As states gear up for the Affordable Care Act, they're trying to figure out if there will be enough providers of health care to meet demand from the newly insured.
California is one of 15 states expected to consider legislation this year that would give advanced practice nurses more authority to care for patients without a doctor's supervision.
Tina Clark is a nurse practitioner at Glide Health Services, a clinic in San Francisco's Tenderloin district, a low-income section of the city.
As states work to comply with the federal health care law, many are designing their insurance exchanges, where people will be able to shop for coverage.
But just the word "exchange" sounds to many like off-putting government-speak, and some states are eager to come up with a more appealing name for these new marketplaces.
Peter Lee directs California's Health Benefit Exchange. It's up for a new name, and Lee says they want it to sound fresh, dynamic and innovative.
PAULINE BARTOLONE, BYLINE: I'm Pauline Bartolone in Sacramento.
California, unlike Mississippi, is already on the road to Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. And after the law passed in 2010, it was the first state to get going to build an exchange.
Peter Lee is in charge of it. He never let uncertainty about the Supreme Court decision come in the way of building the new marketplace.
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Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Close to 19 million Americans are diagnosed with the disease, and of those diagnosed, 5 million are African American.
Native Americans are also being devastated by diabetes, but communities are taking steps to fight the disease in ways unique to their cultural traditions. Many realize their health is directly tied to the choices they make in life. Like at the grocery store, where the choice between broccoli and biscuits can ultimately mean the difference between life and death.
