Latest California Healthline Stories
On Thursday, San Francisco City Administrator Naomi Kelly and San Francisco Port Executive Director Monique Moyer in separate letters to city supervisors said their agencies will not enforce a new ordinance banning soda advertising on city property citing legal issues. A spokesperson for the city attorney’s office said that one week after the law passed the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the town of Gilbert, Ariz., violated the First Amendment by restricting church advertisements on public property. San Francisco Chronicle
74% of Employers Expected To Offer Telehealth by 2016
A new survey by the National Business Group on Health finds that the percentage of large U.S. employers that offer telehealth services is expected to jump from 48% in 2014 to 74% in 2016. Of the firms that currently offer telehealth services, about 50% do so through their health plan, while 22% contract directly with a vendor. Reuters.
New Providers Agree To Try Medicare’s Bundled-Payment Initiative, but Many Others Drop Out
New providers signed up to try Medicare’s test of bundled payments in July, but about two-thirds of the providers who considered bundled-payment contracts with Medicare ultimately decided against it. About 7,000 providers agreed to consider bundle-payment contracts with Medicare, but only about 2,100 ultimately entered into such arrangements. On Thursday, CMS announced that 360 organizations and an additional 1,755 hospitals, long-term and post-acute care companies and medical groups had agreed to bundled-payment contracts. Modern Healthcare.
Nearly 950K Enrolled in Fed Exchange Since Open Enrollment Ended
Nearly 950,000 U.S. residents have selected plans through the federal health insurance exchange after the open enrollment period ended in February. U.S. residents can enroll in exchange coverage outside the open enrollment period if they experience qualifying life events or if they were eligible for a special enrollment period coinciding with this year’s tax season. Wall Street Journal et al.
California To Extend Full Medi-Cal Coverage to Pregnant Women
California has received CMS approval to extend full Medicaid coverage to pregnant women. The state now can eliminate the limited coverage option for pregnant women who enroll in Medicaid and require those with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level to enroll in a Medicaid managed care plan. Modern Healthcare.
Calif. Managed Care Plans Struggle To Achieve Mental Health Parity
Despite efforts by California to ensure access to mental health care, only one of the managed care insurers reviewed by the Department of Managed Health Care has been able to demonstrate full compliance with a 2008 federal mental health parity law. Officials say they expect more plans to demonstrate compliance by the end of the year. Kaiser Health News.
Advocates Urge DHCS To Report More Data on Kids in Medi-Cal
Advocates say that California should report on more of the voluntary child health quality indicators that CMS uses to evaluate states’ Medicaid programs. California reported on just 13 of the 24 child health indicators this year. Advocates say tracking more data is key to reducing disparities and ensuring high quality of care for the state’s 5.3 million child beneficiaries. HealthyCal.
CalPERS Sees 2.4% Net Return on FY 2014 Investments
CalPERS lost about $3 billion on its oil and gas portfolio, representing a 28% decline for fiscal year 2014-2015, according to a new report. Overall, the report showed CalPERS saw a 2.4% net return on investments for the year, with more than $300 billion in assets. Los Angeles Times.
GOP Presidential Candidate Carly Fiorina Criticizes California’s New Vaccine Law
During a town hall in Alden, Iowa on Thursday, GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina said she disagreed with California’s new law to end all personal belief exemptions to the state’s childhood vaccination requirements. Fiorina, who ran for Senate in California in 2010, said parents should have to right to decide whether or not to vaccinate their child. Washington Post et al.
Doctors To Ask Judge To Allow Assisted-Suicide While Calif. Lawsuit on Practice Is Pending
On Friday, three doctors are scheduled to appear in court in San Francisco to request a preliminary injunction against a California law that criminalizes physician-assisted suicide before a lawsuit seeking to legalize the practice is decided. The doctors, along with four patients with terminal illnesses, in February filed a lawsuit challenging the law, which they say is 140 years old and ambiguous. KQED’s “State of Health.”