Latest California Healthline Stories
Senior GOP Members Urge Party Leaders To Halt ACA Defunding Plans
Three days into a federal government shutdown, a group of senior Republicans called on GOP leaders to abandon efforts to delay or defund the Affordable Care Act and pursue a broader continuing resolution measure that includes an increase in the debt ceiling. Wall Street Journal et al.
Tri-City Drops Legal Battle Against Scripps Over Patient Referrals
Tri-City Medical Center has dropped a lawsuit against Scripps over physician referral practices. The legal battle began when a medical group purchased by Scripps encouraged patients to bypass Tri-City and seek care at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas. Modern Healthcare, U-T San Diego.
Covered California Had 514K Unique Visitors on Launch Day
On Tuesday, California’s health insurance exchange website received about 514,000 unique visitors who reviewed about five million pages. Meanwhile, it will be at least Monday before a list of physicians providing care through Covered California is released. Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert” et al.
DHCS Tells Gold Coast Health Plan To Document its Work
The state Department of Health Care Services is mandating that Gold Coast Health Plan –a Ventura County Medi-Cal plan — document its efforts to manage patient care, control wait times and meet various operational standards. The mandate was included in a state-issued corrective action plan that identifies areas of concern and details next steps for correction for the two-year-old Gold Coast. Ventura County Star.
Government Shutdown Unlikely To Affect Ventura County Efforts To Control Flu Outbreak, Official Says
Although a federal government shutdown has halted federal flu surveillance, Ventura County Public Health Officer Robert Levin said it is unlikely to affect local efforts to control influenza outbreaks. However, problems could arise if the federal shutdown continues through December — when flu season typically hits the country — or if the virus hits the area early. Ventura County Star.
Many U.S. Adults Confused, Concerned About EHR Transition, According to Survey
Most U.S. adults are confused or concerned about the transition to electronic health records, according to a new survey by Xerox. Although 62% of respondents think EHRs will reduce health care costs, 83% said they worry about digital problems — such as security issues — related to EHR adoption, the survey found. Modern Healthcare‘s “Vital Signs.”
UCLA Researcher Leads Development of Smartphone Attachment That Can Detect Viruses, Bacteria
Researchers led by Aydogan Ozcan — a professor of electrical engineering and bioengineering at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science — have developed a portable smartphone attachment that can detect viruses and bacteria in the environment. While sophisticated environmental testing often requires bulky and expensive microscopes and laboratory equipment, the attachment weighs less than half of a pound and can detect certain human cytomegalovirus particles and nanoparticles. Health Data Management.
Report: Individuals With Chronic Illnesses Less Connected
An upcoming Pew Internet Project report finds that individuals with two or more chronic diseases are more likely than the general population to track their health information. However, individuals with chronic illnesses are less likely to have Internet access or a mobile phone. Pew Internet Project’s Susannah Fox presented a preview of the data at the Health 2.0 Annual Fall Conference. MobiHealthNews.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of October 4, 2013
The California Nurses Association says that it has reached a tentative contract agreement for more than 3,000 nurses and technicians at five Bay Area Sutter Health hospitals. MemorialCare Health System and UC-Irvine Health have announced that they will open a string of jointly operated primary care health centers in Southern California.
Covered California Back Online After Fixing Technical Glitches
Covered California’s enrollment portal is now back online after being shut down Tuesday night to fix technical problems, such as slow-loading pages. However, a list of providers affiliated with exchange plans and a list of certified insurance and enrollment agents still have not been posted. AP/U-T San Diego, San Jose Mercury News.