Latest California Healthline Stories
Judges Grant Calif. One-Month Extension on Inmate Reduction
Yesterday, a panel of federal judges gave California an extra month to comply with a court-ordered cap on the state prison population, pushing the deadline until the end of February 2014. The judges seek an update on negotiations between Gov. Brown’s administration and prisons’ attorneys in mid-November. AP/U-T San Diego et al.
Sebelius To Testify on ACA Exchange Website Rollout Next Week
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has agreed to testify during a House committee hearing on Oct. 30 on the problem-plagued rollout of the Affordable Care Act’s federally run health insurance exchange website. Sebelius previously turned down an invitation to appear at a similar House hearing this week because of a scheduling conflict. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch” et al.
California AG Releases Report on Curbing Medical Identity Theft
Last week, California Attorney General Kamala Harris issued a report that includes recommendations on how to prevent, detect and reduce medical identity theft. According to Harris, the federal government’s push for electronic health record implementation gives the health care industry a new opportunity to combat such fraud. Health Data Management, Techwire.
Out-of-Network Providers at Hospitals Can Unexpectedly Bill Patients
Hospitals commonly allow out-of-network providers to work at their facilities, which can sometimes result in patients receiving large medical bills for treatment they thought was covered. Although some states limit the amount out-of-network providers can charge beyond what insurance covers, there are no federal rules that prohibit the practice of “balance billing.” New York Times.
L.A. County Program Seeks To Train Child Care Providers About Healthy Eating
On Monday, Los Angeles County launched the Eat Grow Play initiative to curb obesity rates by teaching home day care centers and preschools about healthy meals. Under the initiative, the L.A. County Department of Public Health and First Five L.A. will spend $6.1 million over three-and-a-half years to train 6,000 child care providers via workshops and follow-up site visits how to plan menus and assess food labels. KPCC News’ “Pass/Fail.”
BART Union Leaders, Management Reach Tentative Contract Agreement, End Four-Day Strike
On Monday, Bay Area Rapid Transit union and management leaders reached a tentative contract agreement, ending a four-day strike. Last week, BART employees went on strike after contract discussions over work rules on overtime, scheduling and other issues broke down. The deal still requires approval from union members and BART’s board of directors. Sacramento Bee et al.
Kaiser Permanente Joins L.A. Patient Transfer Network
Kaiser Permanente announced it will join a Los Angeles County patient transfer network that allows emergency departments to quickly transfer patients with severe heart attacks to nearby facilities to receive angioplasty treatment. Previously, the emergency departments at Kaiser’s eight Los Angeles County hospitals opted out of the government-run transfer system and instead gave clot-busting drugs to most patients as an initial treatment. Los Angeles Times.
UCSF Study Finds Cutting Common Lab Tests Saved $2M
In fiscal year 2011-2012, a reduction by nearly 50% in the use of five common laboratory tests had no effect on patient care and saved $1.7 million in insurance costs and another $75,000 in direct medical care costs, according to a study conducted by neurosurgery residents at the UC-San Francisco Medical Center. The tests included assessments of serum levels of total calcium, ionized calcium, chloride, magnesium and phosphorus. HealthLeaders Media.
Majority of Uninsured Residents Still Unfamiliar With ACA Exchanges, Gallup Poll Finds
Seventy-one percent of uninsured U.S. residents say they are unfamiliar with the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges about three weeks after they opened for enrollment, according to a new Gallup poll. Thirty-four percent of respondents said they would rather pay a penalty than comply with the individual mandate, an increase from 25% in a similar poll conducted last month. Washington Post‘s “Post Politics.”
White House Assembles IT Team To Address ACA Website Glitches
The Obama administration has assembled a team of computer experts from the public and private sectors to help fix problems with the Affordable Care Act’s federally run health insurance exchange website. The announcement comes amid widespread reports and complaints from consumers and insurers about application delays and errors through the portal. USA Today et al.