Latest California Healthline Stories
DMHC to Require Managed Care Organizations to Meet Preventive Health Standards
The Department of Managed Health Care yesterday announced plans to require managed care organizations to meet four preventive health standards in an effort to “save lives and dollars,” the Contra Costa Times reports.
CalPERS Announces Decision to Drop Contract with Health Plan of the Redwoods at End of 2002
CalPERS yesterday announced plans to drop Health Plan of the Redwoods, which filed for federal bankruptcy protection last month, from the health system’s managed care offerings at the end of the year, a move that will force about 11,000 state employees in the North Coast area to find a new health insurer, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports.
Cost-Sharing May Save Employers More Than Benefit Cuts, Health Affairs Study Says
Employers who increase the share of the cost that employees pay for health insurance can save “as much as or more than” those who reduce benefits, according to a Health Affairs study published yesterday.
UCLA Study Finds Fewer Non-Elderly State Residents Uninsured Than Federal Estimates
The number of non-elderly California residents without health insurance is lower than previously estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau, according to research released June 20, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Demand for Youth Mental Health Services Increases While Funding Declines
Although the demand for mental health services for youths is growing at “unprecedented levels,” cutbacks in several states have made it “more difficult than ever” to receive care, the AP/Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports.
Health Initiatives Shaping Up as Election Issues
While health initiatives such as a Medicare prescription drug benefit, a patients’ bill of rights and expanded mental health parity face an uncertain future in Congress, there is currently “intense congressional maneuvering” surrounding these issues that “could help shape the midterm congressional elections,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
State Advisory Commission Recommends Immediate Access to Health Care for Immigrants
An 89-page report from the state’s Little Hoover Commission — an independent, bipartisan government advisory committee — to Gov. Gray Davis (D) and the Legislature recommends that lawmakers establish a program that would allow legal and undocumented immigrants to have immediate access to health care and other social services, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
UC-Davis Receives $1.8M Grant to Expand Community Health Program for Pediatric Medical Residents
The University of California-Davis Children’s Hospital has received a $1.8 million grant to expand a program that places pediatric medical residents in community collaboratives and health clinics in underserved areas, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Assembly Committee Approves Bill to Reform State Medical Board, Adds Doctor Response Deadline
The Assembly Business and Professions Committee yesterday voted 9-2 to approve a Senate-passed bill (SB 1950) that would require the Medical Board of California to disclose more information to the public about doctors who have settled malpractice claims for more than $30,000, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Injuries Related to Osteoporosis Cost State $2.4 Billion Per Year, UCSF Study Finds
Treatment and care for state residents with injuries related to osteoporosis costs about $2.4 billion per year, according to a study in this month’s issue of Osteoporosis International, the Oakland Tribune reports.