Latest California Healthline Stories
New Medi-Cal Renewal Forms Are Confusing, Advocates Say
Advocates say that a new Affordable Care Act-compliant renewal form for Medicaid beneficiaries in California could be too complicated and confusing for some individuals, including those who hold multiple jobs or do not file taxes. Others say the changes will streamline the renewal process. HealthyCal.
LAO: State Revenue Will Be $2.5B Higher Than Brown’s Projections
A new report by the California Legislative Analyst’s Office predicts that state revenue will be about $2.5 billion higher than projected in Gov. Brown’s revised fiscal year 2014-2015 budget plan. The news could lead state lawmakers to push for funding for social programs that were cut during the recession, such as mental health care. Los Angeles Times.
Calif. Whooping Cough Diagnoses Triple 2013 Rates, DPH Data Show
New data from the California Department of Public Health show that 1,711 cases of whopping cough were reported in the state between January and April this year. DPH officials say the trend could indicate that “another cyclical peak is beginning” for the illness. AP/Sacramento Bee et al.
California Could Lead U.S. in Closing Coverage Gap for Undocumented Immigrants, Opinion Piece Argues
In a Sacramento Bee opinion piece, three experts argue that California is “set to lead” the country “by closing the gap in coverage left when Congress decided to exclude undocumented immigrants from participating in either the insurance exchanges or the expansion of Medicaid benefits.” The piece was written by San Diego State University professor Enrico Marcelli, UCLA School of Public Health’s Department of Community Health Sciences Chair Steven Wallace and Manuel Pastor, director of the University of Southern California’s Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration. Sacramento Bee.
Bay Area Health Care Employers Add 3,700 Jobs in April
In April, health care employers in the San Francisco-San Mateo-Marin area added 1,600 jobs, according to a report released Friday by the California Employment Development Department. Meanwhile, health care employers in the South Bay added 1,400 jobs and those in the East Bay added 700 jobs. Oakland Tribune/Contra Costa Times.
Many Calif. Schools Lack Access to Free Drinking Water
Nearly 25% of California schools did not meet requirements for access to free drinking water, despite the enactment of legislation in 2011 to improve students’ access, according to a survey published in the American Journal of Public Health. The survey — which was conducted in 2011 by researchers from UC-San Francisco, the California Food Policy Advocates and ChangeLab Solutions — evaluated schools on five free water standards, including having one water fountain for every 25 students. Los Angeles Times‘ “Science Now.”
Facebook-Based Advanced Care Planning Platform Wins CHCF Challenge, Grant
An initiative that aims to use Facebook to communicate end-of-life care directives to family and friends has won the California HealthCare Foundation’s “Catalyzing Communication About End-of-Life Care” challenge. TrueNorth Healthcare has received a grant from CHCF to create the advanced care planning platform. Health Data Management.
Initial 2015 Rate Filings for Health Insurance Exchange Plans Show Potential Double-Digit Increases
The initial crop of premium rate filings for plans sold through the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges in 2015 include a number of double-digit increases stemming from insurers’ incomplete enrollee data, increased taxes and a reduction in re-insurance funds. However, only a few insurers have released the initial 2015 rate filings, and the rate hikes have not yet been finalized by state regulators, which means they might decrease substantially before implementation.
Experts Split on Obama Administration’s New Cost-Control Policy
Federal officials have approved a pricing policy for employer-based coverage and plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges called “reference pricing,” which allows insurers to cap how much they pay for certain procedures. Experts are split on whether it will reduce or raise consumers’ out-of-pocket costs. AP/Sacramento Bee, AP/San Francisco Chronicle.
Report: Better Pricing Transparency Could Save $100B Over Decade
A new report from the Gary and Mary West Health Policy Center finds that the health care industry could save up to $100 billion over 10 years by developing an all-claims database, storing health care procedure prices in electronic health record systems and requiring providers to disclose cost estimates to patients. MedCity News, FierceHealth IT.