Latest California Healthline Stories
Senate OKs Bill To Create Low-Cost Alternative to Health Benefit Exchange
California’s Senate has approved legislation to create a health insurance plan for about 723,000 low-income residents. The plan would be a lower-cost alternative to the health benefit exchange established under the health reform law. Whittier Daily News, AP/Sacramento Bee.
AHRQ: Blacks Experience Poor Outpatient Care in Calif.
Blacks have the poorest quality of outpatient care of any race or ethnic group in the state, according to data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The report noted that high-quality outpatient care could help prevent hospital admissions. According to the report, blacks have higher hospital admission rates for diabetes, heart disease and respiratory disease than non-Hispanic whites, Asian/Pacific Islanders and Hispanics in California. California Watch.
Managed Care Plans Express Concern Over Medi-Cal Shift
Leaders of managed care organizations are expressing concern about the cost of providing health services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries who are elderly or have disabilities. This week, 16 California counties began the process of enrolling such beneficiaries in managed care plans. Leaders of the plans say Medi-Cal beneficiaries who are elderly or have disabilities are more likely to have chronic health conditions and are hospitalized about five times more frequently than other beneficiaries. Payers & Providers.
CMS: Medicaid Will No Longer Reimburse for Preventable Conditions
On Wednesday, CMS announced that health care providers will no longer receive Medicaid payments for treatment of conditions that could have been avoided. CMS also said that Medicare will not pay for certain “never events,” or events that should not happen. MedPage Today et al.
Poll: California Voters Support Special Election, Split on Taxes
A Public Policy Institute of California poll finds that most California voters back Gov. Brown’s plan to hold a special election on tax measures. However, voters are nearly evenly split on whether they support or oppose the taxes. San Francisco Chronicle et al.
Medco Losing Business After Problems Involving CalPERS
In March, CalPERS discontinued contract-renewal negotiations with Medco Health Solutions following reports of alleged improper payments made to a former CalPERS board member. Last week, Medco lost a federal employee drug benefit contract worth $3 billion annually to CVS Caremark. In addition, insurer UnitedHealth Group has indicated it might transfer some of its Medco business in-house. Sacramento Bee.
Assembly Approves Bill on Workers’ Comp for Sick Hospital Employees
Yesterday, the Assembly passed legislation that would let hospital employees qualify for workers’ compensation if they contract certain diseases or infections on the job. Legislators also recently took action on a number of other health-related bills. AP/San Francisco Chronicle et al.
Nurses Group Nears Contract Deal With USC Hospitals
The California Nurses Association has reached a tentative three-year contract agreement with registered nurses at two University of Southern California medical centers. Registered nurses’ pay would increase by at least 12% during the span of the contract, which affects USC University Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Center. CNA nurses will vote on the contract this week. San Francisco Business Times.
Test of Medicare Shared Savings Program Did Not Achieve Expectations
A CMS project started in 2005 that offered financial incentives to health systems that met quality performance targets and reduced costs failed to produce significant savings. The project is seen as a model for the Medicare shared savings program. Washington Post, CQ HealthBeat.
Opinion: Address Needs in State’s Health Infrastructure
California needs to “recognize the incontestable connection between health and wealth” and must “create an infrastructure in which people have access to choices that will improve their health,” Carla Saporta and Rosa Martinez — health program managers at the Greenlining Institute — write in a Capitol Weekly opinion piece. “[W]e desperately need a health care work force that looks like California and that speaks the multiple languages Californians speak,” they continue, adding, “These things are not luxuries, but part of our state’s essential health infrastructure.” Capitol Weekly.