Latest California Healthline Stories
CMS Launches Investigation Into Potentially Discriminatory Plans
The Obama administration says it will investigate insurers after becoming aware of “discriminatory benefit designs” that discourage certain individuals from enrolling in health plans. Meanwhile, Consumer Watchdog has filed a lawsuit against Aetna, alleging that its plan to require patients with HIV to obtain medications only through its own mail-order pharmacy is discriminatory. New York Times, AP/San Francisco Chronicle.
SCOTUS Schedules Arguments in ACA Subsidy Case
The Supreme Court has announced that it will hear oral arguments in the case King v. Burwell on March 4, 2015. The case challenges federal subsidies given to U.S. residents to purchase coverage through the federal exchange. The high court likely will decide on the case in June 2015. Modern Healthcare.
Five Calif. ACOs To Join Medicare Shared Savings Program
Eighty-nine accountable care organizations — including five that serve California — will join the Medicare Shared Savings Program in January 2015, bringing the total number of participating ACOs to 405. The ACOs serving California include Advanced Premier Physicians ACO, Akira Health of Los Angeles, American Rural ACO, National Rural ACO II and Physicians Accountable Care Solutions. Modern Healthcare.
Calif. Nears Target Prison Population Under Realignment
California has reduced its inmate population to 140% of the design capacity of state prisons, putting the state in position to reach a court-mandated prison population reduction of 141.5% of capacity. The reduction order came after U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson in 2006 ruled that federal oversight of the state’s prison health care system was needed after determining that an average of one inmate per week died as a result of medical malpractice or neglect. Sacramento Bee.
Watchdog Group Urges Californians To Boycott Cal INDEX
The California Integrated Data Exchange, or Cal INDEX, has released a notice of its privacy practices after Consumer Watchdog urged California residents to boycott the new database. The notice includes how data are obtained, which data are included and excluded, how data are used or shared and consumer rights. In August, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California — which created the data exchange — announced plans to create one of the largest health information exchanges in the U.S. The two companies are investing a total of $80 million to develop the not-for-profit database. Los Angeles Times.
79 Calif. Hospitals Penalized by CMS for Infection, Injury Rates
A total of 721 hospitals across the U.S. — including 79 in California — will face a 1% reduction in Medicare payments because of excessive infection and patient injury rates. The penalties are being levied under the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program. KPCC’s “KPCC News” et al.
Calif. Insurance Commissioner Calls Aetna’s 10.7% Rate Hike for Small Business Plans ‘Unreasonable’
On Thursday, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones called Aetna’s premium increase for small business health plans “unreasonable.” He said the new rate proposed by Aetna would increase premiums by 10.7% for about 65,000 small businesses in the state beginning on Jan. 1, 2015. Jones’ office can review rate filings, but it does not have the authority to reject them. Meanwhile, California Department of Managed Health Care Director Shelley Rouillard also criticized the rate hike. Sacramento Business Journal et al.
Report Gives California Passing Grade on Seven out of 10 Infectious Disease Preparedness Measures
California received a passing grade on seven out of 10 measures of infectious disease preparedness, according to a recent report by Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The measures included maintaining funding for public health services from 2012, testing the response time for emergency laboratory tests and other metrics. NPR/KPCC’s “KPCC News.”
144K Sign Up for Covered Calif. During First Month of Enrollment
From Nov. 15 to Dec. 15, more than 144,000 state residents signed up for health coverage through Covered California, and about half already paid their first monthly premium. Meanwhile, more than 216,000 Californians signed up for Medicaid coverage in that time. Los Angeles Times et al.
Latino Infants Disproportionately Affected in California Whooping Cough Outbreak
Sixty percent of infants affected by this year’s whooping cough outbreak in California are Latino, according to public health officials. Gil Chavez, deputy director of the state Department of Public Health, said, “Hispanics have larger household sizes, and there may be cultural practices around visiting new infants that increase the number of contacts.” Sarah de Guia, executive director of the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, added that the disproportionate rate of infected Latino infants “really speaks to the lack of access to health insurance that’s particularly predominant within the Latino community.” KQED’s “State of Health.”