Latest California Healthline Stories
Sebelius Touts Benefits of ACA, Exchanges During Visit to Texas
As part of a two-week, multistate Affordable Care Act promotion tour, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius yesterday met with local officials and other stakeholders in two Texas cities to discuss the ACA’s implementation and how it will benefit communities in 2014. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch” et al.
Editorial: Lawmakers ‘Should Be Alarmed’ by Health Costs
A Sacramento Bee editorial argues that “members of Congress should be alarmed” by a recent New York Times article showing that U.S. patients are charged significantly more for hip replacements than patients in other countries. It concludes, “The United States can’t afford ever-escalating prices for basic procedures ranging from colonoscopies to joint replacements. That is something that both Republicans and Democrats should be able to agree on, regardless of their positions on Obamacare.” Sacramento Bee.
Kaiser To Pay $9M To Settle Lawsuit Over Autism Therapy
Kaiser Permanente will pay $9 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that alleged that the health plan illegally refused to cover behavioral therapy for children with autism before the enactment of a state law required them to do so. Kaiser will establish a fund to reimburse any class members who paid out-of-pocket for the therapy prior to the state law. Any remaining funding will go toward autism research. Sacramento Business Journal.
Low-Income Preschoolers’ Obesity Rates Declined in Calif., 18 Other States, CDC Report Finds
Obesity rates among low-income preschoolers declined in at least 19 U.S. states — including California — and territories between 2008 and 2011, according to a CDC report released Tuesday. Meanwhile, the report found unchanged obesity rates in 21 states and territories and increases in obesity rates in Colorado, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Washington Post.
Calif. Seeks To Lease 4,600 Prison Beds To Comply With Court Order
California officials are planning to lease more than 4,600 prison beds from private and public facilities to comply with a federal court order to reduce the state prison population. The rented beds would replace a plan to expand good time credits for low-risk offenders to facilitate early releases. Los Angeles Times‘ “PolitiCal” et al.
L.A. County Official Calls for Review of Drug Treatment Clinics
A member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is calling for a review of the county’s authority over Medi-Cal drug treatment centers following a report by CNN and the Center for Investigative Reporting that found evidence of fraudulent activities at such facilities. Los Angeles Times‘ “L.A. Now.”
Insurers Tap Social Media To Boost Customer Service
Health insurance companies increasingly are using social media — such as Twitter — to boost their customer service efforts and promote their brand. Observers say social media accounts can help insurers manage their brands and conduct damage control for complaints posted on public social media platforms. Carissa O’Brien — social media director of insurer Aetna –predicted that insurers may use social networking sites to educate consumers about the Affordable Care Act’s upcoming coverage changes. Kaiser Health News.
Study Finds Barriers to Doctors Adopting Electronic Communication Tools
While physician practices can use electronic communication to boost efficiency and patient satisfaction, barriers remain to widespread adoption of such technology, according to a Weill Cornell Medical College study published in the journal Health Affairs. Respondents cited several barriers to widespread adoption of electronic communication tools, including patients’ resistance to embrace new technology, physicians’ resistance to adding more tasks to their workload and the lack of a consistent payment model for health services rendered via such tools. FierceHealthIT.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of August 9, 2013
Sutter Health has signed an agreement to donate San Leandro Hospital to Alameda Health System, which requires support from San Leandro’s medical staff and funding from the city of San Leandro and Alameda County. Simi Valley Hospital recently hosted decontamination training that educated participants on how to treat emergency department patients contaminated with toxic chemicals.
Dept. of Labor Rejects Groups’ Pleas To Reconsider ACA Exception
This week, the Department of Labor sent an email to patient advocacy groups stating it will not reconsider a yearlong grace period for certain health plans to comply with an Affordable Care Act provision that sets a cap on patients’ out-of-pocket costs. The patient advocacy groups say they plan to continue to fight the exception. Modern Healthcare.