Latest California Healthline Stories
UCSF Will Use $100M Gift for Hospitals, Medical Research
On Wednesday, UC-San Francisco received a $100 million gift that will be used to support faculty members, medical students and new hospitals at the school’s Mission Bay campus, as well as medical research into neuroscience and aging. The money is the largest gift from a single donor ever received by the University of California system. It was donated to UCSF by philanthropist Charles Feeney. San Francisco Chronicle.
CMS Announces Special Open Enrollment Period for Federal Exchange
Today, the Obama administration said it will hold an additional open enrollment period for U.S. residents who have not yet enrolled in health coverage through the Affordable Care Act. The special enrollment period aligns with the April 15 deadline to file 2014 taxes. Vox et al.
Number of Latino Doctors Not Keeping Up With Population Growth
A study by UCLA researchers finds that the supply of Latino physicians has not kept pace with the growth of the Latino population in California and other states. Of the five states with the largest Hispanic and Latino populations, California in 2010 had the lowest ratio of Latino physicians to Latino patients. Los Angeles Times, Academic Medicine.
Fed Gov’t Delays Penalties on Health Reimbursement Arrangements
This week, IRS and the Department of Treasury announced they would delay until July fines on small businesses that offer health reimbursement arrangements, which do not comply with the Affordable Care Act’s coverage requirements. According to the agencies, some employers that had been offering HRAs “may need additional time to obtain group health coverage or adopt a suitable alternative.” Washington Post‘s “On Small Business” et al.
Audit: New Medi-Cal Computer System Could Face Long Delays
State Auditor Elaine Howle says that California’s new Medicaid case management computer system being developed by Xerox could face long delays. In an audit, Howle notes that Xerox has experienced years-long delays in similar projects for other states. Sacramento Bee‘s “The State Worker.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of February 20, 2015
Doctors Medical Center does not have enough cash on hand to pay its employees past Feb. 28 and is seeking emergency funding. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife have donated $75 million to San Francisco General Hospital to help finish an acute care and trauma facility.
FDA Issues Warning About Endoscopes After Superbug Outbreak at UCLA Medical Center
FDA has issued a warning about medical endoscopes, stating that the device’s design might make it difficult to “clean, disinfect and sterilize reusable devices.” Earlier this week, UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center began notifying 179 patients who were treated at the hospital that they may have been exposed to potentially deadly bacteria from contaminated medical scopes. UCLA said that seven patients have been infected by a drug-resistant superbug known as CRE and two patients’ deaths have been linked to the bacteria. Modern Healthcare, AP/San Jose Mercury News.
Calif. Supreme Court Rules That State Must Release More Information on Long-Term Care Abuse Cases
On Thursday, the California Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the state must release more information about cases of abuse of patients with mental illnesses and disabilities in long-term care facilities. The court said all information on such cases must be released, except patients’ names. Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert.”
Calif. Senators Introduce Bill To End All Personal Belief Exemptions to State Vaccine Requirements
State Sens. Richard Pan and Ben Allen have introduced a bill that would end all personal belief exemptions to childhood vaccination requirements. If enacted, California would become the third state to only allow exemptions in cases when it is medically necessary. San Jose Mercury News.
Five states — California, Colorado, Illinois, South Carolina and Washington — have revised their Medicaid programs to cover dental benefits. However, providers in all five states are facing challenges meeting demand, in part because low reimbursement rates deter some dentists from participating in the program. Kaiser Health News.