Latest California Healthline Stories
Drug Medi-Cal Clinics Accused of Fraud Received Federal Funds
Several rehabilitation centers in Los Angeles County received nearly $1.5 million from a federal grant program, even after county officials with the Drug Medi-Cal program found questionable billing practices at the facilities, according to a new report. Center for Investigative Reporting.
Insurers Asked To Help With Messaging Over Policy Cancellations
White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough has asked a group of insurance executives to help inform consumers who have had their policies canceled about their options under the Affordable Care Act, including the potential to purchase subsidized coverage. Meanwhile, President Obama has sought to clarify his former statements about U.S. residents being able to keep coverage they like. Reuters et al.
Jones: Blue Shield Delay Unlikely To Affect Other Exchange Plans
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones says he does not expect other insurers participating in Covered California to delay the cancellation of health plans that do not comply with the Affordable Care Act. The state is requiring Blue Shield of California to delay for three months the cancellation of more than 115,000 health plans. Politico, Los Angeles Times.
Calif. To Receive $89M From J&J Settlement Over Improper Marketing
California Attorney General Kamala Harris has announced that the state will receive $89 million of a $2.2 billion national settlement with Johnson & Johnson to resolve allegations that the drug manufacturer unlawfully marketed the medications Risperdal, Invega and Natrecor. Sacramento Business Journal et al.
Brown Supports Health Care Worker Training Programs
During a California State University Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, Gov. Brown announced his support for programs to train more health care workers. According to the state’s Department of Public Health, 38% of state residents are living with at least one chronic health condition. Capital Public Radio’s “KXJZ News.”
L.A. County OKs $7.5M Medical Malpractice Settlement
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a $7.5 million payment to an 18-month-old boy born with a brain injury to settle a medical malpractice claim. The lawsuit alleged that the toddler’s mother suffered a preventable ruptured uterus after being discharged from the county-operated Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center that deprived oxygen to the boy’s brain during delivery. AP/Sacramento Bee.
Poll: 21% of Exchange Website Visitors Have Enrolled
Twenty-one percent of adults who visited the state and federal health insurance exchange websites have enrolled in coverage, according to a survey released Monday by the Commonwealth Fund. The survey — which was conducted between Oct. 9 and Oct. 27 and included responses from 4,035 adults — also found that 17% of individuals who are eligible for coverage either visited the online exchanges or requested information about the exchange plans through the mail, phone or in person. Of those individuals, 58% said they were considering enrolling in or seeking out federal subsidies before the open enrollment period ends. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch.”
HHS Clarifies Policy on Hospitals Purchasing Coverage for Patients Through ACA Exchanges
Hospitals can help uninsured patients purchase private coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s insurance exchanges without violating a federal anti-kickback statute, according to a clarification of policy guidance by HHS. In a letter to Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), HHS said that qualified health plans sold through the exchanges do not meet the legal definition of a “federal health care program” under anti-fraud laws, which ban providers from engaging in financial ties to generate business paid for by Medicare or other federal health programs. Modern Healthcare.
Study: E-Health Could Decrease In-Person Doctor Visits
Adoption of electronic health records and other health information technology tools could increase the efficiency of community-based physician offices and reduce the need for in-person patient visits, according to a report published in the journal Health Affairs. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Commonwealth Fund based their predictions on an analysis of recent trends in health IT and a review of scientific literature. CNET.
Mixed Results for State-Run Health Insurance Exchanges’ Enrollment
The 15 state-run health insurance exchanges have not experienced as many technical issues as the federally operated health insurance exchange website, but some states are showing mixed results with their enrollment efforts. Meanwhile, a Kaiser Family Foundation report finds that about 40% of the 17 million consumers who will qualify for federal subsidies in the exchanges reside in California and four other states. Politico et al.