Latest California Healthline Stories
States Need Waiver To Privatize Medicaid Expansion, HHS Says
HHS said that states would need a waiver from the agency to shift Medicaid-eligible residents into private insurance plans. Several states are considering such an approach as an alternative to participating in the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch” et al.
Richmond Partnership Seeks To Boost Public Health
Last week, Richmond officials said that a new partnership — called the Richmond Health Equality Partnership — between the city, Contra Costa County, the West Contra Costa Unified School District and the California Endowment should help improve community health over the next decade. Partnership officials have begun holding community meetings and developing plans to launch public health initiatives. Contra Costa Times.
California Health Care Personnel News Update for March 2013
Gov. Brown has appointed Deborah Harper as deputy secretary of administrative services at the state Department of Veterans Affairs and has named Lavanza Butler to the state Board of Pharmacy. Meanwhile, B. Joseph Guglielmo has been named dean of the UC-San Francisco School of Pharmacy.
Local Officials Anticipate Challenges in Expanding Coverage Under the ACA
Local and state health officials say they have encountered significant challenges during previous efforts to help uninsured individuals gain health care coverage. Some officials say they are worried that the Affordable Care Act’s coverage expansion efforts could face similar struggles. Kaiser Health News/Washington Post.
CDC: Valley Fever Cases Climb in Southwestern States
Cases of valley fever in California and other Southwestern states have increased significantly in recent years, according to a CDC report released last week. It found that valley fever cases in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah increased from 2,265 in 1998 to more than 22,000 in 2011. Los Angeles Times.
California’s Breast Density Notification Law Goes Into Effect
A new state law taking effect today requires doctors to notify women if they have dense breast tissue, which could be associated with a higher risk of breast cancer. Some doctors have expressed concern that the law could create unnecessary anxiety. KQED’s “State of Health,” U-T San Diego.
Assembly Panel Will Consider Bill To Tighten Charity Care Rules
Tomorrow, the Assembly Health Committee will hold its first hearing on a bill that could take away the tax-exempt status of profitable, not-for-profit hospitals. Several labor unions support the measure, while hospitals oppose it. Modern Healthcare.
$1.6M Judgment Against NUHW Upheld by Court
Last week, a federal appeals court upheld a jury’s 2010 $1.6 million judgment against the National Union of Healthcare Workers, its president and other officers. In the case, Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West argued that the NUHW leadership while employed by SEIU attempted to undermine the union by diverting its resources to form a breakaway union. Sacramento Business Journal.
VA, DOD Should Integrate EHR Systems, Report States
An Institute of Medicine report calls for the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to integrate their electronic health record systems as part of an effort to ease the transition for U.S. troops returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. VA and DOD recently announced plans to halt their integrated EHR project and instead focus on making their current systems more interoperable. FierceHealthIT, MedPage Today.
Senators Criticize HHS for Failing To Recover Medicare Overpayments
Yesterday, several senators criticized HHS for failing to recoup certain Medicare overpayments. According to a report, Medicare has lost $70 million as a result of overpayments to durable medical equipment suppliers. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch,” Senate Finance Committee release.