Latest California Healthline Stories
Many California hospital CEOs receive benefits beyond their salary, such as club memberships and first-class travel. For instance, senior executives at Dignity Health, Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health — the state’s three largest health care systems — all have received such travel accommodations from their employer. Dignity Health paid $40,868 for first-class travel for five employees in 2013, according to its tax return. Several hospital CEOs also have employer-sponsored memberships at country or social clubs for networking purposes. For example, Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena pays for two club memberships for its CEO, Stephen Ralph. Payers & Providers.
More Than 3M U.S. Residents Have Enrolled in Exchange Coverage
The latest CMS data show that 2.84 million U.S. residents have signed up for federal exchange plans since the Nov. 1 start of the third open enrollment period. Meanwhile, about 721,000 individuals have signed up for coverage through nine of the 13 state-run exchanges. Modern Healthcare et al.
Audit: Three Medi-Cal Managed Care Groups Have Security Risks
A recent HHS Office of Inspector General audit finds that three Medicaid managed care organizations in California were vulnerable to data breaches because of security lapses regarding access controls and information storage. OIG did not investigate whether the organizations had experienced any breaches. AP/Sacramento Bee.
Calif. Insurers Buck Trend, Report Profits Selling Exchange Plans
Blue Shield of California, Kaiser Permanente and Anthem Blue Cross were among the few health plans in the country reporting profits selling policies on the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges in 2014. The three insurers accounted for about half of the $362 million in total profit under the risk corridors program. Los Angeles Times.
SCOTUS To Rule on ‘Implied Certification’ in Health Care Fraud Cases
The Supreme Court will hear a case that examines whether the federal government can use certain whistleblowers to bring challenges against health care providers for alleged violations of the False Claims Act. Industry experts say the decision will be a big deal for providers as many health care whistleblower lawsuits involve “implied certification.” Modern Healthcare.
DMHC Fines Molina Healthcare $500K Over Appeal, Grievance Processes
The Department of Managed Health Care has fined Long Beach-based Molina Healthcare $500,000 for significantly mishandling enrollees’ appeals and grievances. The issues were identified during a non-routine survey of Molina Healthcare by DMHC last year, after Molina failed to produce certain documentation during a routine 2013 survey. Payers & Providers.
Chapman University Officials Say Up to 50 Students Are Sick After Norovirus Outbreak
On Wednesday, Chapman University officials said eight students have been diagnosed with the gastrointestinal illness norovirus, with as many as 50 students reporting symptoms including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Officials they do not believe the outbreak is foodborne because several sickened students live off campus and do not use dining facilities run by the university. Los Angeles Times‘ “L.A. Now.”
Calif. Maintained Mental Health Care Funding in 2015, Report Finds
A new report by the National Alliance on Mental Illness finds that California maintained its mental health budget for fiscal year 2015 after two years of increases. Meanwhile, the report notes that 23 states increased mental health funding, and 12 decreased their budgets. Washington Post‘s “To Your Health,” NAMI report.
New NIH Project Focuses on Children’s Health Research
On Monday, NIH announced a new project aimed to boost understanding of how early-life exposure to certain environmental factors can affect the development of some medical conditions. The project will focus on research that examines individuals’ interactions during pregnancy and early childhood and how those interactions can affect asthma and airway disorders; birth defects and other infant health outcomes; neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism and learning disabilities; and obesity. AP/Sacramento Bee.
Programs To Help Enroll Newly Released Inmates in Medicaid Helped More Than 112,000 in One Year
An increasing number of inmates are enrolling in Medicaid upon their release from prison, according to a study published Monday in Health Affairs. According to the study, programs created to help newly released prison inmates enroll in Medicaid helped more than 112,000 individuals sign up for the coverage in one year’s time. Most of the enrollees were men, the study noted. HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report.