Latest California Healthline Stories
The average wait time for veterans’ disability claims in Los Angeles has declined from 14 months to three months since 2013. Officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Los Angeles Regional Benefit Office say that the improvements in wait times have come as the number of veterans seeking benefits in California rose, with benefits paid through the Los Angeles regional office doubling in recent years to $2 billion annually. KPCC’s “KPCC News.”
About 81% of health IT executives say their organizations have experienced some form of cyberattack in the past two years, according to a survey released by KPMG on Wednesday. The survey found that in the last 12 months, 44% of respondents reported between one and 50 cyberattack attempts, and 13% reported more than 350 cyberattack attempts. Meanwhile, 25% of respondents said their organizations are not capable of detecting in real time whether their information systems have been compromised or they are unaware if they have the capability. Computerworld.
Experts Call for Greater Medicaid Access to Hep C Drugs
Health care experts are urging federal and state Medicaid officials to expand access to certain hepatitis C treatments. In a letter to President Obama, experts from the Public Health Service and the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS said restrictions on access to the hepatitis C drugs are “unreasonable and discriminatory” and “not supported by medical evidence.” New York Times.
VA Faces Psychiatrist Shortage Despite Spending Billions, OIG Finds
The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General finds that VA has a shortage of full-time psychiatrists and that those on staff do not use their time effectively. An OIG report shows psychiatrist appointments have increased by 10% since 2012, while spending on psychiatrists has increased by about 15%, indicating waste. Wall Street Journal, Washington Times.
Some State Insurance Regulators OK Double-Digit Premium Increases
Insurance commissioners in some states have approved double-digit premium hikes for their states’ largest health plans in 2016, citing higher-than-expected operating costs. Meanwhile, health plans in other states will see more modest increases, while some regulators have not yet finalized rate decisions. Wall Street Journal.
$10M for Health Care, Other Charities in Calif. Left Unspent in 2014
An Associated Press analysis finds that nearly $10 million in charitable donations to various organizations in California remained unused by the end of 2014. For example, $278,000 raised for asthma and lung disease research and $237,000 raised for colorectal cancer screenings was not used for its intended purposes. AP/Sacramento Bee.
California Lawmaker Renews Efforts for $2 Tobacco Tax Increase
State Sen. Richard Pan has introduced a bill that would increase California’s tobacco tax by $2 per pack. The Brown administration signaled support for the measure if new revenues are used to encourage more providers to accept patients covered by Medicaid. Meanwhile, a Field Poll finds that 67% of voters support such a tax increase. AP/Sacramento Bee et al.
On Tuesday, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved a $10.8 million contract with the state to expand a treatment program for West Valley Detention Center inmates with mental illnesses to include county inmates from across the state. Under the contract, the program — which aims to restore mental competency to inmates so they can be tried in court — would expand from 20 to 96 beds. San Bernardino County Sun.
On Wednesday, Fountain Valley-based MemorialCare Health System announced plans to partner with Aetna on a new accountable care network called Aetna Whole Health-MemorialCare. The network’s 2,000 doctors, seven hospitals and more than 40 urgent care centers will be available this fall to self-insured employers in Orange County and parts of Los Angeles County. Orange County Business Journal.
UCSF Researchers Find Childhood Brain Cancer Survivors More Likely To Experience Recurrent Strokes
Childhood brain cancer survivors who have experienced a stroke are twice as likely to have another stroke, compared with stroke survivors who did not have cancer, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Neurology. The study authors, from UC-San Francisco’s Benioff Children’s Hospital, said the findings could help improve guidelines for follow-up care for childhood cancer patients. San Jose Mercury News.