Latest California Healthline Stories
California Implements Sex-Reassignment Surgery Guidelines for Transgender Prisoners
California prison officials on Tuesday implemented the first guidelines under which transgender inmates can receive sex-reassignment surgery funded by the state. To qualify under the guidelines, inmates seeking sex-reassignment surgery “must have at least two years left in prison,” have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, have shown interest in the procedure for at least two years and have lived as their preferred gender for at least one year. The policy change follows a settlement in August in which the state for the first time agreed to cover sex-reassignment surgery for a transgender inmate. According to Joyce Hayhoe, a spokesperson for the federal court-appointed officer in charge of the state’s health care for inmates, the guidance is believed to be the first to be established by a U.S. prison system. AP/San Francisco Chronicle.
Outpatient Spending Rises as Physician-Hospital Integration Grows
A study by Harvard Medical School researchers finds a correlation between outpatient spending growth and an increase in physician-hospital integration. According to the researchers, there were only “minimal” increases in use of outpatient care, meaning the higher outpatient costs likely were driven by price increases. Wall Street Journal et al.
Few Low-Income Workers Enrolling in Employer-Sponsored Plans
Several Affordable Care Act provisions aim to expand low-income workers’ access to employer-sponsored health plans, but data show that relatively few of those workers have enrolled in such coverage. Experts say the low enrollment rates could create issues for employers, particularly for smaller businesses. New York Times.
Judge Bars DOJ From Interfering With Calif. Medical Marijuana Laws
A federal court in California has ruled that the Drug Enforcement Administration cannot use federal money to interfere with state medical marijuana laws. The case stemmed from the Department of Justice’s interpretation of a spending measure amendment addressing DOJ’s authority over state medical marijuana practices. Time, Washington Post‘s “Wonkblog.”
CalPERS Drops 18K Ineligible Dependents From Insurance Rolls
On Monday, CalPERS officials announced that about 18,000 ineligible dependents on its employer-based insurance rolls have been dropped. The cuts stem from the fund’s Dependent Eligibility Verification project and are expected to achieve savings and cost avoidance of about $122 million. Sacramento Bee‘s “The State Worker” et al.
American Cancer Society Recommends Fewer Mammograms, Starting Later in Life
On Tuesday, the American Cancer Society in a notable shift recommended that women should have fewer mammograms and begin them later in life. ACS previously recommended that women with an average risk of breast cancer undergo a mammogram and clinical breast exam every year, starting at age 40. But according to the new guidelines, which were published in JAMA, women at average risk for breast cancer can delay their first mammogram until age 45 and can begin to undergo biennial mammograms at age 55. New York Times, Los Angeles Times‘ “Science Now.”
California Medical Association Names New President
Steven Larson, an infectious disease specialist in Riverside, has been named the next president of the California Medical Association. Meanwhile, Ruth Haskins, an ob-gyn in Folsom, has been named president-elect. The two will be officially installed during CMA’s annual House of Delegates meeting next year. CMA represents more than 40,000 doctors in the state. Sacramento Business Journal.
Healthgrades Latest Hospital Ratings Highlight Variations in Outcomes
Yesterday, Healthgrades released its annual clinical quality report ranking nearly 4,500 hospitals across the U.S. The report also compares patient outcomes from care at one-star hospitals with three- and five-star hospitals in 50 key U.S. markets, including four in California. HealthLeaders Media et al.
Website Gauges Patient Experience Based on Twitter Data
A website that uses Twitter to help gauge patient experiences at certain hospitals has ranked the top 10 facilities for twitter activity, the number of twitter followers and positive patient sentiment. Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente ranked first for the number of tweets sent. However, no California facilities ranked in the top 10 for their number of Twitter followers or positive patient sentiment. Boston Globe.
Survey Finds No Evidence of Patients Taking Advantage of ‘Right-To-Try’ Rx Drug Laws
Patients in states with so-called “right-to-try laws” have not yet used the programs to access experimental treatments for terminal illnesses, according to a Modern Healthcare survey. Right-to-try laws allow patients to request medications that have passed through phase one of FDA clinical trials. Twenty-four states have enacted right-to-try laws since 2014. However, the survey found no evidence that any patients are receiving experimental therapies as a result of the newly enacted laws. Gov. Brown recently vetoed vetoed a right-to-try bill in California. Modern Healthcare.