Latest California Healthline Stories
Judge Orders Wording Changes to Berkeley November Ballot Initiative on Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax
On Tuesday, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Evelio Grillo ruled that the words “high-calorie, sugary drinks” in a Nov. 4 Berkeley ballot initiative are “partial and misleading” and must be replaced with “sugar-sweetened beverages” However, the judge upheld language in Measure D that the tax would be on the distributor of such beverages and not the customer. Contra Costa Times.
Covered California To Begin Outreach for Second Enrollment Period
Next week, Covered California officials will launch an advertising campaign to encourage residents to renew their health coverage or enroll in an exchange plan for the first time during the marketplace’s second open enrollment period, which begins on Nov. 15. Los Angeles Times, New York Times.
Calif. Bill Aims To Increase Access to Drug To Treat Opiate Overdoses
A bill has been sent to Gov. Brown that would allow pharmacists to provide over-the-counter access to a drug used to reverse respiratory depression caused by overdosing on painkillers, such as morphine and oxycodone. If the bill is signed into law, California would be the fifth state to enact such a measure. KPBS.
State, Federal Governments To Pay Tax on Medicaid Plans
The federal and state governments this year will pay at least $700 million in taxes on Medicaid plans as part of an estimated $8 billion tax levied on insurers under the Affordable Care Act. The tax is being collected for the first time this year and is due Sept. 30. Kaiser Health News.
Calif. Hospitals Should Discharge Homeless Patients to Community Providers, Editorial Argues
A Los Angeles Times editorial argues that California “hospitals should work on discharging the homeless to local community providers.” In August, Glendale Adventist Medical Center agreed to pay the city of Los Angeles $700,000 to settle allegations that the facility over the past four years dumped individuals with mental illnesses on skid row without the city’s consent. The editorial notes, “This is the third hospital in less than a year that [Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer] has settled with over charges of so-called patient dumping.” Los Angeles Times.
Calif. Plan To Reduce Isolation of Mentally Ill Inmates Approved
A federal judge has approved a plan aimed at reducing the number of California inmates with mental health issues who are housed in solitary confinement units. The plan calls for more access to treatment and increases the time inmates can spend outside of isolation. Los Angeles Times et al.
Obama Administration Delays Some Meaningful Use Requirements
CMS has issued a final rule that will allow health care providers and eligible professionals to continue receiving meaningful use incentive payments even if they have not yet adopted electronic health record software that was certified in 2014. CMS also said that the start of Stage 3 of the program will be delayed from Jan. 1, 2016, to Jan. 1, 2017. The Hill et al.
CMS Proposes Settlement Over Hospitals’ ‘Two-Midnight’ Rule Appeals
CMS has offered to pay hospitals 68% of what they billed the government for claims denied by Medicare for short-term care under the “two-midnight” rule. The settlement payments would apply only to admissions prior to Oct. 1, 2013, and would exclude payments for beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Part C. New York Times et al.
10 Bills To Overhaul Assisted-Living Facilities Await Brown’s Approval
Gov. Brown has until Sept. 30 to approve or veto ten bills aimed at overhauling the state’s assisted-living industry. Eight of the measures were part of a larger package of bills, called the RCFE Reform Act of 2014. U-T San Diego, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform website.
Some California Hospitals Have Not Yet Met Earthquake Preparation Requirements
About 12% of California hospitals that received the lowest seismic performance rating have not yet upgraded their buildings to comply with a 20-year-old law that requires hospitals to remain operational in the event of an earthquake, according to data from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. Some of those hospitals face a Jan. 1, 2015, deadline, while others have until 2020 to make the required upgrades. Lawmakers are considering a bill that would grant hospitals a short extension. KQED’s “State of Health.”