Latest California Healthline Stories
Opting Out of Medicaid Expansion Will Cost States Billions, Study Says
A new Commonwealth Fund study finds that states that opt out of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion will forgo billions of dollars in federal funds over the next decade. In addition, taxpayers in such states will fund the Medicaid expansion in other states but not receive any of the benefits. USA Today et al.
Study: Certain Kids’ Autism Risk Increases in High Pollution Areas
A study by University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine researchers finds that children who carry the MET gene and are exposed to high levels of pollution are three times more likely to develop autism than children who do not have either risk factor. KPCC’s “Pass/Fail,” USC Keck School of Medicine release.
Four Calif. Medical Groups Made Clinical Quality Gains After Joining Anthem Blue Cross ACO
On Thursday, Anthem Blue Cross announced that four California medical groups participating in the insurer’s accountable care organization experienced clinical quality gains since joining the ACO. According to Anthem, the four groups performed 35% more mammograms and increased the “appropriate” prescribing of antibiotics for bronchitis by 44% since joining the ACO. San Francisco Business Times‘ “Bay Area BizTalk.”
Calif.-Based 23andMe Temporarily Halts Health-Related Genetic Reports During FDA Review
On Thursday, California-based 23andMe announced that it has stopped providing consumers with personalized health analyses during a federal regulatory review process of the company’s personalized DNA kits. The action comes after FDA sent 23andMe a warning on Nov. 22 saying that the company was advertising the kits “without market clearance or approval in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.” Washington Post‘s “The Switch.”
Covered California Says Residents Should Give Health Insurance Pledges, Information as Gifts
On Thursday, Covered California launched a campaign urging state residents this holiday season to give their young adult children a certificate that pledges money for health insurance coverage or an e-card with information about health plans offered through the exchange. The initiative is part of an effort to enroll more young, healthy individuals in the marketplace. Washington Times, AP/U-T San Diego.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of December 6, 2013
Borrego Community Health Foundation will use an $816,667 grant to build medical clinics in San Jacinto and Anza. A lawsuit filed against Riverside Community Hospital claims that the hospital waited nearly a month to report that a man with a seizure disorder might be unfit to drive. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, UCLA Health System and Pennsylvania-based Select Medical Holdings have announced plans to jointly renovate a 138-bed rehabilitation hospital in Century City.
Editorial Says Assembly Republicans Should Take Down ACA Informational Website
A Sacramento Bee editorial argues that Assembly Republicans should “take down” a Republican-run website with information about the Affordable Care Act. According to the editorial, the website — coveringhealthcareca.com — contains “highly selective information and omissions” that cast the ACA in a negative light. It argues that Republicans should “coordinate with the official Covered California [website] … to help get uninsured residents in their districts covered with quality, affordable insurance.” Sacramento Bee.
Obama Urges Youth Supporters To Maintain ACA Push
During a White House “Youth Summit” on Wednesday, President Obama urged a group of young Affordable Care Act supporters to continue to help promote the law. The event — involving 160 teen and young adult leaders and activists — was part of a new three-week campaign to refocus attention on the ACA’s consumer benefits and boost enrollment in the law’s health insurance exchanges. Washington Post et al.
Despite Previous Hopes, Permanent Repeal of SGR Unlikely This Year
Next week, the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committees are expected to vote on a proposal that would permanently repeal the Sustainable Growth Rate formula. Hopes were high for legislation to pass this year because estimates for the cost of such legislation were far lower than in previous years, but time is dwindling on the legislative calendar and committee members are scrambling to put together a short-term fix. Politico Pro et al.
Polls Suggest Waning Support for ACA Among Young, Uninsured
A new Harvard Institute of Politics poll finds that fewer than one in three young, uninsured adults plans to purchase coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges. Meanwhile, a Gallup poll finds that 28% of young, uninsured adults intend to pay the penalty rather than comply with the ACA’s individual mandate. New York Times‘ “In Practice” et al.