Latest California Healthline Stories
80% to 90% of Exchange Enrollees Have Paid Premiums, Insurers Say
Health insurers Aetna, Health Care Services Corporation and WellPoint in prepared congressional testimony say they have received first month premium payments from 80% to 90% of their customers who enrolled through the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges. Their comments refute a recent GOP report that estimated that only about two-thirds of exchange enrollees had paid their first month’s premiums. New York Times et al.
House Democrats Unveil Bill To Fix Mental Health Care System
House Democrats have introduced a bill that would create new federal initiatives to better identify, prevent and treat mental illness. GOP-sponsored legislation that focuses on empowering family members to handle extreme cases of mental illness has stalled. The Hill, CQ HealthBeat.
Most Calif. Small Businesses Say ACA Has Neutral, Positive Effects
A survey by California Bank & Trust finds that 63% of small business owners in the state believe the Affordable Care Act has had a neutral or positive effect on their operations. The survey included more than 680 small business owners across California. Silicon Valley Business Journal, California Bank & Trust release.
California Official Says Measles Outbreak Is Contained
A senior official at the California Department of Public Health said that a measles outbreak that has affected 59 people in the state has been contained, with just three new cases reported in the last two weeks. The official said the outbreak was triggered after several people contracted the disease while travelling outside of the country. Upon their return, the disease spread rapidly, particularly among those who were unvaccinated. KPCC’s “KPCC News.”
Initiative To Create Los Angeles City Health Commission Qualifies for Nov. 4 Ballot
Proponents of an initiative that would create a 15-member Los Angeles city Health Commission to oversee disease monitoring, facility inspections and other services provided by Los Angeles County health departments have gathered enough signatures to qualify the measure for the Nov. 4 ballot. The City Council now has the option of approving the measure outright or sending it to the ballot for a citywide vote. Los Angeles Times.
Calif. Bill Would Guarantee No-Cost Contraception for Men, Women
California lawmakers are considering a bill that would ensure access to no-cost contraception services for both men and women in the state. The California Family Health Council and the National Health Law Program are co-sponsoring the measure, while the California Association of Health Plans, California Catholic Conference and California Chamber of Commerce oppose the bill. Sacramento Business Journal.
Dignity Launches Supplemental Coverage for Nurses Who Are Severely Injured, Killed in Workplace
Under a contract with the California Nurses Association, Dignity Health has launched the RN Accident Prevention Program, a supplemental insurance initiative. The program offers up to $200,000 in compensation if a registered nurse is severely injured or killed during assaults or injuries in the workplace.
CalPERS Receives $12.7M Settlement Over Investments
On Monday, CalPERS announced that the accounting firm Ernst & Young has agreed to pay the pension fund $12.75 million in a settlement over a bond assessment. CalPERS took legal action against the firm in 2011 claiming that it made false statements about the financial viability of some Lehman Brothers stocks and bonds. Sacramento Business Journal.
U.S. Uninsured Rate Falls to Lowest Level Since Jan. 2008, Poll Finds
A new Gallup-Healthways Well-Being poll finds that the nation’s uninsured rate has dropped from 18% in the third quarter of 2013 to 13.4% in April, its lowest level since January 2008. The decline coincides with the implementation of Affordable Care Act’s insurance exchanges. Washington Post‘s “Wonkblog” et al.
Massachusetts To Scrap Insurance Exchange Site Amid Glitches
Massachusetts officials have announced plans to scrap its glitch-plagued health insurance exchange website and create a new site using off-the-shelf software. The state also will simultaneously prepare to transition to HealthCare.gov in case development of the new exchange site takes too long. The Hill et al.