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Californians are increasingly likely to visit a hospital emergency room for complex medical problems rather than an injury, according to new research. Although hospital emergency departments, or EDs, were once known as "accident rooms," a review of all non-federal hospital emergency rooms in California from 2005 to 2011 found that injury-related visits have declined over that time period, according to a study published Monday in the journal Health Affairs. (Morin, 4/6)

It had been several months since a 29-year-old cancer patient, Brittany Maynard, had moved to Oregon to take advantage of that state's Death With Dignity law — ingesting a lethal dose of drugs and jump-starting the push to legalize physician-assisted death in at least 20 states, including California. [Ira Byock, one of the nation's leading experts on hospice and palliative care] had become the public face of physicians' discomfort with her choice. (Brown, 4/6)

The state Legislature reconvenes on Monday after having a week off for spring recess and the health care agenda is full. A number of high-profile bills are on the docket before the Senate and Assembly health committees, where they'll get their first public hearings Tuesday and Wednesday. (Gorn, 4/6)

The Los Angeles school district and its employee unions have reached a multibillion-dollar tentative agreement on healthcare benefits that would run through 2018. The agreement factors in modest annual increases in benefit expenses and resolves some long-term unfunded costs for the L.A. Unified School District. But the pact still could strain the annual budget, possibly contributing to cutbacks or layoffs. ... The agreement would factor in cost increases of between 6% and 7% a year, totaling $200 million over three years. The terms also call for partly drawing down a health benefits reserve fund. The unfunded debt for providing lifetime health insurance to retirees and their dependents has more than doubled since 2005, resulting in an estimated $11 billion in future costs. (Blume, 4/6)

With the 2015 General Assembly session ending last week, here’s a list of the health care winners and losers during the 40 days of the Legislature. (Miller, 4/6)

An executive order issued by [Penn.] Gov. Tom Wolf to address shortcomings in the home care of the elderly and disabled is being challenged in court as an illegal attempt to unionize direct care workers. An organization of care providers and others sued the Wolf administration Monday. The Pennsylvania Homecare Association's lawsuit says domestic service workers can't unionize under Pennsylvania state law. (4/6)

Two hospital systems will pay for the cost of replenishing the supply of the nasal spray Narcan when police departments in Gloucester County use it to revive heroin overdose victims, authorities and hospital officials said Monday. The agreement involves Inspira Health Network, Kennedy Health, and the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office. It is in response to the rising costs of Narcan, which police departments across New Jersey have begun using in recent years to battle an increase in heroin use. (Boren, 4/7)

Advocates for the minority business community in the nation's capital are set to rally in favor of a prison health-care contract that has exposed divisions among city leaders. Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser has asked the D.C. Council to approve a contract with Corizon Health to provide health services to the city's inmates. But many council members oppose the contract, citing litigation and complaints about Corizon in other states. Corizon is the nation's largest for-profit correctional health provider and is under growing pressure around the country after losing five state prison contracts. (4/7)