Hundreds of airport workers will descend on LAX this afternoon to march and rally for healthcare. Aviation Safeguards, the contractor providing passenger services at LAX, recently announced plans to terminate its contract with employees. As a result, workers will lose their healthcare benefits on February 1. more ›

Downtown drivers, prepare for a few obstacles this morning. A Philadelphia-based healthcare reform group will march and rally starting at 11am to "Occupy Anthem Blue Cross." Healthcare-Now!, a volunteer group organizing for a national single-taxpayer healthcare system, will march in support of SB 810, a Sacramento bill dubbed the California Universal Healthcare Act. more ›

People needing medical care came out in droves this morning to be seen by doctors, dentists and other health care professionals at a free clinic set up at the LA Sports Arena. The clinic was organized by a local nonprofit called CareNow, and an estimated 1,200 people were among the first there, reports the Huffington Post. more ›

Beginning in 2014, millions of uninsured Californians will be eligible for Medicaid, the healthcare program for the poor, under President Obama's controversial healthcare overhaul. L.A. County is setting the stage for this massive revamping. more ›

Bundle designed an infographic detailing "The Most & Least Expensive Cities for Health Care." Los Angeles and California are mentioned several times. more ›

Amid ongoing contract negotiations and the constant threat of a worker strike, officials representing Ralphs, Vons and Albertons issued a statement today addressing the state of their bargaining with the grocery workers' union. In it, they comment on the agreements reached so far at the negotiating table, which include retaining parts of the current pension plan. more ›

An estimated 2,500 Kaiser Permanente nurses and staff began a 24-hour strike demanding safe staffing levels for nurses and consequentially better care for patients. The protest began at 6 a.m. Wednesday outside Kaiser L.A. Medical Center on Sunset Boulevard. more ›

AIM Medical Associates, formerly Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation, has officially shut down. The clinic, located in the Valley, had been a go-to spot for porn performers to get STI and HIV testing. Founded in 1998, they were known for speedy results and a database that could be accessed by others in the industry to verify a clean bill of health. more ›

Mayor Villaraigosa will join local Congressional leaders and celebrity activists in a rally opposing federal budget cuts at Federal Plaza downtown this afternoon. Organizers are expecting thousands to attend the 2:30 p.m. protest and rally against H.R.1, the House Appropriations act that would potentially cut $61 billion from the federal budget. Get your rally caps on because it's ON this afternoon -- rain... or clouds... more ›

Nurses at Kaiser Permanente LA Medical Center left frustrated after meeting with hospital management one week after staging a protest on Sunset Blvd. amid a contract dispute. more ›

The public school system is tasked with educating children, but should it also be responsible for its students’ healthcare? John Deasy, the newly appointed superintendent of Los Angeles schools, believes so. Though he does not take over the schools’ top position until April, Deasy is already making big plans, including a goal of providing all uninsured elementary students with medical, dental, and vision coverage. more ›

As of yesterday, hospitals that participate in Medicare and Medicaid must allow all patients to decide upon visitation rights and who to entrust with making medical decisions on their behalf regardless of sexual orientation or identity, according to The Huffington Post. Brian Bond, White House deputy director of public engagement, said that "This policy impacts millions of LGBT Americans and their families. The President saw an injustice and felt very strongly about correcting this and has spoken about it often over the years." more ›

A new state study shows that the lucky folks living in Glendale and Burbank are less likely to be admitted to hospitals for preventable medical problems than other California residents, according to Glendale News-Press. more ›

Imagine that your cells were taken from you without your permission, and kept alive. Imagine that those cells launched a medical revolution and multi-million dollar industry, but your children and grandchildren couldn't receive even basic healthcare. Science writer Rebecca Skloot (twitter, blog), is speaking tonight... more ›

Four Los Angeles healthcare facilities earned top ratings when it comes policies for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, according to a Human Rights Campaign report that was released today. But the study found that several local hospitals still do not include policies that deal with gender identity. more ›

It was back in October when Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was supporting President Barack Obama's healthcare push. "Our principal goals, slowing the growth in costs, enhancing the quality of care delivered, improving the lives..." more ›

Remember when Remote Area Medical (RAM) -- a Tennessee-based nonprofit organization that traditionally provided free healthcare to poorer countries around the world -- delivered 14,000 free healthcare services to over 6,400 people over eight days, in Los Angeles last year? more ›

A state bill that would prohibit health insurers from raising customers’ rates more than once per year took was approved by the Assembly's Health Committee today. “This measure complements the recent federal health reforms by ensuring that health insurers are prohibited from raising their rates multiple times per year. If insurers raise rates when their subscribers aren’t expecting an increase, cash-strapped families could be forced to give up their coverage,” said Mike Feuer, the L.A. Assemblymember who authored the bill, which heads to another committee next. News of rising healthcare insurance costs, most notably Anthem's 39% proposed increased, prompted Feuer to write the bill. more ›

17-year-old McKay Hatch, the South Pasadena teen famous for founding the No Cussing Club and instigating a No Cussing Week here in L.A. County, is at it again, calling out Joe Biden out for swearing. The Vice President whispered into President Barack Obama's ear--and everyone else, thanks to a microphone--"This is a big fucking deal," at the health care bill signing on Tuesday (video). Hatch is planning a 3 p.m. press conference today to ask for Biden's apology, says the Pasadena Star News. He'll also send the VP a No Cussing club penalty jar and a club t-shirt. more ›

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday said the national healthcare plan could cost California billions. Gubernatorial hopeful and current Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner also chimed in with similar sentiments, followed by his Republican opponent Meg Whitman. And so are the three Republicans seeking to replace Senator Barbara Boxer in the November election. more ›

They should as it might be in their best interest. A new study from RAND says $193 million has been spent on hospital visits, thanks to air pollution. The study's goal was to put "credible evidence in front of insurers and the healthcare lobby, among the groups who work with these issues every day," reported KPCC. Economist John Romley said "these are folks who may have greater or significant influence in the political debate about air quality." L.A. and Orange counties accounted for more than half of the $193 million. more ›

Although it was highly anticlimactic and awfully frustrating for all parties involved, this week signified a historic move on the health care reform bill. So what exactly happened? Well, the US Senate voted 60-40 -- not in favor of passing a specific bill --- but in favor of ending debate and stopping further filibustering on a specific set of amendments to the health care reform bill known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act [full bill and amendments can be found here (.pdf)] more ›

There are entire populations in this world that you simply cannot imagine. Not because their culture is so different or their location so astounding; rather, just because they are alive. On CNN or MSNBC or the Drudge Report or the Huffington Post, numbers get thrown around about ‘displaced people’ or ‘war-torn populations’. Numbers that (objectively) are big, but also too unwieldy; they cease to have any real context at a certain point because it’s just really, really hard to imagine suffering on such a massive scale. But the numbers are real, and there are people - unimaginable survivors - behind those numbers that simply cannot be ignored or bound by legalese and theoretical direction. There is an absolute need for someone, anyone, to step in and get their hands dirty. Enter MSF. more ›

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG) has changed it's recommendation for the onset and frequency of Pap smears for women. Until this week, medical guidelines have called for women to get annual Pap smears, which check for cervical cancer and other cervical and reproductive abnormalities, beginning no later than three years after becoming sexually active, or at age 21 (whichever comes first). more ›

Yeah, it definitely feels like that. And if you do get into the club, some health insurance providers punish you for getting older. And that makes some sense until you you find out "older" means 28 years old, necessitating a near 50 percent increase in monthly payments. But we digress. more ›

UPDATE: Chris Bowers at Open Left has a much more detailed breakdown of the Baucus plan. It's far, far worse than implied yesterday. And if you care about this sort of thing, it also looks like Max let an insurance industry shill write the whole thing, and made sure that those overtly part of the insurance sector read the bill before the White House. more ›

The Angel City Jazz Festival concludes today at the Ford Amphitheater. The music begins at 4 pm with Alex Cline's Band of the Moment, followed by sets from The Wayne Horvitz Gravitas Quartet, The Nels Cline Singers with Jeff Parker, The Larry Goldings Organ Trio, Motoko Honda & Oguri (piano and butoh dance) and Bennie Maupin and Dolphyana. Tickets are $35 and student/child price: $12. more ›

Really. President Obama's healthcare reform proposal ranks highly among least understood policy proposals in current politics. What follows is a concise and easy to understand explanation of the popular but often muddled "public option" that is contained in national legislation and that forms the centerpiece of President Obama's proposal. This one is great for cocktail parties and local bars, because it's so easy to explain. more ›

The free healthcare check program at The Forum in Inglewood that will go through next week has been so popular, Metro is temporarily extending a bus line's service to 24 hours. Thousands turned out in the first two days of the week long event that is offering free health, dental and vision checks to the uninsured, under-insured, unemployed and under-employed. Hundreds spent the night hoping to get checked today. Remote Area Medical Foundation will be offering services through next Tuesday. Due to "overwhelming demand," Metro Bus Line 115, which usually runs from 5 a.m. to midnight will now run 24 hours a day with service every half hour during the off-hours. Good Timing? Remote Area Medical tends to serve rural areas, but placing a clinic in the 2nd largest U.S. city during the national healthcare debate is an interesting move, coincidental or not. more ›

Hundreds lined up at the Inglewood Forum early this morning for free medical, dental and vision care not just for the uninsured and under-insured, but the unemployed and under-employed, too. Remote Area Medical, a volunteer based organization that recruits professional doctors, will be here today through August 18th beginning at 5:30 a.m. daily. Only 1,200 people a day will be scheduled for appointments, according to the LA Times, which noted people began showing before 3 a.m. this morning. A variety of services will be offered including PAP smears, x-rays and Mammography. more ›