Latest California Healthline Stories
Obama Administration Releases Employer Mandate Draft Guidance
On Thursday, the Obama administration issued draft guidance on the Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate that aims to ease and streamline the reporting requirements for employers and insurers when they inform the federal government about worker’s health coverage. Reuters et al.
Union Sues To Prevent Kaiser From Selling Plans Through Exchange
The National Union of Healthcare Workers is suing Covered California to prevent Kaiser Permanente from offering health plans through the exchange. The lawsuit argues that Kaiser Permanente is not in good standing because of mental health violations found by the state Department of Managed Health Care in the spring. Sacramento Business Journal, San Francisco Business Times‘ “Bay Area BizTalk.”
Calif. Prisoners Call Off Hunger Strike as Lawmakers Plan Hearings
Inmates at California prisons have halted a two-month hunger strike protesting the use of security housing units for indefinite isolation of certain prisoners. Strike organizers voted to suspend the strike after lawmakers announced that they would hold hearings on the use of solitary confinement in prisons. New York Times et al.
Opinion Piece Slams Argument That Abortion, Welfare Bills Would Protect Women and Children’s Health
In a Sacramento Bee opinion piece, Margaret Bengs — a political speechwriter and a former contributing columnist for Sacramento Bee — dismisses a recent opinion piece that argued that “those who oppose AB 154 don’t really care about women and children unless they also support AB 271, which allows an additional $122 a month for mothers on welfare who have another child.” AB 271 would remove the state’s “family cap” for CalWORKS, while AB 154 would expand access to abortion services statewide. She writes, “That is an amazing comparison — asserting moral equivalence between life and income. A child not even allowed to be born not only won’t be helped by an extra $122 a month but her entire life is ended.” Sacramento Bee.
U.S. District Judge Denies Pharmaceutical Lawsuit To Halt Alameda County’s Drug Take-Back Ordinance
Last week, a U.S. district judge denied a lawsuit by the pharmaceutical industry that attempted to stop Alameda County’s prescription drug take-back ordinance. As a result, companies that sell prescription drugs in the county beginning in November must run a “stewardship program” to collect and discard unwanted drugs. The plaintiffs — including the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and the Generic Pharmaceutical Association — asserted that it will cost about $1.2 million annually to comply with the ordinance, while county officials have said the cost will total less than $330,000 annually and will be shared by about 100 companies. Contra Costa Times.
CMS Says Exchanges’ Glitches Will Be Resolved on Time
In a statement issued Wednesday, CMS said that its timeline to launch the Affordable Care Act’s federal health insurance exchanges “remains the same” despite lingering concerns that several technical glitches with the online marketplaces could derail the scheduled Oct. 1 start of a six-month open enrollment period. Officials for several insurers also expressed optimism that the glitches would be resolved by Oct. 1. Meanwhile, information technology experts said such glitches are consistent with implementation of technology-based systems like the exchanges. Reuters.
Brown’s Inmate Population Reduction Plan Would ‘Protect’ Prison Reform Progress, Opinion Piece Says
In a Sacramento Bee opinion piece, Linda Penner — former chief probation officer of Fresno County and chair of the Board of State and Community Corrections — writes that Gov. Brown’s plan to comply with a federal-court ordered reduction of the state prison population would do so “without jeopardizing realignment or public safety.” Penner writes that the plan “does not imply a return to the prison-building policies of the past” but instead “means to protect the progress we have already made” in improving the state prison system. Sacramento Bee.
Poll: Majority of Voters Oppose Plan To Defund, Delay ACA
A vast majority of registered voters do not support a Republican plan in Congress to defund and delay implementation of the Affordable Care Act, according to a poll released by The Morning Consult. Certain Republicans have threatened a government shutdown as part of a strategy to dismantle the law. According to the poll, only 6% of voters think the GOP should move forward with the plan, and only 7% of respondents who identified themselves as Republican support the plan. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch.”
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of September 6, 2013
Marshall Medical Center in Placerville has hired consulting firm Keenan to conduct an audit to find hospital employees with dependents who are ineligible for health, dental and vision benefits. The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors has agreed to spend an additional $445,000 on construction of the Behavioral Health Unit.
Clinton Promotes ACA, Calls for Bipartisan Effort To Fix Glitches
Yesterday, President Clinton promoted the Affordable Care Act in a speech that outlined the law’s benefits and called on ACA opponents and supporters to work together to improve the law and resolve any of its glitches. Washington Post et al.