Stephanie O'Neill

California's assisted suicide legislation failed to move forward on Tuesday. The bill was pulled before the Assembly's Health Committee could vote on it.

Dr. Ken Murray wrote an essay a decade ago about how the gentler care doctors choose at the end of life stands apart. His work still shapes how some doctors talk to patients about death.

When cops in Los Angeles encounter people who may be mentally ill, there's a specialized unit that can offer help on the spot.

Stephanie Packer's debilitating illnesses leave her in a lot of pain. But she is opposed to a California bill that would legalize physician-assisted suicide.

Some people who felt stuck in certain jobs, just because they needed the employment-based health insurance, say they are finding the Affordable Care Act liberating.

The deadline to enroll in Obamacare plans has passed, and many people didn't buy health insurance. Many will have to pay a penalty. Their reasons for opting out vary.

Insurance cancellation notices have sparked a political firestorm. President Obama proposed a delay, but California's health exchange board rejected that fix. Now, despite initial outrage, some people in the state who lost their plans are finding better coverage and good deals on the marketplace.

Small businesses can now buy health insurance tailored for their needs on marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act. But it's not clear how much relief the exchanges will offer from high prices that are a longstanding problem for small business. And they will almost certainly require more paperwork.

States are taking very different marketing tacks to get residents to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. In their own ways, they're trying hard to make insurance appealing to uninsured young people.

The federal health law allows states to charge smokers up to 50 percent more for a health plan sold through the new exchanges. But a bill moving forward in the California Legislature would prevent that from happening.