Latest California Healthline Stories
Pilot Program Provides Unprecedented Access To Palliative Care For Local Residents
While hospice care is already covered by Medi-Cal, palliative care won’t be until next year. Some residents, however, are getting early access through a pilot program.
Sign-Ups For Covered California Surge Past Last Year’s Pace
“I’m guessing a lot of people are enrolling rapidly because they’re trying to get it while they still can,” said Nadereh Pourat, research director at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
Medical Group Named As A CDC Million Hearts Winner For Its Blood Pressure Work
To be a part of the initiative, Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group had to show it was able to control high blood pressure in at least 70 percent of its patients.
California Is About To Be Hit With An Aging Boom
In an era of reduced federal funding, this silver tsunami is going to strain California’s resources.
More Cases Identified In Legionnaires’ Outbreak, But There’s No Ongoing Health Threat
The outbreak is tied to two cooling towers at Disneyland.
Anthem Fined $5M For ‘Longstanding’ Problem Of Ignoring Customers’ Grievances
Insurers are required to respond to consumer grievances within 30 days in most cases, and that time frame shrinks to 72 hours in cases when a customer’s health is in danger. State officials found repeated violations of both.
Despite Dire Predictions, This Year’s ACA Sign-Ups Continue To Surge Past Last Year’s Pace
But with a small enrollment window, it’s too early to tell what the final numbers will look like.
Marketplace Would Be Fundamentally Rocked With Repeal Of Individual Mandate
Media outlets offer a look at what would happen to the Affordable Care Act exchanges if lawmakers include repeal of the individual mandate in their tax package.
California Officials Worry About Health Of Exchange If Individual Mandate Is Repealed
“Eliminating that mandate means that health insurers really have no idea who’s in the risk pool,” said state Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. “But in all likelihood, it’s going to be sick people, which drives up their costs.”
In Anticipated Study, Monthly Opioid Treatment Shown To Be About As Effective As Daily Pill
But the monthly treatment is more difficult because participants have to wean themselves off opioids for a period of three days before they could start taking Vivitrol. Because of that hurdle, patients failed to start on Vivitrol at four times the rate that they did on the daily medication Suboxone.