Tag: Health

  • For Refugee Doctors, Journey Back to Practicing Medicine Is the Longest

    Video Credit: Brian Myers, Media Arts Center San Diego By Megan Burks Najwan Al Ani sits in her El Cajon apartment and flips through a tattered study guide for the first phase of the United States Medical Licensing Examination. She used the workbook to study for and pass the test in 2011, and now it’s…

  • Health Exchanges Open for Enrollment Next Week

    By Marissa Cabrera, Maureen Cavanaugh and Peggy Pico Click here to listen to Speak City Heights reporter Megan Burks on KPBS Midday Edition. It’s been a long wait for both supporters and opponents of the Affordable Care Act. But the main provisions of Obamacare are about to be rolled out to the public. A week…

  • Second Opinion: I’m Nearing Medicare Age. Can I Get Gap Coverage?

    Linda Johnson is a microbiologist set to retire in about a month. She’s concerned she won’t be able to find an affordable health plan to cover her in the six months before she’s eligible for Medicare. Video by Brian Myers, Media Arts Center San Diego. By Megan Burks Second Opinion is a weekly Q-and-A series…

  • Obamacare For Californians: It’s Not That Confusing. We Promise.

    By Megan Burks I’ve been answering your questions about the Affordable Care Act with my series “Second Opinion” for three months now. You’ve thrown me some tough questions, sending me down rabbit holes burrowed by the Internal Revenue Service and the Congressional Research Service, and putting me in touch with smart people from local insurance…

  • Medi-Cal Major Factor in Surge in Emergency Visits

    By Kenny Goldberg There’s been a surge in visits to California emergency rooms and Medi-Cal patients have played a big role. A new report doesn’t bode well for Obamacare, which could add an estimated 2.9 million people to the Medi-Cal program. UC San Francisco researchers looked at emergency department visits between 2005 and 2010. During…