Latest California Healthline Stories
Calif. Pharmacists Concerned as 10% Medi-Cal Cuts Take Effect
Beginning today, Medi-Cal will pay 10% less for some prescription drugs. As a result, some pharmacists say they might stop selling some costly prescription medications, while others say they will be unable to afford health insurance for their employees. KQED’s “The California Report.”
New Calif.-Based ACO Aims To Improve Care at Rural Hospitals
A new Nevada City-based accountable care organization — called the National Rural ACO — is targeting rural hospitals by offering low-cost membership fees. The ACO includes five California hospitals and will focus on individuals who regularly use emergency departments and those with chronic conditions, such as diabetes or heart failure. Payers & Providers.
Lawmakers Announce Bipartisan Deal To Repeal, Replace SGR
Yesterday, a bipartisan group of lawmakers reached a deal to repeal and replace Medicare’s sustainable growth rate formula and gradually implement a value-based payment system. However, it remains unclear how lawmakers would fund the bill, which is expected to cost about $126 billion over a decade. Modern Healthcare et al.
DPH Issues Nearly $300K in Penalties to Five California Hospitals for Undisclosed Reasons
Last week, the California Department of Public Health issued $295,000 in administrative penalties to five hospitals but did not include specific details on why the penalties were levied. The facilities receiving such fines included Los Angeles County Harbor/UCLA Medical Center, UC-Irvine Medical Center, Aurora Behavioral Healthcare in San Diego, Pacifica Hospital of the Valley in San Fernando Valley and Memorial Hospital of Los Banos. DPH also levied more than $700,000 in fines to eight other California hospitals for failing to comply with licensing requirements. Payers & Providers.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of February 7, 2014
Santa Clara County is considering purchasing two hospitals owned by the not-for-profit Daughters of Charity Health System. A CMS report finds that nurses at San Francisco General Hospital failed to comply with orders to constantly observe a patient who went missing and was later found dead.
On Jan. 1, L.A. Health Care Plan added HealthCare Partners to its provider network for commercial members who purchase coverage through Covered California, the state’s health insurance exchange. HealthCare Partners has more than 2,100 employed and contracted physicians. Payers & Providers.
Medi-Cal Has Collected $1B in Repayments From Estates of Beneficiaries Who Died
Over the last 20 years, a provision under Medi-Cal has enabled California to recover a total of nearly $1 billion from beneficiaries’ estates after they died. California Department of Health Care Services officials say they have received several questions about the provision from individuals who are applying for coverage under the Affordable Care Act’s Medi-Cal expansion. San Jose Mercury News.
Orange County To Screen About 150 Patients for Measles After Uptick in Diagnoses of the Illness
Public health officials in Orange County are screening about 150 patients for measles after three individuals in the county who were diagnosed with the illness in the last six weeks. The county has advised providers to take precautions when treating patients who might be infected. Matt Zahn, the county’s medical director for epidemiology, said there usually is no more than one case of measles in the county each year. Orange County Register.
Report: Big Jump in Individuals Affected by Data Breaches
Nearly 200 large breaches of protected health information occurred in 2013, affecting about seven million U.S. residents, according to Redspin’s 2013 Breach Report. The number of individuals affected by breaches last year marks a 137% increase from 2012. Health Data Management, HealthIT Security.
Report Finds Inadequate Health Care at Calif.’s Largest Medical Prison
The California Health Care Facility in Stockton — the state’s largest medical prison — will no longer admit new patients after an inspection by a court-appointed medical receiver revealed unsanitary conditions and inadequate medical care for inmates. Stockton Record et al.