Latest California Healthline Stories
Hospitals Reduce Charity Care To Encourage ACA Exchange Coverage
Hospitals are curtailing their charity care programs as many face reduced federal aid for serving uninsured and low-income populations under the Affordable Care Act. Hospital executives say that the move will help encourage those individuals to purchase coverage through the ACA’s insurance exchanges. New York Times.
Doctor Counseling Program Bill Shelved, EpiPen Bill Advances
A bill that would have established a statewide, voluntary treatment program for physicians with mental health or substance misuse issues has been shelved. Meanwhile, California lawmakers advanced a bill that would require school districts in the state to stock emergency epinephrine auto-injectors, or EpiPens. Los Angeles Times, Sen. Huff release.
Newly Restored Medi-Cal Dental Benefits Prompt California Dental Insurer To Bolster Staff
Delta Dental of California is looking to hire dozens of auditors and customer service representatives in Rancho Cordova to handle an influx of Medi-Cal patients. An estimated 2.5 million adults are expected to qualify for newly restored dental benefits under the Medi-Cal program. Sacramento Business Journal.
Stanford Researchers Create Wireless Implant That Could Boost Treatment of Various Illnesses
A team of researchers at Stanford University has invented a tiny wireless implant that could transform medical treatment. The system is part of a growing field called bioelectronics that aims to treat individuals with electronics, rather than drugs or bulky medical devices. San Francisco Chronicle.
Appeals Court Rules California Hospital Not Liable for Data Breach
A California appellate court has ruled that Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage is not legally responsible for a breach of more than 500,000 patients’ personal data because they did not contain complete information on medical histories. Health Data Management, Business Insurance.
Researchers Use Yelp To Track Foodborne Illnesses
Restaurant review websites could help local public health officials better track and monitor outbreaks of foodborne illnesses, according to a study published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. For the study, researchers analyzed about 294,000 food review posts on Yelp that included keywords, such as diarrhea, sick and vomit. Washington Post‘s “To Your Health,” New York Times.
A civil grand jury in Santa Cruz County is calling for better communication between jail staff and medical personnel at the county’s Main Jail after several inmates died. The deaths occurred as the jail used medical providers with the California Forensic Medical Group, but the jury determined that the outsourcing group had fulfilled its contractual obligations. Santa Cruz Sentinel.
HHS Announces $840M in Grants for Health Care Delivery Improvement Plans
HHS on Thursday announced new federal grant programs to help health care organizations and states develop innovative and cost-saving improvements to states’ health care payment and delivery systems. Under the second round of the Health Care Innovation Awards program, up to 12 recipients will share as much as $110 million in combined funding over a three-year period to test care delivery models designed to improve outcomes and lower costs. The Hill.
CMS Expands Medicare Prior Authorization Pilot Project
CMS has announced plans to expand a Medicare anti-fraud demonstration project that requires certain medical devices and equipment to receive prior authorization before delivery or claims are submitted. The project is currently underway in seven states, including California, and will expand to another 12 states. The Hill, CMS release.
Covered California Urging Insurers To Expand Provider Networks
At a board meeting yesterday, Covered California officials said the exchange is working to address consumers’ concerns by encouraging insurers to expand their provider networks as it negotiates contracts for 2015. Three insurers in the state already have added doctors to their exchange networks. KQED’s “State of Health.”