Latest California Healthline Stories
Insurers in Calif., Other States Increasingly Considering Mergers
Several large insurers — including Anthem Blue Cross in California — recently have completed mergers or currently are bidding on smaller firms. Experts note that while such mergers could allow insurers to negotiate better terms with providers and drugmakers, consolidation also could reduce competition in the insurance market. Los Angeles Times.
California’s Adolescent Birth Rate Falls to Record Low
Data from the California Department of Public Health show that the state’s adolescent birth rate fell to 23.2 births per 1,000 female residents ages 15 to 19 in 2013 — a 50% decline since 2000. The findings suggest that state programs aimed at reducing the adolescent birth rate and improving outcomes among those who already are pregnant are working. Lake County News, DPH release.
Planned Parenthood Piloting New Mobile STI Testing Kit App Service in California
This week, Planned Parenthood launched a mobile application that allows people to order a confidential sexually transmitted infection test through their phone and have a urine testing kit sent to their home. The Planned Parenthood Direct app, which is being piloted in California, costs $149 per kit and tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea. Vox.
Los Angeles County OKs In-Home Care Pay Raise
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to raise in-home care workers’ pay from the current $9.65 per hour to $11.18 per hour over the next year-and-a-half. The pay bump comes as in-home care workers are pushing to have their pay raised to $15 per hour as is being proposed for county workers and private-sector employees in unincorporated areas. Los Angeles Times‘ “L.A. Now.”
Santa Clara County To Hire Nurse To Monitor Rx Use in Foster Care System
On Monday, Santa Clara County’s Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to approve hiring a new public health nurse to oversee the use of psychotropic drugs among foster care children. The move comes after a media investigation revealed such drugs are excessively used in the child welfare system. San Jose Mercury News.
On Friday, the White House announced that millions of individuals could have been affected by a second Office of Personnel Management data breach, this time targeting the agency’s security clearance database and exposing personal information such as mental health histories. Officials said the hack of the security clearance database was separate from a breach of federal personnel data that was announced earlier this month. New York Times, AP/San Francisco Chronicle.
HHS Approves State Exchanges in Ark., Del. and Pa.
HHS has granted conditional approval for state-run exchanges in Arkansas, Delaware and Pennsylvania, ahead of an expected Supreme Court decision on the legality of subsidies for U.S. residents purchasing health plans through the federal exchange. Delaware and Pennsylvania have received approval to run state exchanges for individual and small group markets in 2016. Meanwhile, Arkansas has received approval to run a state exchange for the small group market in 2016 and the individual market in 2017. AP/Sacramento Bee, Modern Healthcare.
CVS Health To Purchase Target Pharmacies in $1.9B Deal
CVS Health has announced plans to buy more than 1,660 pharmacies in Target stores located in 47 states for about $1.9 billion. If approved, the deal would make CVS Health the largest drugstore chain in the U.S., with 9,435 locations. Los Angeles Times et al.
CAPG Ranks Calif. Physician Groups on Coordinated Care Measures
A new report from the California Association of Physician Groups ranks the state’s physician groups based on their performance in several coordinated care measurements, such as accountability and care management. Santa Cruz Sentinel, CAPG rankings.
California Legislature Passes Budget Plan; Reaction Mixed
California health care organizations have expressed support for a budget plan approved by the state Legislature yesterday. However, Gov. Brown’s administration and Republican lawmakers say the spending proposal is not fiscally sound. Capital Public Radio’s “KXJZ News” et al.