Latest California Healthline Stories
Studies Skeptical of Financial Incentives’ Effect on Care Quality
A RAND study, which looked at a California pay-for-performance program, found that giving financial incentives to doctors does not necessarily improve the quality of care. A second study indicates that some physicians are concerned about the effect of such programs on patient care. Reuters/Boston Globe.
California Regulators Provide Guidance on Autism Coverage
The California Department of Managed Health Care told health plans they must cover speech, occupational and physical therapy for autistic members. The department plans to offer more guidance on coverage for behavioral therapy, an issue at the center of several disputes. Los Angeles Times.
Health Affairs Series Focuses on Health IT Stimulus Funds
The new edition of the journal Health Affairs includes a series of commentaries addressing funds for health information technology in the economic stimulus package President Obama signed last month. David Brailer, John Halamka, Mark Frisse and Ticia Gerber authored the pieces. Health Affairs.
Sacramento County Wins Federal Funds for HIV/AIDS
Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) announced that Sacramento County would receive more than $870,000 in funds from the federal Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. The funds will be distributed immediately. Sacramento Bee, Sacramento Business Journal.
Obama Set To Reverse Federal Policy on Stem Cell Research Funding
President Obama plans to lift restrictions on federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research. President Bush adopted the more restrictive policy in 2001, sparking the move for California to fund stem cell research through Proposition 71. New York Times et al.
Health Care Reform News Around the Nation for the Week of March 9
The governor of Colorado rolled out a plan to expand health insurance coverage to 100,000 state residents, and the North Dakota House rejected a bill that aimed to guarantee the right to buy private health insurance coverage in the event of a federal, single-payer system.
Meeting Tackles Potential End of Adult Denti-Cal Coverage
Physicians, patients and others met in Oakland last week to consider the loss of dental benefits for adult beneficiaries of Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program. The legislature has approved terminating the benefits for beneficiaries who are not in nursing homes. Contra Costa Times.
Two Major Unions Drop Out of Health Care Reform Group
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Service Employees International Union have withdrawn from the Healthcare Reform Dialogue, a coalition representing a broad swath of health care stakeholders. The situation underscores challenges awaiting efforts to overhaul the U.S. health care system. New York Times.
Group Highlights Donations to Health Care Reform Leaders
A study that Santa Monica-based Consumer Watchdog plans to release tomorrow indicates that health care industry groups have donated millions of dollars to lawmakers that are expected to play major roles in health care reform efforts. The health care sector has spent almost $1 billion on lobbying in the past two years. Washington Post.
Efforts Under Way To Modify Medi-Cal To Get Stimulus Funds
California must go back to the Medi-Cal eligibility rules it had in place on July 1, 2008, to qualify for $10 billion or more in additional federal money for the program. Legislation to go back to the eligibility verification rules California had in place on that date is under consideration. However, Assembly Republicans want to consider simply waiving the more frequent eligibility checks rather than dropping them altogether. Ventura County Star, Capitol Weekly.