Latest California Healthline Stories
California Health Care Personnel News Update for January 2013
Covered California has hired John Hiber as CFO and Ken Wood as a consultant to serve as senior adviser. The Yolo County Health Department has appointed Constance Caldwell as public health officer, a position that she has held on an interim basis since April 2012.
L.A. Building Skid Row Clinic, Apartments for Homeless
This summer, Los Angeles County will open a health clinic inside a new Skid Row apartment building to target homeless patients who frequently visit area hospital emergency departments. The goal is to reduce the high costs of treating the residents by providing them with accessible physical and mental health care. Los Angeles Times.
California’s Premature Birth Rate Fell to 9.8% in 2011, Report Finds
A new report card by the March of Dimes finds that California’s premature birth rate declined slightly from 9.9% in 2010 to 9.8% in 2011. The report card gave the state a “B” grade based on the organization’s goal for states to reach a premature birth rate of 9.6% by 2020. HealthyCal. March of Dimes report.
Official: Obama Would Weigh Medicare, Not Medicaid, Cuts
On Thursday, White House National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling said President Obama is willing to consider larger spending reductions in Medicare in his upcoming fiscal year 2014 budget proposal to avoid cuts to Medicaid. However, the White House recently proposed nearly $100 million in spending reductions to Medicaid during deficit reduction negotiations. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch.”
Implementation of Several Affordable Care Act Provisions Delayed
Four Affordable Care Act provisions that were scheduled to take effect Jan. 1 have been delayed, as the Obama Administration focuses on meeting deadlines for the health insurance exchanges and the Medicaid expansion. Kaiser Health News/MedPage Today, Kaiser Health News‘ “Capsules.
Pension Reform ‘Under Attack’ From New Bill, Editorial Warns
An Orange County Register editorial argues that the pension reform bill that Gov. Brown signed in September 2012 is “under attack” from a bill — introduced by Assembly member Luis Alejo last month — that would exempt tens of thousands of public workers from the new law. The editorial urges Brown “to step in and stop the erosion of the pension reform he brokered.” Orange County Register.
L.A. County To Remove Most Metal Detectors in Hospitals
Los Angeles County plans to remove metal detectors from most areas of the county’s hospitals — with the exception of emergency departments — by this summer. The change is designed to make hospitals more attractive to patients and to reduce the impression that hospitals are dangerous places. However, some hospital staff, law enforcement officials and victims of past violent incidents at the hospitals oppose the plan. Los Angeles Times.
Insurers Point to High Out-of-Network Charges in New Report
A report finds that some out-of-network physicians charge significantly more than what Medicare reimburses for certain procedures. Observers say that insurers should stop paying the high costs. Los Angeles Times, America’s Health Insurance Plans survey.
CMS Releases Final Rule on ACA’s Physician Payments Sunshine Act
CMS has released a long-awaited final rule on the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which requires medical industry companies to disclose consulting fees, research grants and other gifts over $10 for physicians and teaching hospitals. Modern Healthcare et al.
CMS Reviewing Medicare Payments for Dialysis Drugs
CMS is reviewing its Medicare reimbursements to hospitals and clinics that use certain drugs for dialysis treatment, after a recent Government Accountability Office report found that the program could be overpaying for the drugs by as much as $880 million annually. CMS is expected to propose a new pricing scheme in June and finalize it in November, before it takes effect in 2014. Washington Post.