Latest California Healthline Stories
Gov. Brown Proposes FY 2013-14 Budget That Expands Medi-Cal
Yesterday, Gov. Brown released his budget proposal for fiscal year 2013-2014. The plan would fully expand Medi-Cal under a provision in the Affordable Care Act and increase state funding for In-Home Supportive Services and Cal-WORKs. Sacramento Bee et al.
UCSF Cancer Research Center Nabs $36M Federal Grant
The UC-San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center has received a five-year, $36-million National Cancer Institute grant to support its administrative management and infrastructure. NCI said it is recognizing the center’s “solid record of important discoveries in basic, translational, population-based and clinical research.” Payers & Providers.
Columnist Slams Anthem’s New Pharmacy Requirement
Los Angeles Times columnist David Lazarus argues that Anthem Blue Cross’ new requirement that certain policyholders buy their prescription drugs from a single mail-order pharmacy is “unfair,” noting that the state attorney’s general office said it is “likely illegal.” He writes that “Anthem is correct to seek lower health care costs” and that a “mail-order pharmacy may be more efficient in many cases than a retail drugstore.” However, he argues that “it shouldn’t be ‘my way or the highway,’ not when people’s lives are on the line.” Los Angeles Times.
Health Care Special Session To Take Place at End of Jan.
On Thursday, California Health Human Services Secretary Diana Dooley announced that the Legislature will convene for a special session at the end of January to discuss the health care elements of Gov. Brown’s newly released fiscal year 2013-2014 budget proposal and the state’s implementation of key components of the Affordable Care Act. Sacramento Business Journal.
HHS Names 106 New Participants in Medicare Shared Savings Program
HHS has announced 106 new accountable care organizations that will participate in the Affordable Care Act’s Medicare Shared Savings Program, bringing the total number of Medicare ACOs to 259. Nine of the new ACOs serve California patients. Modern Healthcare et al.
Opinion: Fiscal Cliff Bill Has ‘Crucial’ Health Care Benefit
In a Bloomberg opinion piece, economist Peter Orszag — vice chair of corporate investment banking at Citigroup and former director of the Office of Management and Budget — writes that recent legislation to avert the fiscal cliff includes a “little-noted” provision that provides an incentive for physicians to use clinical data registries. Orszag argues that such registries can be “crucial to evaluating what medical techniques and strategies work and which ones don’t.” Bloomberg.
Judge Denies Injunction in Kaiser Permanente Patient Privacy Case
A state judge has denied Kaiser Permanente access to the computers and email account of a couple who stored nearly 300,000 patient records. However, the judge granted a smaller order barring the couple from retaining and disclosing any confidential patient data. Los Angeles Times.
Calif. AG Calls for Restored Funding to Rx Drug Database
Following the release of Gov. Brown’s a proposed $97.7-billion budget — which projects a surplus — on Thursday, California Attorney General Kamala Harris urged the governor to restore funding to the state’s prescription drug monitoring program, called the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System, or CURES. A recent Los Angeles Times report found that the system has been hindered by budget cuts and is not being used to its full potential. Brown’s office had no comment on the request. Los Angeles Times.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of January 11, 2013
Alameda County Medical Center’s CEO says that hospital officials cannot approve a proposal to transfer ownership of San Leandro Hospital to ACMC. This week, 30 to 60 health care workers picketed outside of St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard over scheduled layoffs.
Reform Law Helped Slow Growth in Medicare Spending, HHS Finds
An HHS report finds that per capita Medicare spending grew by only 0.4% in fiscal year 2012, even though beneficiaries are receiving more benefits. The report attributes the low spending growth to provisions of the Affordable Care Act. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch,” CQ HealthBeat.