Latest California Healthline Stories
Study Links Robotic-Assisted Surgeries to Better Outcomes
A study by the UCLA School of Medicine finds that patients who underwent robotic-assisted surgeries to remove cancerous bladders had lower mortality and complication rates than those who underwent traditional surgeries. However, the study — which was partly funded by the Department of Defense — notes that the robotic procedures cost an average of $3,000 more than traditional surgeries. Payers & Providers.
Harbor-UCLA Makes Changes After Failing Medicare Probes
Last week, County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center officials said they have taken steps to improve patient care after failing Medicare inspections in recent years. They also said that inspectors who conducted a review in January found that problems cited during earlier visits had been resolved. Contra Costa Times.
Opinion Piece Stumps for Deregulated Insurance Market
In an Orange County Register opinion piece, John Cochrane — a professor of finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute — argues, “If we had a deregulated, competitive” health care and health insurance market, “that market would be so much cheaper than what’s offered today that we would likely not even need the [individual] mandate.” Orange County Register.
State To Continue With Insurance Exchange Despite Court Case
California will work to launch a health benefit exchange regardless of the Supreme Court’s decision on the federal health law, according to officials. The state already has received $40 million in federal funding for the exchange. San Francisco Chronicle.
Physician Groups Identify 45 Overused Tests, Procedures
In an effort to reduce medical waste, nine physician specialty groups each have developed a list of five tests and procedures in their respective fields that might be unnecessary or overused. The 45 tests and procedures were identified as part of the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation’s “Choosing Wisely” campaign. USA Today et al.
Report: Medical-Loss Ratio Rule Would Have Led to Rebates for 2010
If the federal health reform law’s medical-loss ratio rule had gone into effect in 2010, private health insurers would have paid their customers about $2 billion in rebates for that year, according to a recently released report from the Commonwealth Fund. National Journal et al.
Bay Area Could Lose Millions in Medi-Cal Expansion Ruling
Bay Area counties could lose tens of millions of dollars if the U.S. Supreme Court rules that a planned Medi-Cal expansion under the federal health reform law is unconstitutional. Forty-seven California counties by the end of January had established low-income health programs to prepare for implementing the Medicaid expansion in 2014, including Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. If the expansion is ruled unconstitutional, the counties could lose out on expected federal funding. San Jose Mercury News.
U.S. Residents Cutting Back on Doctor Visits, Prescription Drugs
A report finds that U.S. residents visited the doctor less often and received fewer prescription drugs in 2011 than in 2010. According to the report, the decline in prescriptions largely was driven by decreased use among elderly residents. New York Times, New York Times‘ “Well.”
Aetna Mistakenly Tells Members Their Doctors Are Out of Network
Aetna recently announced that it mistakenly sent letters to more than 8,000 policyholders in California saying that their physicians no longer are in the insurer’s coverage network. The company has mailed retraction letters to affected policyholders and physicians. Sacramento Bee.
Brown Stops Collecting Voter Signatures for Initial Tax Plan
Gov. Brown has stopped collecting signatures for his original tax hike ballot measure because he is confident that the signature-gathering campaign for a compromise plan is progressing fast enough to qualify it for the November ballot, an adviser said. The compromise plan was developed by Brown and supporters of the “Millionaires Tax.” Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert.”