Latest California Healthline Stories
State Closing Last Three Developmental Centers; Community ‘Blindsided’ by Plan
At a state Senate subcommittee hearing yesterday on the pending closure of California’s remaining developmental centers, advocates expressed concern over what one called an “unrealistic” timetable.
Scope of Practice Bill Sent to Senate Floor
The California Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill that would expand the scope of practice for some optometrists in an effort to ease the primary care provider shortage.
Budget Bargaining Begins in Earnest
California’s improving economic outlook could prompt a more aggressive legislative spending push when budget bargaining gets underway in earnest this week in Sacramento.
Governor Plans To Put Federal Children’s Health Money Into General Fund
In Gov. Brown’s May budget proposal, new federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program has been absorbed into the general fund as $381 million in savings.
Covered California Takes Conservative Fiscal Move Toward Self-Sufficiency
The state’s health benefit exchange, largest in the nation, is on schedule to support itself by next fiscal year — and that means scaling back this year.
Assembly Committee Squashes Soda Tax
The Assembly Committee on Health yesterday turned thumbs down to a proposed tax on sugar sweetened beverages in California.
Coalitions Form To Get Slice of Budget
A $10 million TV advertising campaign is part of new efforts to put pressure on the governor and lawmakers to make more room in the budget for health care programs — particularly children’s health.
California Proposes To Expand Incentive Pay for Some Medi-Cal Providers
An incentive payment program for hospitals and shared savings for managed care plans are included in California’s new Medi-Cal waiver proposal being negotiated with federal regulators.
Senate Select Committee Hears Strategies To End Child Poverty in California
State senators heard policy recommendations for ending child poverty in California during a hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Women and Inequality this week.
Scorecard: Less Than Half of Medicare Payments Tied to Value
A new scorecard from Catalyst for Payment Reform shows that while there is progress in tying Medicare payments to value, there’s still a long way to go.