Latest California Healthline Stories
President Obama Urges Debt Panel To Offset Cost of New Jobs Plan
Last week, President Obama said he would ask the newly created debt panel to develop strategies to cover the cost of his $450 billion jobs plan. The president suggested that the committee consider cuts to entitlement programs to achieve the additional savings. Politico et al.
Report: California Ranks 15th in Nation in Long-Term Care Services
A new score card ranks California 15th in the U.S. for providing long-term care to seniors and residents with disabilities. States’ scores were based on affordability and access; patient choice; quality of life and care; and support for family caregivers. Ventura County Star, HealthyCal.
President Voices Support for Medicare Changes To Ensure Program Viability
President Obama recently urged lawmakers to consider Medicare adjustments to ensure the sustainability of the program. The president’s remarks indicate that his forthcoming deficit reduction plan could include changes that raise costs for beneficiaries. National Journal et al.
Breach Exposes Data on 20,000 Patients From Stanford Hospital’s ED
Information on more than 20,000 patients treated at Stanford Hospital & Clinics was publicly posted to a commercial website for nearly one year, the hospital has confirmed. The exposed data include patients’ names, billing charges and diagnosis codes. New York Times et al.
CMS Urges States To Enforce Equal Visitation Rights
On Wednesday, CMS offered guidance to state hospital inspection agencies regarding equal visitation and representation rights. In November 2010, the agency issued a final rule requiring hospitals that participate in Medicare and Medicaid to allow patients to choose their visitors during a hospital stay and designate a person — including a same-sex partner — to make medical decisions on their behalf. The new guidance urges state regulators to ensure that hospitals are complying with the rules and explaining the rights to patients. Modern Healthcare, Bay Citizen.
Blue Shield of Calif. Moves Forward With Profit Cap Plan
On Thursday, Blue Shield of California announced that it has begun mailing letters to members who are eligible to receive a credit as part of the company’s plan to cap profits at 2% of revenue and allocate any excess funds as credits to policyholders and grants to health care providers and not-for-profit health care organizations. When announcing the plan in June, the not-for-profit insurer said it would distribute $180 million — the amount by which Blue Shield exceeded the 2% profit limit in 2010. The insurer said that the letters to members indicate the amount of their credit, which is based on their dues and premiums from May 2011. The credits will be reflected in their October bills. San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Business Journal.
L.A. Care Doles Out $635K To Boost Access to Dental Care
L.A. Care Health Plan has awarded $40,000 each to 16 Los Angeles-area safety-net clinics to improve access to dental care. The grants, totaling $635,000, are intended to help the practices purchase dental care equipment and provide more than 10,000 treatment and preventive care procedures at discounted prices or no cost over the next 18 months. Payers & Providers.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of September 9, 2011
Kaiser Permanente tentatively has agreed to purchase Alliant International University’s campus in Scripps Ranch as part of its plan to build a new hospital. Meanwhile, Catholic Healthcare West is weighing a possible increase in malpractice coverage for its affiliated doctors.
Health Sector Injects $15.3B Into S.F. Economy Annually
San Francisco hospitals, doctors, home health care workers and other health care groups contribute nearly $15.3 billion annually to the city’s economy and account for nearly 100,000 jobs, or about 18% of the city’s workforce, according to a report released Wednesday by the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California and the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. At a time when other industries are cutting back, the report found that San Francisco hospitals increased their workforce by about 10% last year. San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Business Times.
Calif. Billing Firm To Settle False Claims Case for $4.6M
The Department of Justice recently announced that Janzen, Johnston & Rockwell Emergency Medicine Management Services, an El Segundo, Calif.-based medical billing company, has agreed to pay the federal government $4.6 million to settle allegations of fraud at its Medicare and Medicaid operations in California and Louisiana. According to a DOJ release, JJ&R between 2000 and 2007 used a coding formula that generated claims for slightly higher levels of evaluation and management services than what physicians actually had provided. HealthLeaders Media, Modern Healthcare.