Latest California Healthline Stories
ACA Insurance Exchange Enrollment Expected To Continue To Grow
Industry analysts expect that enrollment in the Affordable Care Act’s insurance exchanges likely will surpass eight million because some state-run exchanges still are open for enrollment. Meanwhile, states that declined to run their own exchanges during the first open enrollment period have a few months left to decide whether to run their own exchanges next year. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch,” AP/Miami Herald.
Covered Calif. Has $363M in Grants Remaining for FY 2014-15
During a Covered California board meeting last week, officials said that $363 million in federal funding left over from the current fiscal year will be used to continue exchange operations into 2015, when the exchange aims to be self-sustaining. Sacramento Business Journal, Covered California report.
GAO Report Examines Sebelius’ ACA Fundraising Efforts
Yesterday, the Government Accountability Office released a report showing how HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius solicited money from private organizations to help promote enrollment in the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges. The report came in response to five GOP lawmakers who questioned the legality of the fundraising efforts. New York Times.
Autism Cases Increase by 8% Among Calif. Public School Students
New data from the California Department of Education find that nearly 79,000 public school students in the state have been diagnosed with autism — an 8% increase from 2013. Potential reasons for the increase include improved screening, broader definitions of the disorder and environmental factors that might have increased autism prevalence. Sacramento Bee.
Calif. Measles Cases Increase to 58, Officials Say
Last week, the California Department of Public Health reported two new cases of measles in Alameda and Monterey counties, bringing the total number of cases in 2014 to 58, compared with four cases at this time last year. According to state epidemiologist Gil Chavez, 25 of this year’s cases involved unvaccinated individuals, including 19 who intentionally did not receive a vaccination. KPCC’s “KPCC News.”
UC-Davis Officials Revive Plans To Build Public Health School in Sacramento
Officials at UC-Davis are working to revive plans to build a graduate-level public health school in Sacramento. The school, which was approved by the UC-Davis Academic Senate before being postponed in 2009, would focus on Central Valley residents’ health needs and create a new pipeline of health care professionals. Sacramento Business Journal.
Google Glass Could Improve Surgical and Medical Care, Review Finds
Although Google Glass has the potential to improve medical and surgical care, the current design and performance of the device present significant barriers, according to a study published in the International Journal of Surgery. The study is one of the first systematic reviews of the technology to be published in a medical journal. San Francisco Chronicle.
16 Southern Calif. Charter Schools Receive $1.5M To Improve Children’s Health
The Department of Education has awarded more than $1.5 million to 16 charter schools in Southern California for efforts to improve students’ health. The largest grant — $845,000 — was awarded to Los Angeles-based ICEF, which will use the money to increase nutrition education and integrate academic elements into physical education programs. KPCC’s “Pass/Fail.”
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of April 18, 2014
A $450,000 emergency loan for Palm Drive Hospital in Sonoma county was approved by a U.S. bankruptcy court judge. An anonymous patient donated $6.5 million to UC-San Diego’s Shiley Eye Center to bolster the center’s focus on using stem cells to address common eye conditions such as glaucoma, macular degeneration and certain blinding corneal diseases.
Study Highlights High U.S. Medical Costs, Groups Alter Doc Guidelines
A report from the International Federation of Health Plans finds that health care costs in the U.S. far exceed those in some other industrialized countries. Meanwhile, several U.S. medical societies are developing treatment recommendations that for the first time factor in the cost of various medical treatments and procedures. Los Angeles Times, New York Times.