Latest California Healthline Stories
Survey: Most Medicare Beneficiaries Satisfied With Rx Drug Coverage
A survey from Medicare Today and KRC Research finds that 90% of Medicare beneficiaries are satisfied with their Part D prescription drug coverage. Experts say the findings show that the federal government should not change the Part D program. Modern Healthcare et al.
Study: EHR Use Improved Health Monitoring, Outcomes
Implementing electronic health record systems at 17 Kaiser Permanente Northern California facilities led to improved health monitoring and outcomes for patients who have diabetes or high cholesterol, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The study included data on nearly 170,000 patients and was conducted between 2004 and 2009. Clinical Innovation & Technology, Forbes.
UC-Davis Uses $3M NIH Grant To Study Aging Latinos
UC-Davis has used a five-year, $3 million grant from NIH’s National Institute on Aging to establish the Latino Aging Research Resource Center. The virtual center will facilitate studies on the cognitive health and aging process of Latinos. Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento Bee.
Supreme Court Mulls Request To Hear Health Reform Suit
On Monday, the Supreme Court signaled that it is considering a request by Liberty University to hear a lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate. Liberty asked the Supreme Court to invalidate an appellate court’s ruling in the case and argued that the high court wrongly dismissed the case based on its June ACA ruling. The Supreme Court has asked the Department of Justice to respond within 30 days to the request, which could indicate that some justices are interested in hearing the case. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch” et al.
Anthem To Pay $150,000 To Settle Personal Data Breach Allegations
Anthem Blue Cross will pay $150,000 and change its procedures to settle allegations that it compromised personal data for 33,756 members. State officials say the company revealed some members’ Social Security numbers. Healthcare IT News et al.
Brown Vetoes Bill Seeking To Arm Hospital Police Officers
Gov. Brown has vetoed a bill that would have required California to develop a plan for allowing hospital police officers to carry guns. Currently, such officers cannot carry firearms while on duty, according to regulations from the Department of State Hospitals. In his veto message, Brown said that such policy is “best left to the discretion of the department director who already has authority to arm its officers.” Sacramento Bee‘s “The State Worker.”
Brown Vetoes Nutrition Legislation for California Charter School Students
Gov. Brown has vetoed a bill that would have required charter schools to provide low-income students with no-cost or reduced-cost meals. Bill supporters say that nutritious meals benefit students’ health, while some charter schools say they lack the resources to provide the meals. California Watch.
GAO Identifies Problems With VA, DOD Collaborative Efforts
The departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have “incompatible policies” that are impeding their efforts to collaborate effectively at sites where they both provide health care services, according to a recent audit by the Government Accountability Office. Auditors identified four areas that require improvement and recommended that DOD and VA require collaboration sites to develop performance measures for access, quality and costs. Modern Healthcare.
Insurance Exchanges Offer Growth Area for Insurers, Report Finds
A PricewaterhouseCoopers report estimates that about 12 million U.S. residents will buy coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges in 2014 and that exchanges could represent a key source of growth for private health insurers. AP/Sacramento Bee et al.
L.A. City Council Repeals Ban on Medical Pot Dispensaries
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles City Council voted 11-2 to repeal a citywide ban on medical marijuana dispensaries that it passed in July. The repeal comes after medical marijuana advocates gathered enough signatures to place a referendum on the March 2013 ballot to overturn the ban. Because Tuesday’s vote was not unanimous, the council must return for a second vote next week. Los Angeles Times et al.