Committee Approves More Funding for IT System, Hopes To Ease Backlog Issue
State officials — who say an inadequate computer system is partly to blame for a backlog of 900,000 Medi-Cal applications — won approval yesterday from a budget subcommittee to increase funding for the state’s IT enrollment system.
UC-Berkeley Study Validates Legislation To Insure Undocumented in California
A new study released two days before related legislation is due to be heard in committee suggests costs of providing health insurance for all Californians — including undocumented individuals — would be relatively low and the payoff relatively high.
How Should California Officials Deal With ‘Specialty Tier’ Pricing of Drugs?
We asked stakeholders and health care experts how California should handle “specialty tier” pricing of prescription drugs, a practice that requires some consumers to pay higher out-pocket-prices for some medications.
Poised for Growth, Commercial ACOs Also Face Considerable Challenges
Accountable care organizations formed by private insurers and health systems face different requirements and challenges than those regulated by CMS. As commercial organizations increasingly jump on the ACO bandwagon, other private entities will be watching from the sidelines to see if they find success.
Questions Raised Over Medi-Cal Estimates
Legislative analysts and consumer advocates raised questions at a budget subcommittee hearing this week over the state’s estimates of the number of new Medi-Cal enrollees and how much they might cost the state.
Panel Takes on State Health Care Issues
An impressive lineup of speakers assessed the state of health care reform in California at a panel discussion yesterday in Sacramento staged by the Public Policy Institute of California.
High-Priced Drug Could Be Deal Changer
Sovaldi, a drug for treating hepatitis C, has the potential to be a canary in the coal mine of drug policy. Government officials, insurance companies and consumers in many countries are grappling with the problem of how to pay for the effective but costly medication.
Developmental Center Plan Outlined
An Assembly subcommittee last week heard details of a plan to spend $13 million to restructure California’s developmental centers.
Judgment Delayed on Potential State Takeover of Alameda Alliance for Health
The fate of an Alameda County health plan remains in legal limbo until next week when a judge is scheduled to hear the case on whether the state will be allowed to take control of it.
Rate Regulation Battle Lines Drawn
Strategies are taking shape in the battle over a ballot initiative to give California officials regulatory authority over health insurance rate increases. Two days after proponents staged a rally denouncing huge cash reserves held by Kaiser Permanente, opponents released a study finding that such regulation could throw a wrench in reform efforts.