Latest California Healthline Stories
Calif. Hospital Could Be a Model for Reducing C-Section Rates
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian reduced its cesarean section rate from 38% to about 33% in three years after an insurer warned it might cut the hospital from its network because of high maternity care costs. Some experts say that the hospital’s efforts could serve as a model for other facilities seeking to improve their performance. Kaiser Health News.
Amended Vaccine Bill Bypasses Appropriations Committee Vote
A bill to end personal belief exemptions to childhood vaccination requirements has bypassed a vote in the California Senate Appropriations Committee after its authors removed a school reporting requirement. Some opponents criticized the move as a “dishonest” attempt at securing the bill’s passage. AP/Washington Times, Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert.”
Millions of Consumers Opt for Non-Exchange Individual Health Plans
According to estimates, more than eight million U.S. residents have purchased coverage on the individual market, rather than through the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges. Observers cite several reasons some individuals are opting for non-exchange plans, such as wanting to avoid narrow provider networks and not meeting the threshold to receive federal subsidies to purchase plans. Modern Healthcare.
UC-San Francisco Team Wins ONC Pilot Challenge
UC-San Francisco and Optima Integrated Health, a cloud-based artificial intelligence vendor, were one of six teams to win the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT’s 2015 Market R&D Pilot Challenge award. The team will receive $50,000 to pilot of program that integrates Optima’s real-time blood pressure analysis tool with UC-San Francisco’s electronic health record system to test the efficacy of the tool in improving care coordination for patients with hypertension. HIT Consultant.
California Assembly Approves Workers’ Compensation Gender Parity Legislation
On Monday, the California Assembly voted 57-18 to approve a bill that would update the state’s workers’ compensation law to prohibit medical problems primarily affecting women — such as breast cancer, pregnancy or menopause — from being considered a pre-existing condition that can be used to reduce their compensation. AP/KPCC’s “KPCC News,” U-T San Diego.
Study: Hospital ‘Super-Users’ Have Higher Risk of Death
Hospital “super-users” have an increased risk of death, compared with patients who do not typically seek care at hospital emergency departments, according to a study published in the Emergency Medicine Journal. The researchers said the study suggests that frequent ED users are not using ED resources inappropriately and that providers should focus their attention on providing interventions designed to meet their unique, unmet needs. FierceHealthcare
Higher-Income Policyholders Least Satisfied With Health Insurers’ Practices, PwC Survey Finds
U.S. residents with higher incomes are the least satisfied with their insurers’ practices, while low-income individuals in particular are dissatisfied with hospital bills, according to a survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute. The survey of 1,000 residents found that among individuals with annual incomes of at least $100,000, about 33% said their insurance payments were not affordable. In addition, about 25% were not confident in their insurance bills’ accuracy and about 25% said it was difficult to read their insurance bills. Meanwhile, nearly 50% of low-income individuals said they did not understand how much their hospital care would cost beforehand. The Hill.
Cares Community Health in Sacramento has been designated as a federally qualified health center and will receive $704,000 in federal grant funding annually. The health center plans to use the funding to expand primary care and safety-net services for patients in the Sacramento area. Sacramento Business Journal.
White House Looks To Address Consumers’ Top ACA Concerns
Federal officials have proposed changes to address consumers’ complaints about inaccuracies in provider directories for plans sold through the Affordable Care Act’s health exchanges and unexpected out-of-pocket costs. New York Times.
Report: 50% of Medicaid Spending Attributed to 5% of Beneficiaries
A new Government Accountability Office report finds that nearly half of Medicaid spending between 2009 and 2011 can be attributed to about 5% of Medicaid beneficiaries. The report predicts that Medicaid costs will increase as more U.S. residents gain coverage under the program through the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion. The Hill et al.