Latest California Healthline Stories
California Senate Committee Advances Right-To-Die Legislation
Yesterday, the California Senate Health Committee passed a measure that would allow doctors to prescribe a lethal dose of medication to patients with terminal illnesses. The approval came after hours of testimony from medical, religious and disability-rights groups. Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert” et al.
DMHC Issues Fines Against Several Health Care Organizations
The California Department of Managed Health Care recently reached a settlement with Emergency Services Medical Corporation over balance billing practices. Meanwhile, the agency levied fines against three other health care organizations. Payers & Providers.
House Approves GOP Budget Plan With Federal Health Spending Cuts
Yesterday, the House approved a Republican budget plan that seeks to reduce the deficit by $5.4 trillion over the next decade in part by making changes to federal health programs. About $2 trillion of the deficit reduction would come through repealing the Affordable Care Act and $1 trillion would come from changes to health programs for low-income individuals. The Hill et al.
500K Undocumented Immigrants Could Be Added To Medi-Cal Rolls
A new policy brief finds that up to 500,000 undocumented Californians would become eligible for Medicaid coverage if a temporary injunction on President Obama’s executive action is lifted. The action would allow undocumented immigrants to avoid deportation under certain conditions. Los Angeles Times, UC-Berkeley/UCLA brief.
Health insurer Cigna has formed an agreement with Long Beach-based SCAN Health Plan’s Medicare Advantage plan. Under the agreement, both insurers will provide retiree MA benefits to California employers. In addition, the insurers said the change will provide new options for employers, streamline benefits administration and improve coordination with providers. Modern Healthcare, Hartford Business Journal.
A study by Kaiser Permanente researchers found that access to mail-order prescription drugs and low out-of-pocket expenses increased medication adherence among older patients with chronic illnesses. The study was based on data for 130,000 Kaiser members in Northern California and other areas. For example, patients with diabetes and heart problems adhered to medication regimens 90% of the time when they were given a 90-day supply of drugs through a mail-order pharmacy, paid $10 or less in copayments and had out-of-pocket costs of less than $2,000. Payers & Providers.
Obama Launches Information Sharing Forum To Encourage Alternative Health Care Payment Models
President Obama on Wednesday announced the Healthcare Payment Learning and Action Network, an “information-sharing forum” that aims to help providers shift from traditional fee-for-service payment models to alternative payment models. The network will host meetings for providers, state governments and consumer groups to discuss and share best practices for that transition. CMS said more than 2,800 participants have enrolled in the network, and they will be tasked with establishing “organization-specific goals for alternative payment models.” The Hill.
USC Receives $50M for Neuroscience Treatment
The University of Southern California’s Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute has received a $50 million donation from Mary and Mark Stevens, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist and USC alumnus. The institute conducts research on treatments for conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, autism and traumatic brain injuries. Los Angeles Times.
GAO Report: Medicare Pays Dedicated Cancer Centers More Than Local Teaching Hospitals
Medicare could be overpaying certain cancer hospitals based on the false belief that such hospitals treat sicker patients, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report. According to the report, inpatient service payments for the dedicated cancer centers in 2012 were on average 42% higher than what would have been paid to local teaching hospitals, while outpatient service payments were on average 37% higher. As a result, Medicare could have saved nearly $500 million annually had beneficiaries received such services at local teaching facilities, according to the report. Modern Healthcare.
Survey Ranks Calif. Counties on Current, Future Health Outcomes
An annual survey finds that Marin County has the best health outcomes and factors in California. The survey examined health outcomes, which represent counties’ current aggregate health, and health factors, which gauge how healthy counties are likely to be in the future. Los Angeles Times‘ “L.A. Now” et al.