Latest California Healthline Stories
54% of Calif. Doctors Accepted New Medicaid Patients in 2013
A new CDC report finds that California in 2013 had the second-lowest percentage — at 54.2% — in the U.S. of doctors accepting new Medicaid patients. Researchers say they will examine 2014 data to determine whether increases in reimbursements under the Affordable Care Act encouraged more physicians to accept new Medicaid patients. Newark Star-Ledger et al.
Editorial: SCOTUS Made ‘Wise’ Ruling in Medicaid Reimbursement Rates Case
A Sacramento Bee editorial argues that the U.S. Supreme Court “was wise to rule that private parties have no standing to sue the government to force higher payments to medical providers under the federal-state Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal in California.” The editorial adds, “The political process can be messy, and it does not always turn out the way we’d like, even on the issue of reimbursement levels for medical care. But these are decisions that are best made by the elected representatives of the people, not the courts.” Sacramento Bee.
$3.7M Grant Looks To Improve Low-Income Californians’ Nutrition by Boosting Access to Fresh Produce
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $3.7 million grant that will help expand a program that encourages low-income individuals to buy fresh produce across Los Angeles and California. The grant will support California Market Match, which offer individuals on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program a financial incentive to shop at farmers markets for fresh fruits and vegetables. KPCC’s “KPCC News.”
Kaiser Program Aims To Cut Prescribing Rates for Opioids, Brand-Name Painkillers
Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California division has cut high-volume opioid prescriptions by 91% since it launched its Safe and Appropriate Opioid Prescribing Program in 2011. Further, Kaiser’s program has helped boost prescriptions for generic painkillers over higher-cost brand-name drugs, transitioning its patients to the lower-cost alternative drugs 95% of the time. Payers & Providers.
Study Finds Five Leading Causes for Maternal Mortality in California
A study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology finds that more than 200 California women died from pregnancy complications between 2002 and 2005, with most of the deaths caused by blood clots, cardiovascular disease, hemorrhage, preeclampsia or release of amniotic fluid into the bloodstream. Los Angeles Examiner.
Bill Would Enforce Notification Requirements for Cancer Registry
A bill, by Assembly member Brian Jones, would require California to inform cancer patients of their rights and options related the state’s cancer registry and surveillance system. Specifically, it calls for the California Department of Public Health to inform cancer patients that their health information is shared with researchers after it is collected for the registry. ABC 10 News, AB 972.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of April 3, 2015
Sutter Health has agreed to pay a $71,275 fine following an investigation that found safety violations at the health system’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center over the way it handles patients with suspected airborne diseases. UC-San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital raised more than $215,000 for childhood cancer research.
Prenatal Blood Test Extremely Accurate For Detecting Down Syndrome, UCSF Study Finds
A study by UC-San Francisco researchers finds that a new prenatal blood test to detect Down syndrome — the most common birth defect associated with intellectual disability — in a fetus is extremely accurate. The test works by analyzing fetal DNA in the mother’s blood. Observers say the study is the strongest evidence to date that the new method works better than standard testing for the condition. San Francisco Chronicle, BBC News.
FDA Issues Guidelines for Misuse-Deterrent Opioids
FDA has released final guidance on the development of brand-name, misuse-deterrent opioids. The new guidance explains the type of studies necessary to establish misuse deterrence, as well as how such studies should be conducted and evaluated. The guidance does not require that all new opioids contain misuse-deterrent mechanisms. Instead, new products will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. MedPage Today‘s “Gupta Guide.”
CMS Delays Medicare’s SGR Cuts, ‘Two-Midnight’ Rule Enforcement
CMS says that it will delay until April 15 processing a 21% cut to physician reimbursements under Medicare’s sustainable growth rate formula. CMS also says that it will postpone enforcement of the two-midnight rule until the end of April to provide Congress more time to pass an SGR replacement package. The Hill et al.