Latest California Healthline Stories
Mental Health Help Line Aims To Increase Access to Care for Underserved Bay Area Residents
The Mental Health Triage Warm Line — a San Francisco Department of Public Health project run by the Mental Health Association of San Francisco — has taken more than 1,400 calls since its soft opening in August. The project is funded by a $1.2 million state grant and aims to increase access to mental health services for underserved Bay Area populations, such as individuals living in single-room-occupancy units, homeless people, youth and non-English speakers. San Francisco Chronicle.
DMHC Levies $50K Fine Against Anthem Over Patient Grievance Process
The California Department of Managed Health Care has fined Anthem Blue Cross of California $50,000 after the insurer denied an agency request to independently review a member’s medical request. Anthem declined to conduct the review of an enrollee’s 2012 request to receive a duodenal switch form of bariatric surgery, saying it had not been told by a network provider that the treatment was medically necessary. Payers & Providers.
A study by the UCLA Department of Urology and the Veterans’ Health Administration finds that higher-earning doctors are paid more for ordering multiple procedures per patient than they are for treating multiple patients. The study calls the findings “very surprising,” adding, “The goals of payment reform are currently unrealized, as evidenced in these data.” U.S. News & World Report‘s “Newsgram.”
House Passes Bill To Improve Veterans’ Mental Health Care
The House on Tuesday voted unanimously to pass legislation that seeks to improve mental health care for veterans. The bill would revise discharge review requirements for veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury, among other things. It remains unclear whether the bill will pass the Senate before Congress’ holiday recess. Washington Times.
Premium, Deductible Increases Outpace Salary Gains, Report Finds
A new Commonwealth Fund report finds that although health care spending and premium growth has slowed recently, U.S. residents with employer-sponsored coverage are spending an increasing percentage of their incomes on health insurance. Modern Healthcare.
California Medical Schools Lack Policy for Undocumented Applicants
California medical schools do not have a formal policy for admitting undocumented immigrants. However, UC-San Francisco and other schools are beginning to accept undocumented applicants who qualify for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The Atlantic.
Report: California Ranked 17th Healthiest State in the U.S.
A new report ranks California as the 17th healthiest state in the country. The annual America’s Health Rankings report finds that California has a low prevalence of obesity, physical inactivity and smoking. However, the report finds an increase in the rate of diabetes and health disparities in the state. Business Insider et al.
Calif. Reports Increased Vaccination Rates Among Kindergarteners
New data from the California Department of Public Health show that the rate of parents who filed personal-belief exemptions to keep their kindergarteners from receiving vaccinations fell by 20% this year, marking the first decline in exemption rates in at least a decade. Sacramento Bee.
HHS Awards $36M to Health Centers for Quality Improvement
HHS has awarded $36.3 million to 1,113 U.S. health centers in recognition of quality improvement. HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said the grants will enable recipients “to expand and improve their systems and infrastructure to bring the highest quality primary care services to the communities they serve.” The Hill, HHS release.
Cedars Sinai Study Finds Computers Better Than Doctors at Recording Patient Symptoms
A new study by Cedars Sinai Medical Center researchers found that computers are more effective than physicians at recording patient symptoms. The study — which evaluated the treatment of 75 patients at gastrointestinal clinics in Los Angeles — found that computer-generated summaries are better organized and more complete, succinct, comprehensive and useful than physician-recorded summaries. Los Angeles Times.