Latest California Healthline Stories
California Data Show Drug Overdose Fatalities Up by 35% Over Last Decade
Accidental drug overdose fatalities in California have increased by 35% during the last decade, with about one resident dying on average every three hours, according to the latest data from the state Department of Public Health. The data show about 15,725 state residents died after an overdose between 2008 and 2012, compared with about 14,860 Californian deaths attributed to car wrecks during that time period. Sacramento Bee.
L.A. County Officials Agree To Settle Lawsuit Over Poor Conditions for Inmates With Disabilities
Los Angeles County officials have agreed to a settlement over a 2008 lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union alleging poor conditions among inmates with disabilities. The settlement, which must be approved by a judge at a Monday hearing, requires jail officials to improve conditions for inmates with disabilities, such as by giving those inmates access to work and educational programs and providing working wheelchairs. Los Angeles Times‘ “L.A. Now.”
About One-Fourth of Uninsured Believe They Cannot Afford Health Coverage, Poll Finds
About one-quarter of uninsured U.S. residents expect to remain without coverage because they do not think they will be able to afford it, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll. The survey showed that 41% of uninsured U.S. residents expect to remain uninsured, while about half expect to purchase coverage. Of those currently uninsured, about 70% said health insurance is something they need and 62% said health insurance is “very” important to them. Kaiser Health News.
U.S. Rx Drug Spending To Increase Nearly 12% This Year
U.S. drug spending will increase by 11.7%, to up to $385 billion, in 2014, according to an IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics report. The report attributes the increase to fewer patent expirations in 2014 than in previous years, expanded access to medication under the Affordable Care Act and costly hepatitis C and cancer treatments. Kaiser Health News, Reuters.
Premiums for Most Popular Exchange Plans To Rise 10% in 2015
An analysis by Avalere Health shows the most popular health plans sold on HealthCare.gov in 2014 will see an average premium increase of 10% next year. The researchers say that people who already have exchange coverage likely could find a lower-cost plan in 2015, but many people are expected to simply re-enroll in their current plan. Washington Times et al.
HHS Admits Error in ACA Enrollment Numbers, Revises Figure to 6.7M
Yesterday, the Obama administration said that health insurance exchange enrollment figures previously reported by HHS for the first open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act mistakenly included about 400,000 individuals who purchased stand-alone dental plans. Officials said about 6.7 million people are enrolled in medical coverage. New York Times et al.
Executive Action Could Open Medi-Cal to Undocumented Immigrants
Some advocates say that undocumented immigrants who are eligible for deferred deportation under an executive action issued yesterday by President Obama likely will also be eligible for Medicaid benefits based on current California law. KQED’s “State of Health,” Sacramento Bee.
Covered California Enrolls 11K in First Days of Open Enrollment
Yesterday, Covered California officials announced that 11,357 residents signed up for a private health plan during the first four days of the exchange’s open enrollment period. The state is aiming to add about 500,000 new enrollees by the end of open enrollment on Feb. 15, 2015. Orange County Register et al.
CalPERS officials say efforts to remove ineligible dependents from its health benefits program will result in savings of more than $106.3 million. Since last year, the health program has removed more than 15,600 people, including 8,940 dependents who were found to be ineligible and about 5,300 ineligible dependents who voluntarily left the program. Sacramento Business Journal.
UCLA Study Shows Many Elderly Calif. Residents Do Not Seek Medical Attention After Falls
Nearly 60% of the more than half a million elderly California residents who fall at least once a year do not seek medical attention afterward, according to a study released Thursday by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. The study examined data from the 2011-2012 California Health Interview Survey and found that elderly California residents’ likelihood of falling increases with age. MyNewsLA, LA Health Examiner.