Latest California Healthline Stories
Covered Calif. Sees Enrollment Surge as Deadline Approaches
In the final week before the end of open enrollment, nearly 80,000 California residents signed up for coverage through the state insurance exchange and about 150,000 additional residents created an online account to begin shopping for health plans through the exchange. Los Angeles Times et al.
Calif. School-Based Care Not Keeping Up With Demand, Report Finds
A report by researchers at California State University-Sacramento’s School of Nursing finds that there are not enough certified school nurses to adequately treat the increasing number of students in the state who have chronic illnesses or other special health needs. EdSource, Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health blog post.
Public Support for Affordable Care Act Drops to 26%, Poll Finds
A new Associated Press/GFK poll finds that public support for the Affordable Care Act has fallen to an all-time low, with just 26% of U.S. adults supporting the law. However, opposition to the health reform law also has declined, while the number of people who say they neither support nor oppose the law has tripled since April 2010. AP/Yahoo! News, Washington Times.
Palomar Health Reports Data Breach Affecting 5K Residents
A Palomar Health spokesperson announced that last month an encrypted company laptop and two unencrypted flash drives containing the personal data of about 5,000 patients were stolen from an employee’s car. The compromised data included patients’ names, birthdates, diagnoses, treatments, insurance and 36 Medicare identification numbers. The hospital is reaching out to the affected individuals, which includes certain patients treated by the inland North County health care system since 2008, according to the spokesperson. U-T San Diego.
Calif. Measles Cases Reach 49; 16 Skipped Vaccine
So far this year, 49 individuals in California have been diagnosed with measles, surpassing 40 cases for the first time since 2000. At least 16 of the individuals — most of them children — intentionally skipped vaccination for the disease. KQED’s “State of Health,” KPCC’s “KPCC News.”
Senate Democrats, Independent Propose Nine Measures To Alter ACA Requirements
Five centrist Democrats and one Independent in the Senate have proposed a series of measures aimed at reforming less-popular aspects of the Affordable Care Act. The proposal includes nine measures, such as a bill that would boost brokers’ and insurers’ abilities to enroll consumers and legislation that would streamline employers’ reporting requirements. Washington Post‘s “Post Politics.”
CDC: Autism Diagnoses Have Increased by 30%
The number of children diagnosed with autism reached one in 68 in 2010, a 30% increase over 2008 levels, according to a CDC report released Thursday. Coleen Boyle, director of CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, said the increase could result from better identification of autism spectrum disorders. Washington Post‘s “To Your Health.”
Six-Year Investigation Prompted by Lax Medical Care Finds Improvements at Orange County Jails
A six-year investigation of Orange County jails — which was triggered in part by poor medical care — has concluded, and officials say that federal oversight is no longer necessary. However, in a letter to the county, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division wrote that improvements in medical care are still needed at the facilities. Orange County Register.
White House Says Six Million U.S. Residents Enrolled in Exchanges
The Obama administration has announced that more than six million U.S. residents have signed up for coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s federal and state insurance exchanges. However, some critics of the ACA note that the figure does not specify how many individuals have actually paid for their coverage or how many were previously uninsured. Washington Post et al.
Decertification Process Halted at California Developmental Centers
Despite allegations of patient mistreatment, steps to decertify three California facilities for individuals with developmental disabilities have been halted. The move comes after the state Department of Developmental Services reached an agreement with the state Department of Health to take corrective actions at the centers. Center for Investigative Reporting.