Latest California Healthline Stories
Health Care Reform Offers Opportunity To Bolster Food Assistance Program, Editorial Says
A Sacramento Bee editorial argues, “The Affordable Care Act offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the state to modernize food assistance and add millions of needy people to the CalFresh rolls,” adding, “As state health officials implement the [ACA], food policy advocates are urging them to consider integrating CalFresh into those processes as well.” It notes that “[m]ore than four million low-income Californians receive food assistance now, but another four million who are eligible do not. That means too many state residents go hungry or rely on food banks to feed their families when they don’t have to.” Sacramento Bee.
Judge Allows Force-Feeding of Inmates Participating in Hunger Strike
A federal judge has approved a request by California and federal officials to grant them authority to force-feed inmates participating in a prison hunger strike if the prisoners become unresponsive or are unable to communicate their health care needs. The request also asked that medical officials at the prisons have the authority to override do-not-resuscitate requests that they believe inmates might have been coerced into signing. AP/U-T San Diego, Los Angeles Times‘ “PolitiCal.”
Marin County’s Vaccination Opt-Out Rate Nearly Doubles
In Marin County, the personal belief exemption rate — which allows parents to opt out of immunizing their children by signing a waiver acknowledging that their children may be kept from schools during disease outbreaks — has increased from 4.2% in 2005 to 7.83% in 2012-2013. California is one of about 20 states with such a loophole in its vaccination law. The statewide personal belief exemption rate reached 2.79% in 2012-2013. Marin Independent Journal.
Employer Mandate Delay To Have Minor Effect on ACA, RAND Says
A new RAND Corporation analysis finds that delaying the Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate by one year will not pose major consequences for the law’s overall implementation. However, a repeal of the requirement could result in significant financial setbacks for the federal government, according to the study. The Hill‘s “RegWatch,” HealthCanal.
California Officials, Doctors’ Union Reach Tentative Labor Agreement
The California Department of Human Resources has reached a tentative agreement with the Union of American Physicians and Dentists on a labor contract that includes raises ranging from 4% to 8% for about 1,500 employees and boosts employer contributions to health plans. Sacramento Bee‘s “The State Worker.”
AAFP: 26 States Have Increased PCP Medicaid Reimbursement Rates
The American Academy of Family Physicians reports that only 26 states have temporarily increased Medicaid reimbursements for primary care physicians as required under the Affordable Care Act, even though CMS issued final guidance on the increase in November 2012. California is the only state still waiting on CMS’ final approval of its plan. Modern Healthcare.
New Field Poll Finds a Majority of California Voters Support the ACA
A new Field Poll finds that most California voters say that they support the Affordable Care Act, even though nearly half of them do not expect the law to affect their situation. According to the poll, 63% of California voters under age 30 say they support the law, and 47% of voters age 65 and older say they back the ACA. Sacramento Bee.
UCSD Nabbed $985M for Research in 2012, but Saw Health Funding Cuts From Federal Agencies
In 2012, UC-San Diego obtained $985 million in funding for research in various fields. According to UCSD officials, almost 65% of the funding came from federal agencies. The officials said that the total funding amount might have reached $1 billion if the agencies were not forced to scale back the size and number of research grants, particularly in the fields of health and medicine. U-T San Diego.
13 AGs Raise Concerns Over Insurance Exchange Privacy
In a letter sent to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius last week, attorneys general from 13 GOP-led states wrote that a recently released HHS rule for the Affordable Care Act does not go far enough in ensuring that the personnel who will help individuals enroll in coverage through the insurance exchanges receive adequate data privacy and security training. HHS said it remains confident that there are adequate security safeguards to protect consumer information. Modern Healthcare.
GOP Groups, Leaders Push McConnell To Back ACA Defunding Plan
Conservative groups and some GOP lawmakers are urging Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to support a plan to defund the Affordable Care Act by threatening a government shutdown. McConnell has spoken out against the plan, saying that it would not stop ACA implementation and could backfire politically. The Hill‘s “Ballot Box” et al.