Latest California Healthline Stories
Obama Administration Announces Public Forum This Month To Address Rising Rx Drug Prices
The Obama administration will hold a public forum Nov. 20 in Washington, D.C., to address increasing prescription drug prices in the U.S. Consumers, drugmakers, insurers and other stakeholders are expected to participate. Attendees will consider potential new payment models that tie payments for prescription drugs based on their effectiveness. The Hill.
U.S. Residents’ Rx Drug Use Up, New CDC Study Finds
A new CDC study finds that 59% of U.S. residents took at least one prescription drug from 2011 to 2012, compared with 51% who took at least one prescription drug from 1999 to 2000. Researchers say the increase likely can be attributed to obesity, as many of the most commonly prescribed drugs are intended to treat obesity-related conditions. HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report et al.
Calif. Among States With Lowest Rate of Obesity, Unhealthy Behaviors
A new WalletHub report that included all 50 states and Washington, D.C., finds that California has one of the lowest rates of obese adults and the lowest percentage of adults eating less than one serving of fruits and vegetables per day. WFSB et al.
Alzheimer’s-Related Medi-Cal Expenses To Reach $4.9B by 2025
A new report by the Alzheimer’s Association finds that California Medicaid spending on Alzheimer’s disease will increase from $3.1 billion this year to $4.9 billion in 2025 — a nearly 59% jump. More than five million U.S. residents have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, including 590,000 Californians, and nearly half of individuals who reach age 85 in the next 10 years will develop the disease. San Francisco Chronicle.
Calif. Health Care Lobbying Tops $33.8M in First 10 Months of 2015
More than $33.8 million was spent on health care lobbying in California in the first 10 months of this year — an 18.2% increase over the same period last year. The three biggest spenders on lobbying were the California Hospital Association, Kaiser Permanente and the California Medical Association, with each spending more than $1 million on such efforts. Sacramento Business Journal.
Huntington Beach City Council Denies Challenges to Medical Marijuana Dispensary Ban
On Monday, the Huntington Beach City Council denied appeals by four medical marijuana dispensaries seeking to challenge the city’s ban on dispensaries. The four dispensaries have operated in the city without business permits or occupancy certificates, and the city recently obtained temporary injunctions to halt the businesses. Orange County Register.
Whittier Health Care CEO Faces Insurance Fraud Charges
On Friday, Am-Pro Prosthetics & Orthotics CEO Peter Lira was arrested on three felony counts of insurance fraud for allegedly billing Anthem Blue Cross for a $170,000 prosthetic arm for a deceased patient. Suspecting fraud, Anthem submitted a claim to the California Department of Insurance for investigation. If convicted on all counts, Lira would face five years in prison. Whittier Daily News.
Anthem, Blue Shield Fined Over Misleading Provider Directories
Yesterday, the California Department of Managed Health Care announced that it has fined Blue Shield of California and Anthem Blue Cross $350,000 and $250,000, respectively, over inaccurate provider directories for their plans sold through Covered California. Los Angeles Times.
Many state Medicaid programs are not prepared to comply with a rule that will extend minimum wage and overtime pay protections to workers who provide “fellowship, care and protection” to patients in their homes. The Department of Labor will begin enforcing the rule on Nov. 13. DOL has said it will consider good faith efforts to adhere to the law. Modern Healthcare.
Calif. Has Highest Number of SHOP Exchange Enrollees
About 85,000 U.S. residents are enrolled in health plans through the Affordable Care Act’s small business exchange, falling significantly short of the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate that one million workers would be enrolled in such plans in 2015. As of early last month, California and New York had the highest numbers of SHOP enrollees, with about 6,500 employers enrolling 50,000 workers in the states. Meanwhile, Idaho, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington each had fewer than 200 employers purchase coverage for their workers through the states’ SHOP exchanges. Kaiser Health News/USA Today.