What the opioid epidemic looks like in California President Donald Trump declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency. Nearly 100 people die every day from an opioid overdose in the U.S., according to the CDC. We hear a lot about how the epidemic consumes places like Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.But the opioid crisis is in California too. The CDC says more than 4500 Californians died of an overdose in 2015.

Tighter FDA Regulations on Prescription Painkillers For 15 years, increased usage of Vicodin, Oxycontin and similar medications has led to reports that narcotic painkillers cause abuse and addiction. Some members of Congress have proposed new restrictions. Drug company lobbyists have fought back, while patient groups and medical providers have been divided. Now the Food and Drug Administration has recommended new rules for prescriptions of painkillers containing Hydrocodone be re-classified as Schedule II, rather than Schedule III drugs. Lisa Girion of the Los Angeles Times explains what that means.

Why Is LA Healthcare More Costly than San Diego's? The cost of healthcare in America is rising so fast that it threatens economic recovery.  While millions lack health insurance, some experts claim that other people get too much medical treatment. There are regional variations in medical costs, with the places that spend more not always achieving better outcomes. We hear more about the remarkable difference between certain health costs in Los Angeles and San Diego.

Will Health Insurance Be There When You Need It? LA City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo has sued Blue Shield for illegally rescinding coverage of 850 policy holders. Blue Shield calls it a “cheap political stunt…without merit.” But without agreeing to wrongdoing, Blue Shield will pay 3 million dollars to settle an investigation of such practices by Governor Schwarzenegger’s Department of Managed Health Care. Anthem Blue Cross will pay 13 million. It’s all about polices sold to individuals not protected by group benefits.