Latest California Healthline Stories
Va., Wash. Insurer Filings Offer Sneak Peak at 2015 Exchange Rates
Early rate filings in Virginia and Washington suggest that insurers intend to increase premium rates for health plans sold through the health insurance exchanges in 2015 but that those hikes will not be as high as some have anticipated. Wall Street Journal, CQ HealthBeat.
Repealing Employer Mandate Would Have Small Effect, Report Says
A new report from the Urban Institute finds that repealing the Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate would reduce the number of insured U.S. residents by only about 200,000. However, the federal government would lose $130 billion in revenue if the mandate were repealed. Washington Times et al.
Bill Would Allow Undocumented Immigrants To Practice Health Care
A bill in the California Legislature would loosen requirements for state licensing boards — including those that oversee medical licenses — allowing them to accept tax identification numbers in place of Social Security numbers from applicants. The bill is aimed at allowing undocumented immigrants in the state to practice the profession for which they have been trained. Los Angeles Times.
A new pilot project based in Silicon Valley aims to partner midwives and physicians in an effort to drive down the rate of cesarean-section births and early induced labor. The initiative has received $1 million in funding from the wives of co-founders at Google and Yahoo. San Jose Mercury News.
Kaiser Reports 44% Increase in Profits During Q1 2014
Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente’s profits in the first quarter of the 2014 fiscal year jumped by 44% from the same period last year. The not-for-profit organization, which includes health plans and health care systems, reported $822 million in operating surplus on $13.9 billion in revenue in Q1. Modern Healthcare, San Francisco Business Times‘ “Bay Area BizTalk.”
Sacramento Health Care, Education Sectors Expected To Add 6,000 Jobs Over 12 Months
In the Sacramento area, the health care and education sectors will have the largest job growth in the next 12 months, according to a report by the Center for Strategic Economic Research. The data find that those two industries are expected to add more than 6,000 jobs over the next year. Sacramento Business Journal.
Nearly 75% of Physicians Say Doctors Order Too Many Unnecessary Medical Procedures, Tests
Nearly three out of four physicians believe that doctors are ordering too many unnecessary medical tests and procedures for their patients and view this trend as a somewhat or very serious issue, according to a recent survey by the ABIM Foundation. About 600 physicians responded to the survey, which was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. HealthDay News/Philadelphia Enquirer.
ACA Unlikely To Spur Large Increase in Health Care Spending, Report Finds
Health care spending increased by only 7.1% between March 2013 and March 2014, according to a new report from the Altarum Institute. The report suggests that while the Affordable Care Act might be contributing to a small, temporary increase in health spending, it likely is not spurring as large an increase as claimed in a Bureau of Economic Analysis report last month. The Hill.
Report: DOI Regulation of Health Plan Rates Could Hurt Exchange
A proposed ballot measure that would grant the California Department of Insurance authority over health insurance premiums could cause setbacks to Affordable Care Act implementation, according to a report funded by opponents of the measure. The state insurance commissioner refutes the findings. Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert.”
Some Exchange Plan Premiums Could Have Double Digit Increases
An analysis from Avalere Health finds that some insurance premiums on plans sold through the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges could increase by double digits. The analysis notes that the higher premiums are linked to general increases in health care costs, emerging medical technology and the increased use of health care services. The Hill, Avalere release.