Latest California Healthline Stories
CMS Data Suggest Medicare Advantage Plans Could Get Higher Reimbursements in 2017
Medicare Advantage plans could receive higher reimbursements in 2017, based on data CMS released Tuesday. Spending on traditional Medicare is one of the key metrics that federal regulators use to calculate monthly capitated payments for Medicare Advantage plans. CMS said it anticipates a 3.1% increase in Medicare fee-for-service spending for next year. Modern Healthcare.
Senate Approves Reconciliation Bill To Repeal Major ACA Provisions
Yesterday, the Senate approved a budget reconciliation bill that would repeal major Affordable Care Act provisions. The bill now heads back to the House. The White House has said President Obama will veto the bill if it reaches his desk, but the bill’s passage could make it easier for GOP lawmakers to repeal the ACA in 2017 if a Republican is elected president. Reuters et al.
California Hospital Inspection Reports Often Lack Critical Details
Inspection reports stemming from medical and other errors at California hospitals often take a long time to be released and lack details that could help patients compare quality, experts say. Stakeholders say that releasing more details to the public could help hospitals make patient safety improvements. Orange County Register.
CDCR Chief Announces Resignation Effective Jan. 1, 2016
On Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration announced that California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretary Jeffrey Beard will step down on Jan. 1, 2016. Michael Bien, the lead attorney representing tens of thousands of inmates with mental health issues, said, “With [Beard’s] leadership, things are now moving forward” in the state prison system. Los Angeles Times.
S.F. To Combine Homelessness Programs Into One Agency
San Francisco will combine all of its programs to address homelessness — including counseling, drug rehabilitation, health and housing services — into one agency. Mayor Ed Lee said he plans to spend at least $1 billion in the next four years to assisted 8,000 homeless individuals. AP/Sacramento, San Francisco Chronicle.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of December 4, 2015
California Attorney General Kamala Harris has conditionally approved BlueMountain Capital Management’s investment in Daughters of Charity Health System. Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital Long Beach has received a five-year, $250,000 federal grant to help patients transition to adult health care providers.
Poll Finds Californians Are Split on Various Health-Related Topics
A new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California finds that Californians are split on several health-related issues. The poll finds that 54% of adults support extending the state’s Medicaid program to cover undocumented immigrants, while 51% said they generally support the Affordable Care Act. Los Angeles Times et al.
Doctors, Lawmakers Want Gun Violence Research Funding Ban Lifted
This week, physician advocacy groups and some Democratic lawmakers stumped for Congress to lift a restriction that for nearly 20 years has blocked CDC from conducting research on gun violence. Advocates say that gun violence should be considered a public health epidemic. Washington Post‘s “To Your Health” et al.
Family Doctors Express Concerns Over Value-Based Payment Models, AAFP Survey Finds
Family physicians are concerned about their ability to succeed under value-based payment models recently implemented by Medicare and other insurers, according to an American Academy of Family Physicians survey released Tuesday. One-third of respondents reported that they were actively implementing value-based payment models, while 15% said they were concentrating on traditional fee-for-service payment models. Modern Healthcare.
Rate of Hospital-Acquired Conditions Fell by 17% From 2010 to 2014
A new Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality report found a 17% drop in hospital-acquired conditions from 2010 to 2014 but noted that “there is still much more work to be done. The researchers found that hospital patients experienced 2.1 million fewer HACs from 2010 to 2014, relative to the number of HACs that would have occurred if rates remained what they were in 2010. The decline resulted in nearly 87,000 fewer deaths in the hospital and about $20 billion in health care savings. Kaiser Health News.