Latest California Healthline Stories
House Poised To Pass Bill Blocking Reform Law Implementation Funds
House lawmakers are expected to pass legislation that would ban HHS from transferring money to the Internal Revenue Service to implement and enforce the health reform law. The House Committee on Appropriations approved the bill last week. The Hill‘s “Floor Action Blog.”
Republicans Likely To Oppose Managed Care Tax Extension
California Senate Minority Leader Robert Huff recently said that there likely will not be enough Republican votes to extend a tax paid by managed care plans that funds Healthy Families — the state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program. Gov. Brown recently agreed to eliminate Healthy Families as part of a fiscal year 2012-2013 budget deal. However, Democrats believe the tax — which is expected to generate $183 million for the state — should be extended to help boost the state’s general fund. San Jose Mercury News.
Health Reform Legal Because of ‘Lie,’ Columnist Argues
Syndicated columnist Mark Steyn argues, “There’s nothing constitutionally seemly about a court decision that says [the health reform] law is only legal because the people’s representatives flat out lied to the people when they passed it.” He notes that throughout the health reform debates, “Democrats explicitly denied it was a massive tax hike,” calling it instead a mandate. However, the Supreme Court “found the individual mandate constitutional by declining to recognize it as a mandate at all.” Orange County Register.
Lawmaker Wants To Block Health Reform Law in Calif.
Assembly member Dan Logue has pledged to organize an initiative to block California from implementing the federal health reform law. Logue said the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the federal government cannot revoke state’s existing Medicaid funding for opting not to take part in an expansion of the program leaves room for the state to avoid implementing the law. He said he will conduct legal research into the specifics of developing a ballot initiative opposing implementation of the law and discuss the prospect with potential financial backers. Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert.”
Some Medi-Cal Patients Experience Difficulties in Managed Care Switch
Some Medi-Cal beneficiaries who have been shifted from fee-for-service plans to managed care plans have had difficulties keeping their physicians. The state has granted temporary exemptions from the shift to about 18% of the nearly 20,000 requests. Los Angeles Times.
Judge Delays State Efforts To Order Nov. Ballot Measures
In response to a lawsuit, a judge has delayed state officials’ attempts to assign the order of November ballot propositions until the court examines a new law that affects their placement. Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert.”
California Providers Welcome High Court’s Reform Ruling
Last week, hospital leaders and many health providers in California praised the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the federal health reform law. However, many California health care executives expressed concern about the uncertain future of federal health care funding. Ventura County Star.
Calif. Seeking $190M To Aid Health Benefit Exchange
This week, state officials sent a funding request to the federal government for about $190 million to aid the California Health Benefit Exchange. State officials said they would use the money to help build an enrollment system for the exchange. According to Peter Lee, executive director of the exchange, the request was sent before the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling to uphold the federal health reform law. Los Angeles Times.
California Health Care Personnel News Update for June 2012
Catalina Island Medical Center has hired John Friel as its new CEO. Colleen McNally has been named Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women’s new chief medical officer. Gov. Brown has appointed Rebecca Franzoia and Mark Goldstein to the Respiratory Care Board of California.
White House, Democrats Maintain That Mandate Is a Penalty, Not a Tax
Despite the Supreme Court decision to let the federal health reform law’s individual mandate stand as a tax, Obama administration officials and Democratic governors insist that the mandate is a penalty and that the ruling does not make it a tax. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch” et al.