Latest California Healthline Stories
Report: Federal Government Lacks Safeguards Against EHR Fraud
A new HHS Office of Inspector General report finds that the federal government has made few efforts to ensure health care providers are not using electronic health records to overbill patients. In a response, CMS officials said that preventing fraud is a “top priority” and that they are working to create strong standards for validating EHRs. New York Times.
Jones Says 10% Blue Shield Premium Rate Hike Is ‘Unreasonable’
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has deemed a 10% rate increase by Blue Shield of California to be excessive, saying that a 4% rate hike would be more acceptable. Jones supports a November ballot initiative that would give the state insurance commissioner the ability to deny rate hikes considered excessive. Los Angeles Times‘ “Money & Co.”
ACA To Be Key Issue Ahead of 2014 Midterm Elections
Republicans have launched a new anti-Affordable Care Act advertising campaign that takes aim at 12 Democratic lawmakers who are up for re-election in November. Meanwhile, Democrats plan to run a counter ad campaign, and the Obama administration has purchased air time during the Winter Olympics to tout the ACA’s successes. Yahoo! News et al.
Report: Low-Income California Residents Less Satisfied With Care
A new survey by the Blue Shield of California Foundation finds that California residents whose incomes are less than 200% of the federal poverty level feel less connected to their providers and less involved in their health care decisions than higher-income residents. Kaiser Health News‘ “Capsules,” Blue Shield of California Foundation report.
On Tuesday, Assembly member Kevin Mullin introduced legislation that would prevent future part-time elected officials from receiving taxpayer-funded health insurance after leaving office. The bill comes after the San Jose Mercury News reported last month that more than 200 former politicians from the Bay Area continue to receive government-funded medical insurance. Mullin said the measure would ease the cost burden on local governments. San Jose Mercury News‘ “Salary Survey.”
On Monday, California Attorney General Kamala Harris issued an official description of a ballot measure that would amend the state constitution to grant cities greater authority to change pension and retirement benefits for public workers. Supporters of the measure — which was introduced in October 2013 by San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed — have until June 5 to collect 807,615 signatures to qualify it for the November ballot. Contra Costa Times et al.
Contra Costa County Officials Report Second Swine Flu Death in San Francisco Bay Area
On Tuesday, Contra Costa County health officials announced the second death this month in the San Francisco Bay Area resulting from the H1N1 influenza strain. Meanwhile, nearby counties have reported an uptick in the number of people with flu-like symptoms seeking care in emergency departments. Health officials said it is not too late in the flu season for California residents to get vaccinated. Contra Costa Times.
FDA Plans To Tap EHR Data To Determine Drug Safety
FDA has announced plans to leverage electronic health records to better evaluate the safety of some drugs. As part of the initiative, the agency is seeking a partner to develop a database of de-identified EHR information. The database would include the EHRs of at least 10 million U.S. residents. Regulatory Focus.
Calif. Lawmakers Urge Fiscal Responsibility for Budget
On Monday, California lawmakers began the second half of their two-year legislative session by discussing a budget proposal for fiscal year 2014-2015 that Gov. Brown is expected to release on Friday. Assembly Speaker John Pérez said, “The cornerstone of [the budget] has to be creating a rainy day fund so we do not replicate the patterns of spending and bust of the past.” However, Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg said restoring state programs that have been cut in recent years also should be a priority. AP/U-T San Diego.
CMS Analysis Finds Health Care Spending Slowdown Continues
A new CMS analysis finds that U.S. health care spending increased at a near-record low for the fourth consecutive year, growing by 3.7%, to $2.8 trillion, in 2012. While the authors attribute the slowdown in large part to the economy and lingering effects of the economic downturn, the White House touted the data as a sign of the Affordable Care Act’s early success. Reuters et al.