Latest California Healthline Stories
‘Patchwork’ of Safety-Net Care in Calif. Likely To Remain Under ACA
A study finds that safety-net care in California likely will remain fragmented after the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented. According to the study, counties have responded “widely and wildly” to providing care to low-income, uninsured residents, and the state likely will “continue to have a highly variable patchwork” of such care under the ACA. Payers & Providers, Health Access study.
U.S. Health Care Spending Growth Slows to Lowest Rate Ever Tracked
A White House Council of Economic Advisers report shows that the health care spending growth rate from 2010 to 2013 was just 1.3%, the lowest three-year growth margin since the government started tracking it in 1965. The White House attributed the slowdown to the Affordable Care Act, while a GOP official argued that the low rate was a result of a slow economy. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch” et al.
Report: Calif. Hospitals Do Not Spend Enough on Community Benefits
A new study by the Greenlining Institute finds that several California hospitals do not spend enough on proactive community health initiatives, also known as “upstream” benefits. The California Hospital Association has criticized the study, saying that it “relies on inaccuracies and faulty assumptions.” Payers & Providers.
Covered California Faces Barriers To Lifting Health Plan Cancellations
Several difficulties, such as potential lawsuits from outside parties and logistical issues for health plans, could emerge if California officials decide to allow insurers to continue selling policies in 2014 that do not meet the Affordable Care Act’s minimum coverage requirements, an industry expert says. Sacramento Bee.
A Sacramento Bee editorial argues that the Covered California board should “resist” Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones’ call for the state to allow insurers to continue selling health plans in 2014 that do not meet minimum coverage requirements under the Affordable Care Act, as proposed by President Obama. According to the editorial, “A one-year extension on noncompliant policies might make sense in the states that depend on the federal exchange, which is not fully functioning, but not in states with their own working exchanges.” It argues, “Resurrecting canceled health insurance plans for another year could threaten the financial stability of Covered California — and the entire Affordable Care Act.” Sacramento Bee.
Thousands Strike at UC Medical Centers, Campuses
On Wednesday, thousands of patient care and service workers participated in a strike at University of California campuses and medical centers. Union officials say the strike — which was organized by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 — was called to protest unfair labor practices and dangerous staffing levels. Sacramento Bee et al.
Federal Data Show California Doctors Lead Country in Prescribing Brand-Name Medications
California physicians in 2011 led the country in prescribing brand-name drugs, according to federal data analyzed by ProPublica. Nearly 22% of the 65 million Medicare Part D claims filed in 2011 by California doctors were for brand-name drugs. Meanwhile, four Los Angeles-area doctors were the highest prescribers in the country of certain brand-name drugs, according to the data. Los Angeles Daily News.
Most Mental Health Applications Lack Scientific Proof of Efficacy, Study Finds
The majority of currently available mobile mental health applications have not been proven effective by scientific evidence, according to a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. The researchers concluded that the public “needs to be educated on how to identify the few evidence-based mental health apps available in the public domain to date,” adding, “Further rigorous research is required to develop and test evidence-based programs.” FierceMobileHealthcare.
Pediatrics Panel Urges Caution When Prescribing Antibiotics
Pediatricians should prescribe antibiotics sparingly for certain common ailments and only when children display specific symptoms caused by bacteria and not by a virus, according to research by the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Infectious Diseases published this week in the journal Pediatrics. The research found that many children and adults tend to be prescribed antibiotics when they have coughs, colds or ear infections caused by viruses. However, the use of such drugs to treat viral infections can raise the risk of antibiotic resistance. Reuters.
Brown, Prison Officials Discuss Health Care Services, Other Issues
Yesterday, Gov. Brown met with state prison wardens and top prison administrators to learn more about overcrowding and health care issues at the facilities. The meeting came as the state negotiates with prisoners’ attorneys to meet a mandated inmate population cap. Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert,” Los Angeles Times.