Obamacare No Help to Undocumented Immigrants
Despite the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, there are still millions of Californians living without health insurance, many of them because they're undocumented. While they can buy health insurance with their own money, they're specifically excluded from receiving any benefits under the ACA. That's leaving community groups and non-profits in cities and towns across California to fill in the gaps.
Vital Signs: Finding Respectful Care as a Transgender Elder
Later this week, the Senate Health Committee takes up a bill that would require coroners and others filling out death certificates to reflect the deceased's preferred gender identity, as opposed to anatomy. The bill passed the Assembly last month. Despite growing tolerance of diversity, many individuals are still hostile, and in a position to abuse their power. 76-year-old Pamela Howland, who switched to living as a woman after retirement, came face-to-face with that fact when she needed hospital care.