Pauline Bartolone

Many Christian denominations officially oppose legislation that would legalize medically assisted suicide. But some individual churches, pastors and congregants are lending support to the cause.

When Blue Shield of California stopped selling individual health policies in many zip codes in 2014, even insurance agents were surprised. Blue Shield says it dropped out to keep premiums low.

California is seen as an Obamacare success story. But tens of thousands of people in the northern part of the state have only one insurer available on the health plan exchange.

Where have the insurance marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act struggled the most? The answer lies in commerce, not politics.

Medical school is now one year shorter for aspiring doctors. An initiative at the University of California, Davis aims to produce more primary care doctors with less med school debt.

Obamacare set national rules for appealing a denied health claim — a process that used to vary by employer and state. Consumers should appeal more often, advocates say. Half the time, they'll win.

An Alameda County ordinance puts the responsibility for drug disposal squarely on the companies that made the medicines. States and the federal government have considered similar measures, but none has passed.

Insurers are holding down prices by including fewer doctors and hospitals in their health plans. Consumers may save money, but at the cost of more restrictions on where they can get medical care that is covered.

A media investigation revealed this summer that scores of female inmates received prohibited sterilization procedures in California prisons between 1997 and 2010. State lawmakers are now demanding an audit into the legally questionable tubal ligations, to find out if coercion was involved.

Members of the Access to Healthcare Network in Reno, Nev., get discounts on health services. But first, they pay a monthly membership fee. They also agree to pay their medical bills to providers upfront.