Latest California Healthline Stories
Calif. Lawmakers Mull Bill Linking Vision Care Plans to Exchange
A bill being considered by the California Legislature aims to create a vision care access council to establish a marketplace for stand-alone vision insurance plans and link it to Covered California. Only pediatric eye care currently is offered by health plans through the state exchange. Sacramento Business Journal.
UC-Davis Study Finds Pesticide Exposure During Pregnancy Linked to Children With Autism
A study by UC-Davis researchers has found a link between pregnant women’s exposure to agricultural pesticides and their likelihood of delivering a child with developmental problems, such as autism. Specifically, the study found that pregnant women who lived within about one mile of a location where pesticides were used had a 60% higher risk of delivering a baby with some form of autism. Sacramento Bee, KQED’s “State of Health.”
Calif. Supreme Court Says Retailers Are Not Required To Have Defibrillators on Hand
On Monday, the California Supreme Court ruled that large retail stores are not required to make defibrillators available in case customers or employees experience sudden cardiac arrest and that such a requirement would be an unfair burden on companies. The court said lawmakers are in the best position to determine if such a requirement should be implemented in the state. AP/Sacramento Bee, Los Angeles Times‘ “L.A. Now.”
10 California Hospitals Likely To Face CMS Penalties for Patient Harm
Ten California hospitals are among the list of 761 facilities likely to be penalized by CMS under the first year of the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program, one of three Affordable Care Act programs that imposes financial penalties on facilities that do not meet performance benchmarks. NPR/KPCC’s “KPCC News,” Kaiser Health News.
KQED Launches Health Care Cost Transparency Project
KQED has launched a new project, called “Price Check,” that aims to boost health care cost transparency by encouraging consumers to anonymously share via an online database the prices they paid for common procedures. For the project — which is funded by the Knight Foundation — KQED is working with KPCC and ClearHealthCosts.com, a New York City startup aimed at boosting health care transparency. ClearHealthCosts in 2012 conducted a pilot version of the project with WNYC public radio in New York. KQED’s “State of Health.”
Public Health Services of San Joaquin County has confirmed the area’s first human case of West Nile Virus this year. Meanwhile, public health officials also have confirmed the first human case of the virus in Contra Costa County this year. Stockton Record, Contra Costa Times.
Va. House Rejects Governor’s Veto of Measure That Could Delay Medicaid Expansion
On Monday, Virginia’s Republican-controlled House of Delegates rejected Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s veto of a provision in the newly enacted state budget that was designed to block him from taking executive action to expand Medicaid access to as many as 400,000 low-income residents. During a legislative veto session, House Speaker William Howell ruled that McAuliffe’s veto of the amendment exceeded the governor’s authority. AP/Washington Times et al.
States, Contractors at Odds Over Payments for Troubled Exchanges
Several states are seeking to recoup millions of dollars in federal funds that they paid contractors for problem-plagued health insurance exchanges. However, some contractors argue that the states are responsible for the costs because they changed deadlines or added new responsibilities after finalizing the contracts. Wall Street Journal, Vox.
DMHC Launches Probe of Anthem, Blue Shield Provider Networks
The California Department of Managed Health Care has launched an investigation into the provider networks for exchange plans offered by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California. The probe comes after consumers filed 115 complaints against Anthem and 97 complaints against Blue Shield. Orange County Register et al.
HHS Unveils New Management Structure for HealthCare.Gov
HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell has announced the creation of new positions to improve oversight of HealthCare.gov. UnitedHealth Group executive Andrew Slavitt will assume the role of CMS principal deputy administrator, and HHS plans to hire a CEO and a chief technology officer specifically tasked with overseeing HealthCare.gov. New York Times et al.