federal debt ceiling talks, some lawmakers have their eyes set on cutting Medicaid funding.
That would be an ill-advised and costly mistake for everyone, not just for the vulnerable populations who are beneficiaries of the government-funded program.
For families like mine, California’s In-Home Supportive Services program is a lifeline.
But the IHSS lifeline is fraying as the cost of living soars. The IHSS pay rate for caregiving has barely inched above minimum wage in most parts of the state. The pay I receive as my father’s caregiver is not enough to support my family, so I have to work a second full time job.
Among the thousands of patients Dr. Donald Rebhun has seen at his primary care practice in the San Fernando Valley, stories that stand out in his memory include cases where he was able to make a timely impact on patients because of a simple electronic alert sent by the hospital, letting him know his patient had been treated.
But this kind of follow-up doesn’t always happen.