Latest California Healthline Stories
Study: UCSF Reduced Heart Failure Readmission Rates
Over a two-year period, UC-San Francisco Medical Center reduced heart failure readmission rates among Medicare beneficiaries by 46% within 30 days of discharge and by 35% within 90 days of discharge, according to a case study from The Commonwealth Fund. Douglas McCarthy, senior research advisor at The Commonwealth Fund, said that the program involved follow-up phone calls and home visits for high-risk patients. Healthcare Finance News.
Department of Public Health Mismanaged Funds, Audit Finds
A state audit finds that the Department of Public Health has mismanaged public funds for programs to prevent child injury and abuse. According to the audit, the state illegally hired a private contractor to manage part of the Child Health and Safety Fund. Sacramento Bee et al.
Anthem Seeks To Hike Individual Plan Rates by an Average of 18%
Anthem Blue Cross is proposing premium rate hikes that average 18% for more than 630,000 individual policyholders. In a rate request, the insurer cites medical cost increases and says it has a profit margin of less than 1% in California’s individual market this year. Los Angeles Times.
High Court Revives Liberty University’s ACA Challenge
On Monday, the Supreme Court agreed to Liberty University’s request to reopen its oral arguments challenging the Affordable Care Act’s employer coverage requirements and contraceptive coverage rules with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The U.S. Department of Justice had signed off on Liberty’s request ahead of the high court’s ruling. Politico, The Hill‘s “Healthwatch.”
CMS Levies Readmission Penalties on More Than 2,000 Hospital Facilities
A total of 2,217 hospitals have been penalized for readmissions since CMS started levying such penalties last month. Curbing readmissions is part of the Affordable Care Act’s goal of reducing spending. Kaiser Health News/New York Times, New York Times‘ “The New Old Age.”
San Bernardino Votes To Present Budget Plan to Bankruptcy Judge
San Bernardino officials have voted to present a bankruptcy judge with a budget plan that includes a proposal to defer unfunded pension obligations to CalPERS. The plan would not resume payments until the next fiscal year and would repay debts over 30 years. Reuters.
Report: Regardless of ACA Expansion, States’ Medicaid Costs To Grow
A new Kaiser Family Foundation report predicts that state Medicaid spending will increase under the Affordable Care Act. However, the report notes that the ACA’s Medicaid expansion will account for only a small portion of the higher spending. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch” et al.
Calif. Health Care Providers Brace for Surge in Patient Population
California health care providers are preparing for a surge of new patients during implementation of the Affordable Care Act. They say there might not be enough doctors to manage the patients, citing the current primary care shortage. UT-San Diego.
Dameron, UC-Davis Affiliation ‘Good News,’ Editorial Says
A Stockton Record editorial states that a recently approved joint venture between Dameron Hospital and UC-Davis Medical Center is “[g]ood news” for the region. According to the editorial, the venture will allow patients and physicians at Dameron to have access to “cutting edge medicine” practiced at UC-Davis. It also states that the venture “brings economies of scale that a small, independent hospital such as the 202-bed Dameron cannot match.” Stockton Record.
Study: Traffic-Related Air Pollution Associated With Children’s Autism
A study by California researchers finds that exposure to traffic-related air pollution during pregnancy is associated with autism in children. Researchers say the study does not provide a definitive answer to a recent rise in autism diagnoses. San Jose Mercury News.