Latest California Healthline Stories
MA Plan Payment Cuts Would Raise Premium Rates, AHIP Report Says
A report commissioned by America’s Health Insurance Plans says Medicare Advantage beneficiaries’ premiums could increase by between $420 and $900 per year because of payment cuts proposed by CMS. According to the report, the proposed payment cuts will be larger than the agency’s 1.9% projection. MedPage Today, National Journal.
Calif. DOJ Boosts Involvement in Data Breach Investigations
The California Department of Justice has released a cybersecurity guide for small businesses as part of its efforts to take a more active role in preventing data breaches across the state. About 300 data breaches occurred in California in the past two years, including some that affected health care organizations and state agencies. AP/Contra Costa Times.
California Leads Nation in Top-Rated Nursing Homes
U.S. News & World Report has included more than 400 California nursing homes — the most of any state — in its 2014 “Best Nursing Homes” list. The annual list is based on data from CMS’ Nursing Home Compare website. Sacramento Business Journal, U.S. News & World Report release.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of February 28, 2014
St. Joseph Hospital in Orange has laid off 152 employees as part of a larger plan designed to trim $30 million from the hospital’s expenses. UC-San Francisco’s medical residency program for internal medicine was ranked fourth in the nation by physicians in a recent survey. ValleyCare Health System has laid off 24 employees citing the fiscal challenges.
Gov. Brown Announces He Will Run for Fourth Term
On Thursday, Gov. Brown announced via Twitter and a letter on his website that he will run for a fourth term. So far, Brown has raised about $17 million for his re-election campaign, and recent polls find that he is a strong favorite to win the election. Contra Costa Times et al.
NQF CEO Resigns From Board of Kaiser, Premier
On Thursday, National Quality Forum President and CEO Christine Cassel announced she will step down from her board positions at Premier and Kaiser Permanente Health Plan and Hospitals amid criticism over potential conflicts of interest. Cassel disclosed her participation on the other boards when she was initially offered the NQF position in June, but she said Thursday that she would voluntarily step down from those positions because they had become a “distraction” for NQF. Modern Healthcare.
S.D. Blood Bank Announces Emergency Call for Blood Donations Amid National Saline Shortage
On Wednesday, the San Diego Blood Bank announced that its supplies of O negative and B negative blood were “below safe levels” and issued an emergency call for donations. The announcement comes amid a nationwide shortage of saline, which normally is used to collect additional blood from so-called “super donors.” U-T San Diego.
UCSF, Walgreen Partner To Reduce Rx Drug Errors
UC-San Francisco Medical Center and Walgreen have announced that they will begin sharing electronic health records in order to reduce medication errors when filling prescriptions. Under the partnership, primary care physicians at UCSF and pharmacists at Walgreens stores will have joint access to patients’ prescription information. San Francisco Chronicle.
Nutrition Labels To Undergo First Overhaul in 20 Years
Yesterday, the Obama administration unveiled a set of proposed updates to nutrition label standards on most food packages, the first major overhaul in 20 years. Among other changes, the proposal would affect how calorie counts are displayed and change listed serving sizes to more accurately reflect consumers’ consumption habits. FDA is accepting public comments for the 90 days and it could take three years for the new rules to be fully implemented. Reuters et al.
ACA’s Co-Op Health Plans Report Varied Enrollment Figures
The not-for-profit health plans created under the Affordable Care Act to increase insurer competition have reported widely disparate enrollment figures. For example, CoOpportunity Health, which operates in Iowa and Nebraska, has reported 50,000 enrollments, compared with 600 at Maryland’s Evergreen Health Co-Op. New York Times et al.