Latest California Healthline Stories
Study: Similar Outcomes for Online, In-Person Doctor Visits
Online physician consultations for uncomplicated conditions produce similar outcomes as in-person office visits, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. However, researchers found that physicians prescribed significantly more antibiotics during online visits than during in-person visits. Reuters.
Editorial Says Gov. Brown’s Budget Proposals Uncertain
A Contract Costa Times editorial argues that although Gov. Brown “can rightly claim California is on its most stable financial footing in more than a decade,” the state is “nowhere near out of the woods.” According to the editorial, Brown’s fiscal year 2013-2014 budget proposal “hinges in part on factors outside his control,” such as the “court reaction to the governor’s attempt to take back control of state prisons” and “the state cost of federal health care reform.” Contra Costa Times.
Medicaid Expansion Could Boost States’ Mental Health Funding
The Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion could provide states with needed mental health funding, advocates say. It is estimated that 13 million additional residents would receive mental health benefits if all states opted into the expansion. Stateline/Kaiser Health News et al.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of January 18, 2013
CMS has told UC-Davis Medical Center that it no longer seeks to terminate the hospital’s participation in government health care programs because the facility has improved care delivery. Rady Children’s Hospital has reduced its emergency department wait times.
HHS Unveils Final Rules Expanding, Updating HIPAA Provisions
Four new rules released by HHS expand and update the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The rules were called for under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package’s HITECH Act and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. Modern Healthcare et al.
Providers Prepare for Long Fight Against 10% Medi-Cal Rate Cut
Some California health care providers are expecting more litigation related to a 10% cut to Medi-Cal reimbursements. Although the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed a block on the cut, opponents of the reduction say they will appeal the decision. Modern Physician.
Prime Sued Over Alleged Patient Confidentiality Breach
A former patient has filed a lawsuit against Prime Healthcare Services for allegedly disclosing her confidential medical records without consent. The lawsuit alleges that the CEO of Shasta Regional Medical Center shared the patient’s data with hospital employees and journalists in an effort to discredit a 2011 California Watch report about the hospital chain’s billing practices. California Watch.
UnitedHealth, Mayo Partner on Data Mining Project
On Tuesday, UnitedHealth Group and the Mayo Clinic announced the launch of a research alliance that will analyze millions of de-identified health insurance claims and clinical records. The research alliance will be based at an “innovation center” in Massachusetts and focus on research into care that produces the best outcomes for patients at lower costs, officials said. Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal‘s “MSPBJ Morning Roundup” et al.
Calif. Gets Low Marks for Meeting Kids’ Special Needs
California ranks 46th among states in effective coordination of medical care for children with special health care needs and 50th for referrals to specialty care, according to an analysis by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. The report also found that more than 40% of the roughly one million children with special needs in California have difficulty finding physicians and scheduling appointments. Los Angeles Times‘ “Booster Shots.”
Steinberg To Discuss Mental Health Programs With Federal Officials
Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg says that he will extend his trip to Washington, D.C., for the presidential inauguration to meet with members of the Obama administration and congressional leaders about improving mental health treatment programs. Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert.”