Latest California Healthline Stories
On Monday, a group of former Los Angeles County jail inmates filed documents in federal court seeking changes to a recent legal settlement between the county Sheriff’s Department and federal authorities that aimed to improve treatment for inmates with mental illnesses. The former inmates say the settlement excludes many people in need of help — such as those with personality disorders, developmental disabilities, dementia and substance misuse problems — and will do little to address the cycle of inmates with untreated mental illness moving between jail and skid row. Los Angeles Times‘ “L.A. Now.”
Obama Calls for Safe Disposal of Unwanted Rx Drugs
In his latest weekly address, President Obama called on U.S. residents to safely dispose of their unwanted prescription drugs in an effort to curb growing rates of misuse. In his address, Obama said, “More Americans die every year from drug overdoses than they do in car crashes,” noting, “And most of those deaths aren’t due to drugs like cocaine or heroin — but rather prescription drugs.” He linked prescription drug misuse to the concurrent rise in heroin use, saying, “Many prescription pain medications belong to the same class of drug as heroin.” He added, “In fact, four in five heroin users started out by misusing prescription drugs.” The Hill.
New State Vaccination Requirements Apply to Special Ed Students, Orange County Attorneys Say
Orange County Department of Education attorneys say that a new statewide vaccination law, which goes into effect on July 1, 2016, applies to special education students. In August, the department sent a memo informing the county’s 28 school districts that such students must comply with the vaccination requirements. Ronald Wenkart, general counsel for the departments and author of the memo, said, “The law doesn’t say (special education students) are exempt.” EdSource/KQED’s “State of Health.”
Largest U.S. Co-Op Health Plan To Fold, Fourth To Close This Year
State officials have ordered Health Republic Insurance of New York to shut down, citing the cooperative health plan’s approaching insolvency. Although the co-op attracted hundreds of thousands of enrollees, many were sick, causing the co-op to lose about $53 million in the first half of 2015. Washington Post et al.
Ballot Proposal for Pension Changes To Be Revised, Resubmitted
Former San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and former San Diego council member Carl DeMaio plan to rewrite and resubmit a ballot proposal that would require voter approval for any changes to pension benefits, including health insurance. San Jose Mercury News.
Fires Expose Issues With Disaster Preparedness for Elderly, Disabled
Wildfires in California have uncovered issues with California’s disaster response plans for elderly and disabled residents. The issues come as an update to the state’s emergency plan has been delayed and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services has urged local governments to better educate and assist vulnerable populations. Los Angeles Times.
Stakeholders Note Few Changes in Medicaid Managed Care Final Rule
Some industry stakeholders are raising concerns that CMS incorporated little stakeholder feedback into its final rule on 2016 reimbursement rates for Medicaid managed care plans. For example, concerns expressed in June by the National Association of Medicaid Directors were not addressed in the final rule. Modern Healthcare.
New Website Shows Health Care Prices Vary Widely Across Calif.
A cost-comparison website launched last week shows that health care prices can vary widely between Northern and Southern California. For instance, the site shows the average total price for a complete hip replacement as $51,458 in the Sacramento region, compared with $27,748 in east Los Angeles County. Sacramento Bee, California Healthcare Compare website.
Four research institutions, including UC-Davis, have created the Autism BrainNet, a consortium that seeks to improve autism research by finding donor brains from individuals ages two to 50. The organizations recently launched the “It Takes Brains” campaign targeting potential donations from both healthy individuals and those with autism spectrum disorder. Wall Street Journal.
Brown Signs Bill To Include Midwives as Medi-Cal Providers
Last week, Gov. Brown signed into law a bill that will include licensed midwives as eligible providers in the Medi-Cal Comprehensive Perinatal Services Program. The new law is expected to expand access to care by giving low-income women more choices in their provider. Sacramento Business Journal.