Latest California Healthline Stories
UCLA, RAND Researchers Find Futile Care in ICUs Could Affect Care of Other Patients
A recent study by researchers at UCLA and RAND Health finds that patients in hospital intensive care units can miss out on needed treatment if resources are going toward other patients in the ICU who are receiving “futile” care, or “aggressive treatments that prolong life without achieving an effect that the patient can meaningfully appreciate.” During the three-month study period, 33 patients were made to wait in the emergency department for more than four hours after their official admission to the ICU because the unit was operating at capacity — including at least one patient who was receiving futile treatment. KPCC’s “KPCC News.”
Assembly Advances Bill To Make Long-Term Care Facility Inspections Publicly Available
The Assembly has passed a bill that would require the state Department of Social Services to make inspection reports for long-term care facilities publicly accessible on the agency’s website by Jan. 1, 2020. The bill also would require such facilities to fix problems found during inspections within 10 days in most cases. The bill now returns to the Senate for final review. San Jose Mercury News.
Conn. Exchange Leader Tapped To Be First HealthCare.gov CEO
Yesterday, the Obama administration announced that Kevin Counihan, who has led Connecticut’s health insurance exchange, will become the first CEO of the federal exchange. Counihan also will manage the relationships with state-run exchanges and oversee CMS’ Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight. The Hill et al.
UCLA Patients, Providers Using Shared Decision-Making
Health care providers and patients in several treatment areas at UCLA are using surveys, videos and other technologies for shared decision-making. The school also is participating in a CMS-funded national study — called the High Value Healthcare Collaborative — that examines the potential benefits of shared decision-making processes. There are 19 other participants in the study. Health Data Management.
Covered California Executive Director Gets $52K Bonus for Role in Exchange Launch
Covered California has announced it will give Executive Director Peter Lee a one-time, $52,528 bonus related to the launch of the state’s health insurance exchange. Anne Gonzales, a spokesperson for the exchange, said that an estimated 1.2 million state residents enrolled in coverage through the exchange during its first open enrollment period. San Francisco Business Times‘ “Bay Area BizTalk.”
Two Health Care Worker Safety Bills Headed to Governor
California lawmakers have passed a bill that would require hospitals to implement violence prevention plans to protect health care workers. A separate bill advanced by the Legislature would make hospital employees who contract a staph infection eligible for workers’ compensation coverage. Sacramento Business Journal, Sen. Padilla release.
Lawmakers OK Bill To Speed Up Medi-Cal Provider Approvals
The California Legislature has approved a bill that would shorten the wait time for primary care clinics seeking approval to treat Medicaid beneficiaries. The bill — which aims to increase access to care for the more than 1.9 million new Medicaid beneficiaries in the state — now heads to Gov. Brown. Sacramento Business Journal.
Nearly 25% of Calif. Foster Care Children Prescribed Psychiatric Drugs
An investigation by the San Jose Mercury News finds that nearly one in four children in California’s foster care system has been prescribed psychiatric drugs — three times the rates of such prescriptions among children nationwide. The report also finds that the state’s Medicaid program spent more than $226 million on such medications for foster children over the past decade. San Jose Mercury News.
VA Investigation: No Proof That Delayed Care Caused Vets’ Deaths
A Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General investigation into veteran wait time issues did not find any links between care delays and reported deaths. The internal probe follows allegations that 40 veteran deaths might have been linked to delays in care and falsified wait time data. New York Times et al.
Wyo. Officials Considering Medicaid Expansion Amid Budget Concerns
Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead is exploring a possible Medicaid expansion deal with the federal government. Mead and Republican state lawmakers previously have rejected expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, but they appear to be reconsidering amid pressure from hospitals and funding concerns. Los Angeles Times‘ “The Economy Hub,” AP/Seymour Tribune.