Latest California Healthline Stories
Calif. Sued Over Death of Inmate With Mental Illness
On Thursday, relatives of Joseph Duran — a California prison inmate with mental health issues who died after being pepper-sprayed in his cell — filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the state correctional system. The lawsuit, which claims that guards did not help him and tried to hide the circumstances of his death, comes just weeks after state officials announced new policies curbing the use of force against inmates with mental illnesses. Reuters.
A Los Angeles Times editorial argues, “Regulators should work with insurers and providers to come up with … a mechanism, along with a better incentive” to reduce the number of errors in provider network lists for health plans sold through California’s health insurance. It adds, “Ultimately, the solution for both groups is the same: developing an automated way to update provider lists to track the changes in doctors’ locations, plan affiliations and ability to accept new patients.” Los Angeles Times.
UC-San Francisco Formally Admits School’s First Undocumented Medical Student
On Friday, UC-San Francisco’s medical school formally admitted Jirayut “New” Latthivongskorn, an undocumented resident whose parents brought him to the U.S. from Thailand at age nine. Latthivongskorn is the school’s first undocumented medical student, and he hopes to complete his residency in the U.S., which will depend on the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals law and other immigration policy changes. KQED’s “State of Health.”
White House Requests $88M To Fight Ebola Epidemic
The Obama administration has requested a total of $88 million to help combat the Ebola epidemic in West Africa. The Office of Management and Budget requested the funding as part of a group of “anomalies” that need to be addressed, according to documents provided to Congress. Politico, Washington Post‘s “Post Politics.”
Calif. Secretary of State Discloses Depression Battle
On Friday, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen told the Los Angeles Times that she is experiencing severe depression and highlighted the public stigma that can be cast on individuals experiencing mental health issues. Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg said, “Depression is often a hidden disease” and that high-profile individuals — like Bowen — who talk about having depression can help to reduce the stigma around the illness. Los Angeles Times‘ “PolitiCal,” San Francisco Chronicle.
Stakeholders Aim To Boost Rural Enrollment in ACA Coverage
States and advocacy organizations have had more difficulty assisting rural residents in obtaining coverage in states that have not expanded Medicaid and have declined to operate their own state-based insurance exchanges. Such residents will be a key target during the Affordable Care Act’s second open enrollment. Kaiser Health News.
Surveys: Employers Expect Health Care Costs To Rise by 4% to 5%
Separate surveys from PricewaterhouseCoopers, the National Business Group on Health and Towers Watson show that large employers predict health care costs will rise by between 4% and 5% in 2015. The projected cost increase is in line with previous years, but employers are implementing more innovative cost-curbing measures to keep down overall prices. Washington Post.
Calif. Counties Spending More on Inmate Care Amid Realignment
California’s 10 largest counties have spent 16% more on inmate health care since 2011, when the state began sending more inmates to county jails under the prison realignment plan. Other factors that could contribute to rising costs include inmates being in worse physical condition or receiving longer sentences. Sacramento Bee.
More Calif. Health Care Providers Offering Access to Patient Portals
Physicians across California are increasingly giving patients and their caregivers access to online patient portals, which include patients’ medical histories, appointment scheduling tools, secure messaging capabilities and other features. For example, more than one million patients have logged on to a portal offered by Northern California-based Sutter Health. HealthyCal.
Analytics Training Program Launched for Calif. Safety-Net Providers
A new training program launched by the California HealthCare Foundation and the Center for Care Innovations will teach safety-net organizations how to use analytics to address challenges related to electronic health record data extraction and sharing. Health Data Management, CCI release.