Latest California Healthline Stories
HHS Issues Clarification on Children’s Insurance Coverage in Reform Law
Yesterday, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius notified health plans that effective this year they are prohibited from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions under the new health reform law. The health insurance industry said it would fully comply with the clarification of the new law. AP/Philadelphia Inquirer et al.
Regulators Face Challenges in Creating High-Risk Insurance Pool
Health insurance regulators face a 90-day deadline to establish the high-risk health insurance pool called for under the health care reform law. An Obama administration official said HHS will evaluate existing resources, including state insurance pools for high-risk residents. Wall Street Journal.
Rep. Miller: Health Reform Law Will Provide Security
Health reform legislation will provide security for families and individuals who lose their jobs, as well as provide long-term savings, Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) told attendees Monday at a breakfast meeting hosted by the Bay Area Council. Miller said that expanding coverage to the uninsured could burden the current health system, but improvements in health information technology and broadband access could help. Vallejo Times-Herald.
UC-Davis Receives Two-Year Grant for Medical Innovation
The University of California-Davis Health System has received a two-year, $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation Partnerships for Innovations to develop and market medical technology. UC-Davis will use the grant to develop a Medical Technology Commercialization Clinic to train students how to transform technologies developed in laboratories into usable products. Sacramento Business Journal, UC-Davis Health System release.
Report: Proposed Cuts to Health Programs Would Cost State 42,000 Jobs
A Health Access report estimates that Gov. Schwarzenegger’s proposed $6.4 billion cut to state health and human service programs would lead to 42,000 lost jobs. In addition, the cuts would result in a $2.7 billion loss in business activity statewide, according to the report. Sacramento Business Journal.
Senate Fails To Pass Bill on COBRA Subsidies, Medicare Payment Cuts
On Friday, the Senate failed to pass legislation that included a temporary extension of COBRA subsidies and a freeze on scheduled cuts to physicians’ Medicare payments before adjuring for spring recess. The chamber likely will vote to end debate on the bill after it reconvenes April 12. CQ Today et al.
Study: Health Costs Less Burdensome in Calif. Than in Other States
A new study finds that California’s percentage of insured residents facing a high financial health care burden was the lowest of all 29 states studied from 2004 to 2006. The study did not account for the recent economic recession or effect of national health care reform. Los Angeles Times, Reuters.
Bill Aims To Keep Elderly at Home for Long-Term Care
A bill by Sen. Carol Liu aims to provide more long-term care services to Californians at home rather than in nursing homes by standardizing assessments for long-term care and creating a system of case managers. The Senate Health Committee will hold a hearing on the bill April 14. Chico Enterprise-Record.
Health Reform Law Could Limit Calif.’s Proposed Program Cuts
A provision in the new national health care reform law requires states to maintain their Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs to continue to receive federal funding. Last month, Gov. Schwarzenegger proposed eliminating several social service programs, including Healthy Families, to help address the state’s $20 billion budget deficit. New America Media.
Pelosi Praises Health Reform During Speech at S.F. Church
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday touted health reform legislation approved last week by Congress during an appearance at the Glide Memorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco. Pelosi said the legislation would provide health insurance to millions of uninsured and also would be a “job creator,” and she questioned efforts to repeal the law. San Francisco Chronicle, AP/San Jose Mercury News.