Latest California Healthline Stories
Several Calif. Institutions Among Best Medical Schools in the U.S.
U.S. News & World Report has included several California schools on its lists of the best medical schools for research and primary care based on several indicators, such as acceptance rates, faculty-to-student ratios, research activities and other metrics. UC-San Francisco made the top five on both lists. U.S. News & World Report et al.
Calif. Lawmaker Stumps for Farmworker Health Benefits Bill
Assembly member Luis Alejo says that farmworkers in California lack “the most basic” health care services, despite their exposure to harmful conditions while on the job. Under a recently proposed bill, he seeks to provide care to agriculture workers without requiring copayments or deductibles. Salinas Californian.
CMS Unveils ‘Next Generation’ ACO Model for Patients, Providers
Yesterday, CMS announced a new alternative payment model for patients and providers called the Next Generation Accountable Care Organization Model. Unlike existing ACO models, patients participating in the new model will be able to voluntarily sign up for ACOs in exchange for reduced or no copayments for certain services. Med Page Today et al.
HHS: More Than 1M Exchange Enrollees Chose New Plans for 2015
The Obama administration says 1.2 million U.S. residents who enrolled in health coverage this year through the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges selected a new plan. An HHS official notes that more exchange enrollees switched plans than the agency had expected, adding that the data should show insurers that it is “critical to compete on price” in the ACA’s exchanges. National Journal.
Judge Could End Federal Oversight of California Prison Health Care
Under a plan outlined yesterday by a federal judge, California could resume oversight of the state’s prison health care system amid improved conditions. In 2006, the system was placed under federal oversight after it was determined that an average of one inmate per week died as a result of medical malpractice or neglect. AP/Sacramento Bee.
UC-San Francisco Researchers Reveal Sugar Industry’s Influence on Federal Dental Guidelines
The sugar industry in the late 1960s and early 1970s heavily influenced federal research on the effects of sugar and resulting guidelines, according to an analysis of hundreds of documents by UC-San Francisco researchers. The analysis, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, shows that the sugar industry shifted the U.S. National Institute of Dental Research’s focus away from dietary changes. KQED’s “State of Health,” Time.
Dignity Health Seeks Limited HMO License in Kern County
San Francisco-based Dignity Health is seeking approval from state regulators for a limited HMO license in Kern County to provide its doctors and hospitals with more control over patient care. Dignity Health officials say they have no plans to expand the license beyond Kern County. Sacramento Business Journal.
L.A. County Officials Issue Alert for Ocular Syphilis
On Thursday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued an advisory for primary and eye-care providers to look out for symptoms of ocular syphilis — a sexually transmitted infection that can cause blindness — after two potential cases were reported in the area. Officials also have confirmed 14 cases of the illness in San Francisco and Washington. Los Angeles Daily News/San Jose Mercury News, Los Angeles Times‘ “L.A. Now.”
GAO Report: PCORI Is Meeting Goals Under the ACA
The Patient-Centered Outcome Research Institute is meeting its obligations under the Affordable Care Act, but some of the research it is funding might not be available until around 2020, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Monday. The report stated that the institute as of October 2014 had awarded 360 contracts worth $670.8 million to various research projects. PCORI also has announced two additional funding rounds since the report was conducted. With the additional announcements, PCORI has committed to more than $800 million in research funding. The organization plans to award a total of $2.6 billion in grants by the end of 2019. Modern Healthcare.
CMS Approves N.H.’s Alternative Medicaid Expansion Plan
CMS on Friday approved New Hampshire’s alternative Medicaid expansion plan. New Hampshire becomes the sixth state to earn CMS approval to expand Medicaid through a waiver to the Affordable Care Act’s standard expansion process. The Hill.