Latest California Healthline Stories
Tool Allows Users To View Environment-Related Health Issues
An online mapping tool launched by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment shows which communities across the state are most at risk for health problems caused by the environment. It examines about 1,800 ZIP codes across the state. HealthyCal.
Calif. Supreme Court Says Cities Can Ban Dispensaries
On Monday, the California Supreme Court unanimously ruled that local governments in the state have the authority to ban medical marijuana shops in their jurisdictions. The ruling was part of a legal challenge to a ban enacted by Riverside in 2010. AP/Sacramento Bee.
San Mateo Courts Feel Strain of Prison, Budget Reforms
San Mateo County’s trial judges say the confluence of state prison reforms and budget cuts is putting strain on the county’s courts. They note that if Gov. Brown’s fiscal year 2014 budget plan passes, the county’s court system would be forced to close its central courthouse and reduce its South San Francisco courthouse to two judges. HealthyCal.
Court OKs Medi-Cal Pay Limits for Psychological Services
Last week, a three-judge panel of California’s 3rd District Court of Appeal ruled that the state has the authority to limit Medi-Cal payments for federally qualified health clinics to two visits per month for patients seeking psychological services. The ruling overturned a decision by Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny, who granted a request by three Northern California clinics seeking payment beyond two of such visits. Sacramento Bee.
Editorial Says Obama’s Health Reform Claim Is ‘Duplicitous’
A U-T San Diego editorial argues that a claim by President Obama that individuals will be able to keep seeing their doctor if they wish under the Affordable Care Act “has been exposed as duplicitous.” It notes, “As of February, [the Congressional Budget Office] estimated that a minimum of 7 million people will lose their work-provided health coverage because it is far cheaper for employers to pay a fine for not offering coverage than it is for them to provide coverage.” U-T San Diego.
Blended Medicare Plan Could Save $180B Over 10 Years, Study Finds
According to a new study, providing Medicare beneficiaries with a single plan that blends drug, physician, hospital and supplemental coverage could generate up to $180 billion in savings over 10 years and reduce beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket costs. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch” et al.
Brown: Delay Moving Prisoners Following Valley Fever Outbreak
Gov. Brown’s administration has issued a court filing saying that the state should delay moving more than 3,000 inmates from two state prisons because of valley fever-related deaths until CDC completes an investigation of the outbreak. AP/Sacramento Bee.
Opinion Piece Lauds Bill To Close Rx Kickback Loophole
In a Capitol Weekly opinion piece, Hollaine Hopkins — executive director of the Lupus Foundation of Southern California — argues that a bill, by Assembly member Toni Atkins, is “common-sense legislation that will shine a light on the dangerous practice of therapeutic substitution and close the loophole in the law that allows pharmacists to take kickbacks for making a therapeutic switch.” Capitol Weekly.
Studies: Slowdown in Health Spending Could Last Beyond Recession
Two new studies published in Health Affairs show that the recent slowdown in health care spending could continue even as the economy recovers from the recession. The studies suggest that changes in the health care system have contributed to the slowdown. New York Times et al.
Government To Boost Access to Claims Data Under New Project
CMS and HHS are partnering with analytics firm Archimedes to expand access to de-identified Medicare claims data. The project aims to speed the development of software that could leverage analytics to improve care and reduce costs. Clinical Innovation & Technology et al.