Latest California Healthline Stories
The California Air Resources Board has raised concerns about Southern California smog regulator’s decision to adopt a plan to control emissions from the Western States Petroleum Association. The state board said the regulations approved by the South Coast Air Quality Management District board last month are weak and “will negatively affect the health of people living in the region.” Los Angeles Times.
Cancer Surpasses Heart Disease as Leading Cause of Death in Calif.
A new study finds that cancer is the leading cause of death in 22 states, including California. Between 2008 and 2012, California’s cancer death rate was 183.4 cases per 100,000 among men and 135.3 per 100,000 among women. AP/Sacramento Bee, CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
L.A. Chapter To Leave National Alzheimer’s Association
On Thursday, the Los Angeles-area chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association announced plans to separate from the national organization and operate independently. The Los Angeles chapter — which includes Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties — is the latest to leave the organization after the association’s board voted to consolidate the charity organization. Kaiser Health News.
Study Suggests Employer-Based Financial Incentives Ineffective
A new study published in Health Affairs finds financial incentives offered by companies to encourage employees to lose weight could be ineffective. The research examines three different types of incentives and finds no significant differences in any of the groups’ average weight losses. HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report.
Few Businesses Shifted Full-Time Workers to Part Time in Wake of ACA, Study Finds
The Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate has not caused employers to shift workers from full time to part time as a way to avoid complying with the mandate’s requirements, according to a study published Tuesday in Health Affairs. For the study, researchers looked at data from the Current Population Survey and found that the probability of employees working 25-29 hours per week over the past few years remained about the same, even after the employer mandate took effect in 2015. Likewise, the probability of employees working 30-34 hours per week did not decrease over the past few years. The Hill.
Fitbit Sued Over Heart Rate-Monitoring Devices
On Tuesday, three plaintiffs filed a class-action lawsuit in U.S. District Court in San Francisco against Fitbit, alleging that the company deceptively marketed its heart rate-monitoring devices. Experts say the case raises questions about FDA oversight of such products. The plaintiffs alleged that Fitbit’s heart rate monitors under-recorded heart rates by as much as 78 beats per minute compared with other monitoring methods and that such errors can be harmful to consumers with medical or cardiac conditions. Modern Healthcare.
Federal Government Recommends Limiting Added Sugars, Drops Warning About Cholesterol
The federal government on Thursday issued revised dietary guidelines that suggest U.S. residents should limit their intake of added sugars and dropped longstanding warnings about cholesterol. The guidelines, issued every five years, influence public health campaigns and federal food assistance programs, such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. Public schools also use the recommendations to plan student lunches. AP/ABC News.
Brown’s $170.7B Budget Includes Several Health Care Proposals
Yesterday, Gov. Brown unveiled his fiscal year 2016-2017 budget plan, which includes several health care proposals. Among other things, the plan would impose a new tax on insurers, based on enrollment, to replace the state’s expiring managed care organization tax and fill a looming $1.1 billion hole in the state’s Medicaid program budget. AP/KPCC’s “KPCC News” et al.
More Than 238K Newly Enrolled in Covered Calif. Plans as of Jan. 2
Covered California says more than 238,000 Californians signed up for exchange coverage for the first time in the third open enrollment period, which began Nov. 1, 2015. More than 500 enrollment events are scheduled across the state this month, and the exchange is opening a new comprehensive enrollment center in Hawthorne, near Los Angeles. Orange County Register et al.
CMS Gets Mixed Feedback on its Medicaid Access Monitoring Rule
Providers generally support a CMS final rule that requires state Medicaid agencies to monitor how cuts to provider payment rates affect beneficiaries’ access to care but called for additional measures to be monitored. Meanwhile, state Medicaid agencies say they oppose the rule’s creation of national standards for access to care. Modern Healthcare.