Latest California Healthline Stories
Percentage of Kids With ADHD Has Increased, California Study Finds
A Kaiser Permanente report finds that the rate of California children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder has increased by 24% since 2001. Researchers say growing awareness of ADHD likely has contributed to the higher rate of diagnoses. USA Today, Reuters.
Study: Asians, Latinos Less Likely To Seek Mental Care for Children
A California study finds that Asian and Latino parents are less likely than other parents to seek mental health treatment for their children. Experts cite a shortage of bilingual mental health providers as one reason for the disparity. Riverside Press-Enterprise.
Doctors Skeptical of Online Patient Ratings, Report Finds
A majority of surveyed physicians have expressed skepticism about online ratings from patients, but many admit to checking such rating websites, according to a report from the American College of Physician Executives. The report finds that 55% of surveyed physicians said they believe that no more than one-quarter of patients consult online physician ratings and about 25% said that they believe the websites provide no benefit and are a nuisance. Modern Physician, MedCity News.
Community-Based Care Reduces Readmissions, Cuts Costs, Study Finds
A new study finds that a CMS pilot program aimed at leveraging community-based care helped lower 30-day readmission rates and all-cause hospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries over a two-year period, resulting in lower costs. Kaiser Health News‘ “Capsules” et al.
HHS Adopts ‘Marketplace’ as New Name for Exchanges
Last week, HHS adopted “marketplace” as the new name for the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges in press material and a newly redesigned public website. Democrats and ACA advocates say the term is a more accurate description of the exchanges. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch.”
Bill Revives Effort To Expand Early-Term Abortion Access
On Tuesday, Assembly member Toni Atkins introduced a bill that would revive last year’s push to allow additional medical professionals, including nurse practitioners and midwives, to perform an early-term abortion procedure. Proponents say the measure is important for women living in communities without access to abortion care. Last year, Gov. Brown signed a weakened version of the bill, which allowed only non-doctor clinicians trained through a specific pilot program to perform the procedure. Sacramento Bee.
Opinion: Calif. Must Continue Focus on Community Health
In a Sacramento Bee opinion piece, Mary Pittman — president and CEO of the Public Health Institute, and an expert adviser to Gov. Brown’s “Let’s Get Healthy California Task Force” — writes that the results of a recent PHI poll show that obesity is “a serious problem” and that voters “think we need to do more to address it, along with other chronic diseases.” She adds, “California is ahead of the curve, but we need to invest every cent we have wisely to make our vision of health a reality.” Sacramento Bee.
State Likely To See $4B in Extra Revenue for January, LAO Finds
California officials say the state will receive $4 billion more in January income tax revenue than expected. Although some lawmakers say any extra revenue should go toward health and welfare programs, officials caution against spending the money prematurely. Sacramento Bee.
Senate Bill Would Block Pay-for-Delay Rx Agreements
Last week, Sens. Chuck Grassley and Amy Klobuchar announced that they will reintroduce legislation that would block so-called pay-for-delay agreements, in which brand-name drugmakers pay generic manufacturers to delay the market release of low-cost versions of their products. The senators’ announcement follows the release of a new Federal Trade Commission report, which found that the number of potential pay-for-delay deals in fiscal year 2012 increased by more than 40% from the previous year. The Hill‘s “Floor Action Blog.”
California Endowment To Allocate $225M for ACA
The California Endowment has pledged $225 million over the next four years to support implementation of the Affordable Care Act in California. The funding will support several key initiatives, such as state efforts to boost enrollment in Medi-Cal and increase the number of primary care physicians in the state. Sacramento Business Journal.