Latest California Healthline Stories
Medicaid, CHIP Report 11.7M New Beneficiaries Since ACA Expansion
A CMS report shows enrollment in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program increased by about 11.7 million between October 2013 and February 2015. According to the report, enrollment increased by about 27% in states that have expanded Medicaid, compared with by about 8% in states that have not expanded program eligibility. The Hill, CMS report.
Calif. Senate Panel To Hear Bill for Undocumented Health Coverage
Today, the California Senate Appropriations Committee is set to consider a bill that would extend health insurance to undocumented immigrants. Under the bill, undocumented immigrants would have access to coverage through the state’s Medicaid program and insurance exchange. San Jose Mercury News, SB 4.
Insurance Brokers in Calif., Other States Struggling Under ACA
Insurance brokers in California and other states have increasingly faced financial struggles in the wake of the Affordable Care Act. For example, brokers have faced large commission cuts under an ACA provision that requires insurers to spend at least 80% of their income from premiums on medical care, rather than on administrative expenses. KPCC’s “KPCC News.”
California Health Care Personnel News Roundup for April 2015
Mark Morgan has stepped down as president of Anthem Blue Cross. Gov. Brown has appointed Brian Duffy as warden of the California Health Care Facility, the nation’s largest medical prison facility. Brown also appointed Orville Thomas as assistant deputy director of public affairs at the California Department of Public Health.
State, Los Angeles County Officials Team Up To Improve Nursing Home Oversight
State officials are working on an arrangement with Los Angeles County officials to better align nursing home inspection and oversight duties in an effort to address a backlog of complaints of abuse and neglect. However, some patient advocates say the proposed changes are not likely to result in improved conditions. Los Angeles Times.
U-T San Diego Opinion Pieces Show Opposing Views on California’s Right-to-Die Bill
In a U-T San Diego opinion piece, Ira Byock — a palliative-care physician and director of the Institute for Human Caring of Providence Health and Services in Torrance — argues that California’s right-to-die bill “would simply give doctors authority to write lethal prescriptions” instead of correcting the way providers treat patients’ pain and counsel those who face the end of life. Meanwhile, in a separate U-T San Diego opinion piece, Deborah Ziegler argues that the bill protects patients’ “freedom to deal with terminal illness as they determine best.” Ziegler is the mother of Brittany Maynard, who had an inoperable brain tumor and died in Oregon on Nov. 1, 2014, using a lethal dose of barbiturates prescribed by her doctor. U-T San Diego.
Santa Clara Officials Expected To Approve $7M Funding Reprieve for Struggling Ambulance Company
On Tuesday, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors is expected to approve contract changes that would save the struggling Rural/Metro ambulance company $7 million over the next year. Officials also are considering whether to renew the contract when it expires next year. San Jose Mercury News.
House Passes FY 2016 Budget Plan With Provision To Enable Repeal of Affordable Care Act
The House yesterday voted 226-197 to adopt a joint fiscal year 2016 budget agreement that includes a provision to enable the repeal of parts of the Affordable Care Act. The agreement would allow the Senate to use the budget reconciliation process to attempt to overturn parts of the ACA. The agreement now heads to the Senate, which is expected to consider it next week. AP/New York Times.
Children with epilepsy often face barriers to surgery when medication no longer helps, according to a new UCLA study. Researchers found that many such children had seizures for more than five years before receiving needed surgery. Parents cited several barriers to obtaining the surgery, including insurance issues, confusion about the condition and trouble finding appropriate doctors. HealthyCal.
CMS Releases Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Spending Data
CMS has released a trove of data covering about $103 billion in Medicare prescription drug spending in 2013. The data show that brand-name drugs for common conditions, such as acid reflux and asthma, made up Medicare’s three largest drug expenditures in 2013. New York Times et al.