Latest California Healthline Stories
One in Four U.S. Latinos Still Uninsured, Data Show
About 25% of Latinos in the U.S. do not have health insurance one year after the Affordable Care Act’s first open enrollment period, according to Census Bureau data compiled by the Pew Research Center. The data show the Latino immigrants are twice as likely to be uninsured as U.S.-born Hispanics. Washington Post.
Anthem Blue Cross Sent Emails With Personal Health Data in Subject Lines to Some Calif. Residents
On Monday, Anthem Blue Cross sent emails to some California residents with personal demographic information and recommended medical screening tests in the subject line. Kristin Binns, a spokesperson for Anthem Blue Cross, said the company is looking into the issue. It is not yet clear if a data breach notification will be required under California law. New York Times‘ “Bits.”
Last week, the California Department of Human Resources issued a memo saying that state employers must clear workers who have traveled to countries affected by Ebola before they return to work. The memo states, ” If your agency or department has an employee returning from one of these three countries or any other countries that become affected by Ebola, you are asked to contact the local health department in your area to determine if this person is able to return to work.” Sacramento Bee‘s “The State Worker.”
ACA Helped Boost Kaiser’s Profits, Enrollment
Kaiser Permanente reported that its profits increased by 41% in the first three quarters of 2014, reaching $3.1 billion. The not-for-profit health system attributed the increase in profits in large part to increased enrollment related to the Affordable Care Act. Kaiser added 422,000 new enrollees in the first nine months of 2014. San Francisco Business Times‘ “Bay Area BizTalk.”
SCOTUS To Take Up Legal Challenge to ACA Subsidies
The Supreme Court announced it will hear King v. Burwell, which challenges the legality of subsidies to help U.S. residents purchase health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act’s federal insurance exchange. Experts say that a ruling in the plaintiffs’ favor could drastically alter the scope of the law’s coverage expansion. New York Times et al.
VA Making Progress on Hiring More Providers To Improve Wait Times
The Department of Veterans Affairs is touting higher salaries and school debt forgiveness in an effort to recruit medical students and residents from academic medical centers. The department plans to hire an additional 28,000 providers to reduce wait times at VA medical centers. Modern Healthcare et al.
L.A. County Health Dept. Allegedly Falsified Nursing Home Records
Two Los Angeles County Public Health Department employees allege that the department has been falsifying the dates that it receives nursing home complaints in order to meet state investigation deadlines. The California Department of Public Health is looking into the allegations. Kaiser Health News, Nguyen letter.
18K Kaiser Nurses To Strike Over Patient Safety, Ebola Preparedness
Tomorrow, about 18,000 Kaiser Permanente nurses will kick off a two-day strike at 21 hospitals and 65 clinics in California over patient safety issues and a lack of adequate Ebola training standards. Kaiser has hired more than 2,800 temporary nurses and plans to keep its facilities open during the strike. Bloomberg et al.
Boxer Visits O.C. Hospital To Discuss Medical Error Rates
On Friday, Sen. Barbara Boxer touted the Affordable Care Act for penalizing hospitals with high rates of patient complications, which she noted is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Boxer’s comments came during a tour of Children’s Hospital of Orange County in Santa Ana, the third hospital she has visited this year as part of an effort to raise awareness about hospital errors. Orange County Register.
California Law Bolsters Funding for Mental Health Services
The number of mobile crisis support teams and urgent care units in Los Angeles County has increased since last year’s enactment of the Investment in Mental Health Wellness Act, which provided millions of dollars in funding to counties statewide. The mobile crisis teams pair law enforcement officials with a clinical psychologist to respond to mental health crises and avoid confrontation that could land a person in the hospital or jail. KQED’s “State of Health.”