Latest California Healthline Stories
Analysis: Calif. Individual Insurance Market Grew by 64% in 2014
A Kaiser Family Foundation analysis shows 843,607 California residents joined the individual insurance market in 2014. The analysis shows that the state’s individual insurance market grew by 64%, reaching nearly 2.2 million in 2014, the year the Affordable Care Act fully took effect. Los Angeles Times, et al.
11M California Adults Live With One or More Chronic Conditions
A report by the California HealthCare Foundation finds that 11 million California adults have at least one of five chronic conditions. Meanwhile, some adults report delaying care or filling prescriptions because of costs or lack of insurance. Central Valley Business Times.
Report: 43% of Calif. Hospitals Receive Top Marks for Patient Safety
The Leapfrog Group’s most recent Hospital Safety Scores give 43% of California facilities an “A” grade for patient safety, up from 40% three years ago. However, 37% of California hospitals received a “C” grade or lower. Los Angeles Times et al.
Los Angeles County officials are investigating a potential data theft affecting the personal health information of 900 patients who received treatment at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center’s mental health facility. The theft was discovered on April 3 during a home search of a former nurse at the facility. The nurse allegedly stole documents containing patients’ birth dates, diagnoses, medical and insurance information, names, Social Security numbers and other personal information. Los Angeles Times‘ “L.A. Now.”
Medi-Cal Expansion Correlates With Spike in ED Visits, Data Show
New data from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development show that as California’s Medicaid program expanded under the Affordable Care Act from 2013 to 2014, the number of Medi-Cal beneficiaries who visited the emergency department spiked by about 50%. Payers & Providers.
Soda Warning Label Bill Stalls in Calif. Senate Committee
On Wednesday, a California Senate committee voted down a bill by Sen. Bill Monning that would require sodas and other sugary beverages to include a label warning consumers that “drinking beverages with added sugars contributes to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.” The bill was opposed by beverage manufacturers and retail and restaurant groups, which argued that it unfairly singled out one cause of obesity and diabetes. Los Angeles Times.
Few Providers Are Equipped To Treat LGBT Patients, According to UCLA Study
Access to care remains a challenge for lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender patients, according to a study by UCLA researchers published in the American Journal of Public Health. The study, which surveyed about 50% of the 138 practices attached to academic medical centers in the U.S., found that fewer than 15% kept lists of physicians who could provide appropriate treatment for LGBT patients and fewer than 16% offered their medical staff comprehensive training on LGBT care. Payers & Providers.
California Workplace Deaths Increased by Nearly 6%
The number of workplace deaths in California jumped by nearly 6% from 2012 to 2013, according to data released by the California Department of Industrial Relations. The increase brought the total number of workplace fatalities to 396 in 2013. DIR officials attributed the rise in part to an increase in employment, but employment in the state rose by just about 2% in the same time. Sacramento Business Journal.
Florida House Ends Session Early Over Medicaid Impasse
On Tuesday, Florida House Speaker Steve Crisafulli ended the state’s legislative session three days early and without a budget agreement after accusing the state Senate of “hold[ing] the budget hostage” over Medicaid expansion. The end of the session will mean that Crisafulli and the state Senate President would need to agree on a special legislative session and bridge their differences on expanding Medicaid in order to pass a state budget by the June 30 deadline. New York Times.
Senate Committee Shines Light on Medicare Appeals Claims Backlog
Lawmakers on the Senate Finance Committee are calling on CMS to address a backlog of Medicare appeals cases. Officials from the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals say the backlog — which has reached more than 500,000 cases — stems from a record number of claims received and not enough resources. The Hill et al.