Latest California Healthline Stories
Federal Shutdown Ends; Deal Includes One Small ACA Provision
Early this morning, President Obama signed into law legislation to end a 16-day federal shutdown and raise the national debt ceiling. The deal includes a small Affordable Care Act provision that would strengthen income verification systems for the subsidies to help U.S. residents purchase coverage through the law’s exchanges. Washington Post et al.
Mexican Immigrants Account for 13% of U.S. Uninsured, Report Finds
A joint report by UCLA, UC-Berkeley and the Mexican government finds that Mexican immigrants living in California and other states account for 13% of uninsured residents in the U.S. In addition, it finds that 38% of Mexican immigrants lack a consistent source of medical care, with half of such individuals relying on community clinics rather than private providers. Payers & Providers.
Inmates’ Attorneys Call for Better Mental Health Services in Prisons
At a federal court hearing this week, attorneys for California inmates said that prisoners on death row have an especially difficult time obtaining adequate mental health care services. Meanwhile, attorneys for the state argued that prison mental health care has improved in recent years. Sacramento Bee, AP/U-T San Diego. Sacramento Bee, AP/U-T San Diego.
Court Dismisses Lawsuit Over UCLA Health System Data Breach
A state appellate court has dismissed a class-action lawsuit filed over a 2011 data breach that exposed the personal information of more than 16,000 patients of the UCLA Health System. The ruling states that providers are not necessarily liable for breaches unless data are accessed by a third party. Payers & Providers.
CVS Expands MinuteClinics to Northern Calif. Market
On Wednesday, CVS Caremark officials announced that the company is opening seven MinuteClinics — CVS’ retail clinic branch — in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. MinuteClinics already have opened in Foster City, San Jose and Sunnyvale, and CVS Caremark next month will open four more retail clinics in Burlingame, Campbell, Mountain View and Santa Clara. Payers & Providers, San Francisco Business Times‘ “Bay Area BizTalk.”
Study Finds Ventura County Kids Cutting Back on Sugar-Sweetened Drinks at Highest Rate in California
Ventura County children reduced their intake of sugar-sweetened drinks at a greater pace than youths in any other California county, according to a study released Thursday by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy. The study found that the rate at which children ages 2 to 17 in Ventura County drank at least one sugar-sweetened beverage per day decreased by 37% from 2005 to 2012, compared with an average reduction of 11% across the state. Ventura County Star.
Some Consumer Groups Worry That High-Deductible Plans Could Bar Certain Workers From Accessing Care
Some consumer advocacy groups are concerned about the increasing number of employers who are offering workers high-deductible health plans, partly because out-of-pocket costs might preclude some consumers from accessing necessary care. Beth Capell — a lobbyist for the consumer advocacy group Health Access — said the plans “work best for those who need health care the least or those with higher incomes.” However, other observers argue that the plans give insurers a viable way to cut health care costs by incentivizing consumers to select their care wisely. Sacramento Bee.
UC-Santa Cruz Leading $3.5M Project To Use Big Data To Predict Cancer Outcomes
UC-Santa Cruz researchers are leading a $3.5 million project — funded by the National Cancer Institute — to use “big data” to predict cancer outcomes. UCSC researchers will build a new database for storing and analyzing interpretive information derived from raw genomic data stored in centralized repositories, including UCSC’s Cancer Genomics Hub. Analyses conducted with help from the new database can reveal connections between tumor samples, according to researchers. Silicon Valley Business Journal.
Brown Signs Bill To Cap Cancer Medication Copayments
Gov. Brown has signed legislation that will require health insurers to cap copayments for orally administered cancer medications to $200 per month. The new law will go into effect Jan. 1, 2015. Payers & Providers.
Federal Exchanges Won’t Transfer Medicaid Applications Until Nov. 1
Yesterday, CMS announced that the federally run health insurance exchanges will not transfer Medicaid applications to state agencies until Nov. 1. Meanwhile, several state exchanges said they are seeing strong interest from young adults. However, the number of visitors to the federally run exchanges decreased by 88% between Oct. 1 and Oct 13. Modern Healthcare et al.