Latest California Healthline Stories
Tenn. Senate Panel Rejects Medicaid Expansion Plan
On Wednesday, a Tennessee Senate panel rejected Gov. Bill Haslam’s alternative Medicaid expansion plan, leaving the proposal with “little chance” of passing during the state’s legislative session. Meanwhile, state House Speaker Beth Harwell said the plan likely would not have enough votes to pass in the state House. Politico, The Hill.
Anthem Reports Data Breach Affecting Up To 80M Individuals
Health insurer Anthem says a database containing the personal information of about 80 million of its customers, former customers and employees was accessed by hackers between Dec. 10, 2014, and Jan. 27. Anthem, which offers plans in California, is still determining the exact number of individuals affected by the breach. San Jose Mercury News et al.
$88M Donated to Health-Related Campaigns in Calif., Other States
An analysis by the Center for Public Integrity finds that industry and individual donors spent $88 million on campaigns for and against various health-related ballot measures last year. Anthem Blue Cross and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan in California were the second- and third-highest campaign donors, respectively. AP/Santa Cruz Sentinel et al.
HHS: 9.9M U.S. Residents Enroll Through Federal, State Exchanges
The latest HHS data show about 7.5 million U.S. residents have enrolled in coverage through the federal health insurance exchange, while 2.4 million consumers have used state-run exchanges to sign up for coverage. CMS says the department is seeing increased demand at call centers and online as the Feb. 15 deadline for enrolling in coverage nears. The Hill et al.
Advocates Raise Concerns Over Storing, Sharing of DNA Samples
California has been storing DNA samples indefinitely on nearly every Californian born in the last three decades and selling the data for medical research, raising concerns among privacy advocates in the state. A state lawmaker plans to amend a bill to require written parental consent before samples can be stored and shared for research. Los Angeles Times.
California High School Sports Programs To Include Sudden Cardiac Arrest Training
The California Interscholastic Federation has approved legislation to add sudden cardiac arrest prevention rules to California high school sports programs. The legislation was prompted by the death of a 15 year-old boy in 2009 who went into cardiac arrest. Fox 5 San Diego.
Kaiser, Dignity Health To Dole Out Nearly $10M in Community Grants
Kaiser Permanente and Dignity Health have announced separate community grant programs to improve chronic disease and cardiac care. Kaiser will award $5.25 million in grants to 17 community clinics, while Dignity Health will distribute $4.3 million among 70 recipients. Payers & Providers.
Doctors Group Joins Coalition To Combat Growing Costs of Specialty Rx Drugs
On Tuesday, the American College of Physicians joined the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing, which is working to reduce the growing cost of specialty prescription drugs. The national group of more than 140,000 physicians called for greater transparency in the pricing of such drugs. CNBC.
Brown Signals Openness to Tougher Vaccine Exemptions
On Wednesday, Gov. Brown appeared open to legislation that would eliminate all but medical waivers to vaccinations, despite having preserved religious exemptions in 2012. Evan Westrup, a spokesperson for Brown, said that the governor “believes that vaccinations are profoundly important and a major public health benefit, and any bill that reaches his desk will be closely considered.” Los Angeles Times.
House Approves Bill To Repeal ACA, Draft Replacement
The House on Tuesday voted 239-186 to approve a measure that would repeal the Affordable Care Act. The vote marked the fourth time the House voted to repeal the law in its entirety but the first time a repeal bill also called on legislative committees to draft an ACA replacement measure. The bill now moves to the Senate. However, President Obama has said he will veto any bill that would undermine the ACA. The Hill.