Latest California Healthline Stories
California Health Care Personnel News Update for September 2013
Gov. Brown appointed Bruce Givner to the state Board of Optometry and Michelle Brown to the state Board of State and Community Corrections. California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has appointed Eric Weirich as the deputy commissioner of the enforcement branch of the state Department of Insurance.
Judge: Sacramento Retirees Not Entitled to Permanent Subsidies
A U.S. district court judge has ruled that retired Sacramento County employees do not have a right to permanent medical and dental care subsidies. The ruling is part of a lawsuit challenging efforts to reduce or terminate such subsidies. Sacramento Bee.
ACA Exchange Enrollment Numbers Still Not Available
On Friday, White House officials said that they do not have specific data on first week enrollment in the Affordable Care Act’s insurance exchanges but noted that millions of people continued to visit the federal exchange website over the first four days. Washington Times, Politico.
CalOptima Board OKs Increase in Reimbursements for Specialists
The board for Orange County’s Medi-Cal managed care plan has approved an additional $10 million in annual funding to increase reimbursements for specialists. Officials hope the move will dissuade specialists from dropping Medi-Cal patients when the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented. Orange County Register.
Study Finds Baby Boomers in San Jose Fittest in the U.S.
San Jose is the top city in the U.S. for fittest baby boomers, according to a study by the American Physical Therapists Association and the Huffington Post. According to APTA officials, baby boomers in San Jose have the highest life expectancy in the U.S., at 82.5 years, and the lowest number of days of not getting enough rest per month, at 5.6 days. The study also found that 91.8% of baby boomers in San Jose have health insurance. Bay City News/Contra Costa Times.
Gov. Brown Sues U.S. Department of Labor, Signs Public Transit Worker Pension Exemption Bill
Last week, Gov. Brown sued the U.S. Department of Labor over its ruling that California’s new pension reform law violates public transit workers’ collective bargaining rights. Last week, Brown signed a bill to exempt public transit workers from pension reforms implemented this year. Sacramento Bee‘s “The State Worker.”
During a federal bail hearing on Friday, Ross Ulbricht of San Francisco denied charges that he operated Silk Road, a website that offered the anonymous sale of prescription drugs and other illegal drugs and services. Ulbricht faces charges for narcotics trafficking, computer hacking and money laundering. U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph Spero granted Brandon LeBlanc’s — the federal public defender representing Ulbricht — request to postpone the hearing until Oct. 9. AP/U-T San Diego.
Santa Clara County To Assess Health of LGBT Community
The Santa Clara County Public Health Department has launched a voluntary survey to better understand the general health and well-being of the county’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender adults and youth. Officials hope to use the survey results to document major health and other issues in the LGBT community and guide decisions on health resource allocations and services. Bay City News Service/San Jose Mercury News.
Training, Certification for Exchange Navigators Held Up
Many staff members at community organizations and other groups that have been designated as navigators for the Affordable Care Act’s insurance exchanges are still waiting to become certified because of delays at the state and federal levels and technical glitches with the training websites. The staff must undergo five hours of online training and pass an exam. Modern Healthcare.
Study: Most Consumers To See Out-of-Pocket Costs Drop Under ACA
A new RAND Corporation study finds that most consumers who purchase coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges will pay less in out-of-pocket costs. However, total health care spending — which includes out-of-pocket costs and premiums — will increase for many newly insured individuals. MedPage Today.