Latest California Healthline Stories
Ventura County Doctors Scale Back on Medicare Cases
Pointing to Medicare reimbursement cuts that took effect yesterday, several Ventura County physicians announced that they would stop accepting Medicare beneficiaries as new patients. Congress is working to repeal the pay cuts, which could be avoided if legislation is enacted in the next 10 days. Ventura County Star.
Santa Clara County Aims To Boost Coverage for Small Business Workers
A coalition of health groups in Santa Clara County have unveiled a new initiative designed to provide affordable health coverage for small businesses and their employees. Firms, workers and the community will share the cost of the program. San Jose Mercury News.
Study: Pollution-Related Illness Led To $193M in Calif. Hospital Spending
A Rand study finds that pollution-related conditions led to nearly 30,000 emergency department visits or hospital admissions in California between 2005 and 2007. It also found that Medicare and Medi-Cal are covering two-thirds of the costs for such illnesses. Sacramento Bee et al.
Consumer Watchdog Files Suit Against Anthem Blue Cross
The consumer advocacy group charges that Anthem Blue Cross violated California law by failing to offer comparable coverage alternatives or minimize premium increases after closing certain insurance policies. The suit claims that Anthem’s actions forced older and sicker policyholders to face premium hikes or switch into plans with higher deductibles and fewer benefits. Los Angeles Times et al.
Federal Officials Replace Management Team for U.S. Provider Database
The Health Resources and Services Administration has replaced the leadership team overseeing the National Practitioner Data Bank after a media investigation concluded that the database probably lacked thousands of disciplinary records against licensed health care workers. Los Angeles Times.
Obama Set To Release Updated Health Reform Plan, Strategy for Action
Tomorrow, President Obama is expected to present a revised version of his health care reform proposal and outline a strategy for moving forward. A Democratic memo suggests that party leaders likely will pursue budget reconciliation to pass health reform legislation. CQ Today et al.
H1N1 Vaccine Distribution in Los Angeles County Flawed
Data from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health indicate that underserved areas of the county received fewer doses of the H1N1 influenza vaccine than more affluent areas. County Supervisor Gloria Molina said a lack of health care providers in southern Los Angeles County hampered vaccine distribution. Los Angeles Times.
Lawmakers Mull Options for Averting Scheduled Medicare Payment Cuts
Today, a 21% payment reduction in Medicare physician reimbursement rates is scheduled to take effect. However, some Senate Democrats believe they might be able to retroactively block the cuts if they manage to pass legislation during the next two weeks. CQ HealthBeat et al.
Editorial Spotlights Small Business Insurance Effort
Today, Santa Clara County officials are slated to announce Healthy Workers, an effort to expand health insurance coverage among small businesses and low- and moderate-income workers in the county. The effort is modeled after the county’s Healthy Kids program, and the editorial says such efforts are an example of how government, business, organized labor and not-for-profit groups can make the health care system more efficient and reduce the number of uninsured. San Jose Mercury News.
White House, Democrats Prepare for Next Steps in Health Care Reform
Sometime this week, President Obama is expected to release an updated version of his health care reform plan and offer next steps for moving forward. Administration officials have expressed confidence that Democrats could use reconciliation to pass a reform bill. Politico et al.