Latest California Healthline Stories
HHS Signals Plan To Offer Some Exemptions to Reinsurance Fee
Last week, HHS released rules that announced the agency’s intentions to make certain labor union and business health insurance plans exempt from the Affordable Care Act’s reinsurance fee in 2015 and 2016. However, labor unions and businesses did not welcome the news, noting that many of their plans would not qualify for the exemption. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch” et al.
Coachella Valley LGBT Report Good Overall Health, but More Illness
A survey by the LGBT Community Center of the Desert finds that members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities in Coachella Valley largely reported having health insurance and being in good health. However, such individuals also have higher rates of mental illness and other health problems, such as obesity. HealthyCal.
Humana COO Predicts Extension of Exchange Open Enrollment
Yesterday, a Humana executive said he believes the Obama administration will extend the open enrollment period for the federal health insurance exchange beyond March 31. However, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at a Senate hearing yesterday said that delays to the Affordable Care Act are “not an option.” Reuters et al.
Only a Small Portion of Exchange Enrollees Are Young, Healthy
Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee says that only a small portion of Californians who have enrolled in coverage so far are young, healthy residents. However, he says that the exchange has not yet fully launched its campaign to attract such individuals. Orange County Register.
Tavenner Testifies That Federal Exchange Website Has Had No Serious Security Issues
During a Senate committee hearing on Tuesday, CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner said that there have been “no serious issues” related to security of the federal health insurance exchange and that the website is undergoing constant testing. Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee has released internal documents that show CMS administrators were aware that the site was a “high [security] risk” when it launched on Oct. 1 because of incomplete testing. Tavenner testified that the entire system could not be fully tested because it was being worked on up until open enrollment began. Wall Street Journal, The Hill‘s “Healthwatch.”
First Wave of L.A. Inmates Sent to Calif. Firefighting Camps
On Wednesday, 20 Los Angeles County jail inmates were sent to a California correctional firefighting camp in Sylmar. The inmates are the first of 500 Los Angeles County inmates classified as a low-security risk who will be sent to such camps and trained to clear brush at wildfire sites. The effort is part of a realignment plan designed to help reduce overcrowding in the jails. KPCC’s “KPCC News.”
San Diego’s Health Information Exchange Becomes Independent, Adds Two New Hospital Participants
San Diego’s health information exchange has become an independent entity after Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT funding ended in September and has been renamed San Diego Health Connect. Meanwhile, Scripps Health and Sharp HealthCare — San Diego’s two largest hospital operators — have joined the exchange, which was formerly called the San Diego Regional Health Information Exchange. Payers & Providers.
Alarm Fatigue Is Leading Health Care Technology Hazard Facing Hospitals, Report Finds
Alarm fatigue caused by health information technology systems is the top health care technology hazard facing hospitals, according to a new report by research firm ECRI Institute. According to the report, other hazards resulting from health care technology adoption include infusion pump medication errors and CT radiation exposure in pediatric patients. The report recommends that hospitals use its list of hazards to develop safety initiatives related to technology. Healthcare IT News.
On Monday, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Fred Upton (R-Mich.) proposed a bill that would allow individuals to keep health insurance plans purchased before January, regardless of whether the coverage meets Affordable Care Act standards. Upton wrote in a USA Today editorial that the bill would provide a “voluntary escape hatch” for consumers who want to keep their current coverage under the ACA. Washington Post‘s “Federal Eye.”
CMS Plans To Release ACA Enrollment Data Next Week
CMS officials said the agency will release health insurance exchange enrollment figures next week, but they declined to provide details on a timeline or how specific the data will be. Meanwhile, CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner said HHS hopes to sign up as many as 800,000 people for coverage by the end of this month. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch,” Reuters.