Latest California Healthline Stories
Polls: Uninsured Exchange Enrollment Rises Despite Low Awareness
Two recent surveys conducted by the Urban Institute and McKinsey find that a significant portion of uninsured U.S. residents are unaware of the health insurance exchanges but that the overall number of uninsured people who have enrolled in coverage through the exchanges is increasing. Washington Post et al.
Obama’s Policy Extension Unlikely To Affect Many in California
A plan by President Obama to extend an administrative fix allowing individuals to keep health plans that do not meet the Affordable Care Act’s minimum coverage standards is unlikely to have a significant effect on California residents. San Jose Mercury News.
House Republicans To Tie SGR Repeal to Individual Mandate Delay
House Republicans want to vote on legislation that would delay the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate and use those savings to permanently repeal Medicare’s sustainable growth rate formula. The vote could be difficult for Democrats, who would have to choose between supporting a popular SGR repeal and opposing a delay to the ACA’s individual mandate. The Hill‘s “Floor Action” et al.
S.F. Court Rules Prisoners Cannot Sue for Lack of Health Care in Certain Circumstances
On Thursday, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled that California prisoners cannot sue for damages if they do not receive adequate health care because the state has not provided enough resources for prison medical staff or supplies. However, Chief Judge Alex Kozinski said inmates still can file a lawsuit if employees continue to not offer health care services. San Francisco Chronicle.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of March 7, 2014
A U.S. district court judge has issued a temporary restraining order that prevents Alta Bates Summit Medical Center from implementing planned layoffs and a job restructuring initiative. The family of a patient who went missing at San Francisco General Hospital and was later found dead have filed a claim against the city of San Francisco.
L.A. County Reports Data Theft at Medical Office
Yesterday, Los Angeles County officials confirmed that computer equipment containing the personal information of nearly 169,000 medical patients was stolen from Sutherland Healthcare Solutions’ Torrance office. The data, which were stolen from the facility during a Feb. 5 burglary, contained patients’ names, Social Security numbers, medical billing data and possibly addresses, birthdates and diagnoses of those who were treated at county medical facilities. AP/U-T San Diego, Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles, Long Beach Restrict E-Cigarette Use
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a measure that bans the use of e-cigarettes in public spaces, such as restaurants, bars and clubs. Meanwhile, the Long Beach City Council also voted unanimously to classify e-cigarettes as tobacco products, prohibiting their sale to minors. NPR/KPCC’s “KPCC News” et al.
DMHC Fines Kaiser Foundation Health Plan $190K for Mishandling Arbitration Cases
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan has been fined $140,000 by the California Department of Managed Health Care for not properly redacting patients’ personal information in 12 arbitration case records. In addition, DMHC fined Kaiser $50,000 for not notifying the agency within 30 days about decisions in seven arbitration cases. Payers & Providers.
La Jolla Researcher Announces Plans To Open World’s Largest Gene Sequencing Center
On Tuesday, La Jolla researcher J. Craig Venter announced plans to open a genetic sequencing center that would be the largest such facility in the world. Venter said that the center initially would sequence up to 40,000 individuals’ genomes annually and that patients at UC-San Diego’s Moores Cancer Center will have access to the sequencing services before they are available to other hospitals. U-T San Diego.
Covered Calif. Boosts Outreach Ahead of Open Enrollment Deadline
Covered California has stepped up its advertising and marketing efforts to encourage uninsured residents to sign up for health insurance through the exchange before the end of the open enrollment period. Meanwhile, several insurers have launched their own outreach efforts in preparation for the upcoming deadline. Los Angeles Times.