Latest California Healthline Stories
Protest in San Mateo County Over Home Health Care Wages Results in Arrests
On Tuesday, five individuals were arrested during a protest over wage increases for home health care workers outside of a San Mateo County Board of Supervisors meeting. The protest followed an offer by the county to increase home health care workers’ wages gradually from $11.50 per hour to $12.65 per hour. The workers and health care union members had sought a 30% increase over the next four years to $15 per hour. San Jose Mercury News.
Anthem, Blue Shield Violated State Law, DMHC Report Finds
A California Department of Managed Health Care report finds that Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California violated state law by providing consumers with inaccurate provider directories. The insurers say the investigation that led to the report was flawed. San Jose Mercury News et al.
‘Verdict Is Still Out’ on Whether CIRM Is Worth State’s Investment, Opinion Piece Argues
In a Sacramento Bee opinion piece, David Jensen writes that the “verdict is still out … on whether the [California Institute for Regenerative Medicine] will be ultimately worth the roughly $6 billion that the people of California will have spent” on it by 2020, adding, “Questions also remain about how the research program fits with state spending priorities.” He notes, CIRM “is spending money at a rate of $21,000 an hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” Sacramento Bee.
Poll: Hispanic Caregivers Report More Positive Experiences, Less Stress Than Non-Hispanic Caregivers
More than 90% of Hispanics over age 40 said that their experiences providing long-term care to family members were positive, compared with 82% of non-Hispanics who had positive reflections, according to a poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. In addition, 36% of Hispanic caregivers reported stress as a result of providing long-term care to family members, while 54% of non-Hispanic individuals said they felt stressed by providing such care. AP/U-T San Diego.
GAO: Medicare Websites Fail To Offer Adequate Cost, Quality Data
A new Government Accountability Office report finds that some CMS-run websites designed to help Medicare beneficiaries do not provide adequate information about care quality and out-of-pocket costs. The authors note that rising health costs have brought about a growing need for such information. AP/U-T San Diego.
ACA Helps Mend Differences Between Obama Admin., Insurers
The Obama administration and health insurers have formed a “mutually beneficial partnership” since the Affordable Care Act’s passage in 2012. Although insurers initially distrusted the federal government, they now help insulate the Obama administration against challenges to the law, which presents opportunities for insurer growth. New York Times et al.
Jones Proposes Lower Workers’ Compensation Premium Rate
Last week, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones advised that $2.74 per $100 of payroll be spent on worker’s compensation. The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau had recommended $2.77 per $100. Central Valley Business Times, Department of Insurance release.
Covered California To ‘Double-Down’ on Efforts To Enroll Latinos
Covered California will ‘double-down’ on efforts to provide enrollment assistance and outreach to Latino residents during the exchange’s second open enrollment period. Meanwhile, Lee said the exchange has no plans to release a comprehensive directory of providers included in exchange plans. Monterey Herald.
San Diego State University Researchers Tout Twitter as a Reliable Supplemental Flu Surveillance Tool
Twitter could be an effective method for tracking seasonal flu outbreaks, according to a study conducted by San Diego State University researchers. The authors wrote that while traditional data collection methods can take up to two weeks to generate results, the social network is becoming a more reliable and accurate surveillance tool for identifying outbreaks in real-time. FierceMobileHealthcare.
Advocacy Groups Sue DHCS Over Medi-Cal Coverage Cancellations
Yesterday, a coalition of advocacy groups filed a lawsuit over the termination of Medicaid coverage for California enrollees who have not yet submitted renewal forms. The groups say the forms are confusing and ask for information that was not requested on previous renewal forms. Kaiser Health News.