Latest California Healthline Stories
L.A. Health Care Providers Join Local Effort To Provide Skid Row Residents With Necessary Care
On Wednesday, a team of medical, mental health and social service workers walked around Los Angeles’ skid row providing care to low-income residents. The effort was part of a $3.7 million city-county program called Operation Healthy Streets, which launched Aug. 4 and aims to get skid row residents into medical care, rehab or other needed programs. Los Angeles Times.
Kaiser Permanente Reports Q2 Enrollee, Earnings Bump
Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente added nearly 387,000 members in the first half of 2014, with about 75% of that increase was coming from enrollment through Covered California and other insurance exchanges created under the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, Kaiser reported a 25% increase in earnings, reaching $1 billion in the second quarter of 2014. Becker’s Hospital Review, Sacramento Business Journal‘s “BizTalk.”
Health Care Workers in Calaveras Country Must Get Influenza Vaccination, Officials Say
On Tuesday, Calaveras County health officials ordered all licensed health care facilities in the area to require health care employees to get an annual influenza vaccination. Employees who decline to receive the vaccine will be required to wear a surgical mask during influenza season, which occurs between Nov. 1 and March 31. Stockton Record.
Recent Reports Put Pressure on States To Expand Medicaid Programs
Several reports show that states that opted out of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion are foregoing billions of dollars and missing out on a boost in health care-related employment. For example, a recent Urban Institute report finds states that declined to expand Medicaid will “miss out” on at least $420 billion in federal funding. Forbes et al.
CMS Asks 310K Enrollees To Verify Immigration, Citizenship Status
CMS has sent letters to about 310,000 U.S. residents urging them to submit documents verifying their citizenship or immigration statuses by Sept. 5 or risk losing the coverage they purchased through the federal health insurance exchange. A CMS spokesperson says the people receiving the letters failed to respond to several other attempts of contact. New York Times et al.
Facebook Pages for Breast Cancer, Diabetes Most Popular Among Health-Related Pages
Breast cancer and diabetes have the largest presence on Facebook, compared with other common health conditions, according to new research published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. However, researchers noted that most pages for health conditions “were devoted to marketing/promotion, and relatively few pages were devoted to social support.” MobiHealthNews.
WellPoint Announces Plans To Change its Name to Anthem
WellPoint — the second-largest insurer in the U.S. — has announced plans to change the company’s name to Anthem in an effort to promote a more consumer-focused business approach. The insurer already runs several insurance plans under the new name, including Anthem Blue Cross in California. Wall Street Journal.
California Doctors Report Increase in Unnecessary ED Visits
California emergency physicians say they are experiencing an increase in unnecessary emergency department visits after many residents gained health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Observers say a shortage of primary care physicians also could be contributing to the increase in ED use. U-T San Diego.
Calif. Counties Adopt Peer-Run Respites for Mental Health Treatment
Three California counties have implemented mental health respites, and three other counties are in the process of establishing or planning such facilities. The respites — which often are run by individuals who have been consumers of the state’s mental health system — aim to prevent individuals with mental illnesses from being incarcerated or forced into hospitalizations. HealthyCal.
Study: California Pays for 95% of State Employees’ Health Costs
A study released yesterday by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the MacArthur Foundation finds that California paid for an average of 95% of state employees’ total health care costs last year. Meanwhile, 68% of state employees were enrolled in a plan with no deductible. AP/Sacramento Bee et al.