Latest California Healthline Stories
Few States Use Data Mining Tools To Find Medicaid Fraud
Few states have taken advantage of a rule that allows state Medicaid fraud control units to use federal funding to pay for data mining tools that can help identify improper payments. Richard Stern, director of HHS’ Office of the Inspector General Medicaid Fraud Policy and Oversight Division, said more Medicaid fraud control units should take advantage of data mining to reduce improper payments, especially those related to fraud. However, states are taking various approaches. For example, some state Medicaid fraud units — including in California — have applied and been granted permission to conduct data mining, while other states believe that their Medicaid agencies or health departments have sufficient data mining efforts. Modern Healthcare.
Beacon Community Programs Show Mixed Progress on Health IT, Quality Measures
Beacon Community programs have had mixed progress on health IT use and quality measures, according to a new report funded by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT. The 2009 federal economic stimulus package included funds for Beacon Community grants aimed at helping health care providers use health IT in their communities. ONC has funded 17 Beacon Communities nationwide. FierceHealthIT.
HHS’ OIG Finds Many Generic Drug Price Increases Outpaced Inflation
A new HHS Office of Inspector General report finds prices for 22% of the most popular generic drugs rose faster than inflation between 2005 and 2014. According to the report, Medicaid could have received $1.4 billion in rebates for generics if the 200 most-prescribed generic drugs had been subject to the same rebate requirements as brand-name drugs. Modern Healthcare.
Analysis: Average Exchange Plan Premiums, Deductibles Rise for 2016
A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation analysis finds that the average premium for a silver-level health plan sold on the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges for the 2016 coverage year increased by more than 11%, while the average deductible for such a plan increased by 8%. USA Today.
Sonoma County Officials Say New Cases of Sexually Transmitted Infections On the Rise
Sonoma County public health officials say that while new diagnoses of HIV/AIDS have declined, cases of sexually transmitted infections are on the rise. Data show the number of new chlamydia cases rose from just under 1,000 in 2008 to 1,645 in 2014, while new cases of gonorrhea and early-stage syphilis rose from 70 to 220 and five to 30, respectively, during that time period. Press Democrat/Petaluma Argus-Courier.
Two California Students Awarded $20K for Breast Cancer Diagnosis Machine
David Zhu of Saratoga and Evani Radiya-Dixit of San Jose were awarded $20,000 for creating a machine-learning algorithm that can use a biopsy image to diagnose a breast cancer tumor as either benign or malignant. Zhu and Radiya-Dixit won fifth place at the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology at George Washington University earlier this month. San Jose Mercury News.
CIRM Board Approves Plan To Fast-Track Stem Cell Treatments
Yesterday, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine board of directors unanimously approved a plan designed to fast-track grant proposals to bring stem cell treatments to fruition faster. CIRM board member Al Rowlett called the plan “ambitious,” adding that California voters “wanted to create something that was going to change the face of medicine. That’s what we hope to do.” KPCC’s “KPCC News,” Sacramento Bee.
Report Grades Calif., Other States on Disease Outbreak Measures
A report released yesterday grades California and other states on 10 indicators for detecting, diagnosing, preventing and responding to disease outbreaks. California met seven of the indicators, but fell short on influenza vaccination rates, public health funding commitments and reducing central line-associated bloodstream infections. KMBZ et al.
Study: Number of NIH-Funded Clinical Trials Declining
The number of industry-funded clinical trials rose over the last decade, while the number of NIH-funded clinical trials declined, according to a study published on Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study found that the total number of clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov increased from 9,321 in 2006 to 18,400 in 2014. According to the study, the number of clinical trials funded by NIH dropped by 24%, from 1,376 in 2006 to 1,048 in 2014, while trials funded by the industry grew by 43%, from 4,585 in 2006 to 6,550 in 2014. HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report.
Sutter Care at Home, a not-for-profit home health company in Northern California, has acquired Alliance Home Health in Salinas. With the acquisition, Sutter now provides home health care services in 24 counties in Northern California. Home Health Care News.