Latest California Healthline Stories
Mental Health Patients Bused to California Charged With Crimes
According to a Sacramento Bee analysis, dozens of patients from Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital in Las Vegas who were improperly bused to California and other states have been arrested for crimes ranging from vandalism and vagrancy to assault and murder. Sacramento Bee.
Investigation: Medical Errors Plague Assisted-Living Facilities
A U-T San Diego investigation finds that medical errors are prevalent at assisted-living facilities in California. According to the investigation, many of the facilities have been fined for such problems but have remained in operation without paying penalties. U-T San Diego.
CMS: Enrollment Data Error Rates Reduced to Nearly Zero
This weekend, CMS officials announced that the agency has significantly reduced the error rate for the enrollment data it sends to insurers, from 15% in October and mid-November to “close to zero.” However, insurers say the administration is overstating the improvements, noting that some 834 forms still contain conflicting or inaccurate data. New York Times et al.
Opinion: Effects of Affordable Care Act Will Be Local
In a Ventura County Star opinion piece, Joe Mathews, author of Zocalo Public Square’s “Connecting California” column, argues that effects of the Affordable Care Act will be local. According to Mathews, California’s health insurance markets will be divided into 19 regions, each offering different health insurance rates. Mathews writes, “[C]ompetition among health providers and insurers should become an issue in local elections,” adding, “So let’s focus on home regions — the prices our neighbors are paying for health care, the health of our neighbors, and the mix of health care providers and insurers near us.” Ventura County Star.
Calif. Panel Recommends Giving 15 Counties $500M To Meet State Prison Realignment Goals
Last week, a California panel recommended that 15 state counties receive a total of $500 million in construction funds to meet goals for the state’s realignment plan. In 2006, U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson ruled that federal oversight of the state’s prison health care system was needed after determining that an average of one inmate per week died as a result of medical malpractice or neglect. To help curb prison overcrowding, the state implemented a plan by Gov. Brown to send inmates convicted of lower-level crimes to county jails. On Jan. 16, the Board of State and Community Correction will consider final approval for the funding. Sacramento Bee.
Delays Reported in Process of Certifying Enrollment Counselors for Covered California
As of Dec. 7, Covered California only had certified 2,300 of the 5,000 enrollment counselors it seeks to approve for work by Dec. 31. Officials at several clinics and not-for-profit health care providers in the Los Angeles area reported having staff members who have completed all certification criteria but still are waiting on documentation. Such staffers can only tell patients seeking to buy health coverage to wait or refer them to organizations whose workers have been fully certified. KPCC’s “KPCC News.”
FDA Commissioner Notes Importance of Scientific Evidence in Mobile Health Products
During the mHealth Summit in Washington, D.C., last week, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said that mobile health products acting as medical devices need to be regulated and approved based on scientific evidence and data. She said, “Medicine alone without proper context, thought and appropriate care will fall short … It’s up to all of us to make sure [mobile health technology] is used appropriately.” FierceHealthIT.
CMS Official: One-Year Federal SHOP Delay Has Not Held Back Employers’ Enrollment in State Exchanges
During a House hearing Wednesday, CMS Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight Director Gary Cohen said that although the federal small business health insurance exchange website has been delayed by one year, small businesses still are enrolling in similar coverage. Cohen noted that many state-operated SHOP exchanges have started online enrollment. For example, he said more than 1,500 small employers in California had enrolled in the state’s SHOP exchange. Modern Healthcare et al.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of December 13, 2013
A roof fire at the Greater El Monte Community Hospital has forced the evacuation of at least 60 patients. The Sacramento City council has unanimously voted to approve Signature Healthcare Services’ development of a 120-bed psychiatric hospital. Torrance Memorial Medical Center has received a $50 million donation, its largest donation ever.
Sebelius Announces Three Affordable Care Act Deadline Extensions
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced that the agency is implementing three Affordable Care Act deadline extensions. Under the changes, consumers would have more time to select and pay for their coverage in the marketplaces, while participants in the federal high-risk insurance pool would have an additional month of coverage. Modern Healthcare et al.