Latest California Healthline Stories
CalPERS, CalSTRS To Receive Nearly $300M in JPMorgan Settlement
JPMorgan Chase has agreed to pay CalPERS and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System a combined $299 million to settle allegations that its subsidiaries misrepresented the value of residential mortgage-backed securities sold to the pension funds. The amount is part of a broader $13 billion settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice. AP/Contra Costa Times et al.
CSU Launches Outreach Campaign To Tout Exchange Enrollment
A new outreach program launched by the California State University system encourages students, their families and part-time staff to enroll in health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act. According to CSU, college students are one of the largest uninsured groups in California. HealthyCal.
Calif. Nursing Home Facility To Pay $48M To Settle Medicare Fraud Claims
Ensign Group, a Mission Viejo-based nursing home operator, has agreed to pay $48 million to settle allegations that six Ensign facilities from 1999 to 2011 regularly submitted false claims to Medicare for physical, occupational and speech therapy services that were not medically necessary. It has yet to be determined how much of the settlement funds the two former Ensign employees who filed the whistleblower lawsuits will receive. Los Angeles Times‘ “L.A. Now.”
Sacramento County Judge Blocks UC Medical Workers From Participating in Strike Over Wages, Benefits
A Sacramento County Superior Court Judge David Brown has issued a temporary restraining order barring nearly 50 American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees-covered employees — mostly respiratory therapists — from participating in a strike set for Wednesday at University of California medical facilities. The strike was called in response to ongoing contract negotiations over wages, benefits and staffing levels. Brown said that the strike would “create a substantial and imminent threat to the health and safety of the public and patients.” Sacramento Bee‘s “The State Worker,” Sacramento Business Journal.
UC-Davis Children’s Hospital Receives $750K Grant From HHS for Neonatal Telehealth Initiative
HHS has awarded UC-Davis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento a $750,000 grant to launch a neonatal telehealth initiative. The program will provide clinicians at rural hospitals with videoconferencing technology to access UC-Davis neurologists and other specialists. The hospital plans to launch the program at four rural facilities in medically underserved regions. Becker’s Hospital Review.
Chao Testifies Before House Subcommittee on ACA Exchange Website
At a House Energy and Oversight subcommittee, CMS Deputy Chief Information Officer Henry Chao said 30% to 40% of the work on the “back office” IT systems for the federal health insurance exchange website has yet to be completed. Meanwhile, White House press secretary Jay Carney said President Obama was told about the website exchange problems identified in a recently released report but was assured that the issues were being addressed. Washington Post et al.
Obama, State Insurance Regulators To Discuss Cancellation ‘Fix’
President Obama and state insurance regulators are scheduled to meet today to discuss the president’s administrative “fix” to the policy cancellation issue under the Affordable Care Act, as well as health insurance exchange enrollment issues. State regulators likely will raise concerns about the policy change’s effect on the marketplace. Reuters/Yahoo! News, The Hill‘s “Healthwatch.”
Bill To Create Tracking for Compounded Rx Passes Senate
On Monday, the Senate unanimously approved a bipartisan bill that would create an electronic system to track compounded prescription drugs throughout the distribution chain. The bill would allow federal regulators to track drugs that compounding pharmacies are making, receive reports about problems with the compounded drugs and have authority to conduct safety inspections. It also would allow compounding pharmacies to register as outsourcing facilities and be subject to FDA oversight in a manner similar to traditional drug manufacturers. Politico.
Report Outlined HealthCare.gov’s Flaws Earlier This Year
On Monday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee released a risk-assessment report by McKinsey showing that federal officials were informed about the potential problems and flaws with HealthCare.gov and its data hub in March and April. On April 4, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner and White House Chief Technology Officer Todd Park attended one of McKinsey’s four briefings on its findings. Since open enrollment began last month, the website has been plagued by glitches, drawing widespread criticism directed at the Obama administration. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch,” et al.
White House, Insurers Mull Alternatives to ACA Exchange Website
The Obama administration and insurers are discussing ways to make it easier for U.S. residents to sign up for coverage in light of the problems surrounding the federal health insurance exchange website, including a plan that would allow insurers to directly enroll consumers. Some observers warn that allowing insurers to take full control of enrollment might undermine consumers’ ability to compare plans. Wall Street Journal et al.