David Gorn

David Gorn was a Sacramento correspondent for KFF Health News until 2016.

@dgornreports

Governor’s Vetoes: Medi-Cal Message?

A number of health-related bills were turned down by the governor this week, leading some health care experts to wonder if the vetoes may be sending a Medi-Cal austerity message to legislators and advocates.

Employers’ Reform ‘Scorecard’ Shows Continuing Shift in Value-Oriented Pay

California has a higher percentage of value-oriented care — such as capitated payment systems — than most of the country, but the national numbers are inching closer, according to a national report on payment reform released today.

Report: State Exchange Could Do More for Asian/Pacific Islander Population

Covered California had strong enrollment numbers in some parts of the Asian community, but it still has a long way to go in terms of outreach efforts to other Asian groups and Pacific Islander communities, according to a new report.

Data, Oversight Cited as Central Needs To Improve State’s Mental Health Services

Ten years after California voters passed Proposition 63 and created the Mental Health Services Act, the Little Hoover Commission is looking at how well that act is working and what still needs to be done to make it better.

Medi-Cal Application Backlog Will Be ‘Down Significantly’ Within Six Weeks

Toby Douglas, director of the state Department of Health Care Services, answered a range of Medi-Cal questions at an Assembly hearing yesterday, including when the current backlog of a quarter-million eligibility applications will be processed.

UC-Davis Study Links Autism to Low Iron Intake in Some Mothers

Mothers over age 35 or those with metabolic conditions, such as obesity and hypertension, who had low iron intake during pregnancy and immediately following birth were five times more likely to have a child with autism spectrum disorder, according to a new UC-Davis study.