Latest California Healthline Stories
Flurry of Bills Before Legislative Deadline
Several health-related bills are included in a snowstorm of new proposals being introduced in the California Legislature as a legislative deadline approaches.
Scope of Practice Bill Returns, Would Let Nurse Practitioners Prescribe Medication
Legislation aimed at alleviating the shortage of health care providers would allow nurse practitioners to expand their scope of practice — including prescribing medication.
State Attorney General OKs Sale of Hospitals to Prime, but With Conditions
California Attorney General Kamala Harris approved the controversial sale of six California safety-net hospitals to Prime Healthcare with added conditions that Prime has yet to agree to.
State ‘A Few Weeks’ From Waiver Draft
The Department of Health Care Services is close to finalizing the first draft of the new federal Medicaid waiver, director Jennifer Kent said at her first legislative hearing as head of DHCS.
State Officials Get Earful About ‘Temporary’ Medi-Cal Provider Moratorium from 1999
Lawmakers at a state Senate hearing asked Department of Health Care Services officials to consider ending a 1999 moratorium designed to limit fraud among three types of Medi-Cal providers.
Covered California Will ‘Easily’ Hit Goal
Covered California’s enrollment total hit 474,000 and Medi-Cal sign-ups during the same time reached 779,000 — a total of more than 1.2 million newly enrolled in three months. With a deadline extension, state officials said the exchange would easily hit its goal of 500,000 enrollees.
LAO Report: State Could Lose $1 Billion
The state Legislative Analyst’s Office warns California could lose $1 billion in federal funding if a revised managed care organization tax is not approved.
Soda Warning Label Bill Is Back
A proposal to print a health warning on sugary drinks in California that generated heated debate last year has been reintroduced in the state Legislature.
Patient Satisfaction Among Low-Income Patients on the Rise, Survey Says
Despite concerns about problems with access to care as millions of residents gained health coverage through Medi-Cal expansion or Covered California, patient satisfaction among low-income Californians increased from 2011 to 2014, according to a study by Blue Shield of California Foundation.
Analyst’s Office Cites ‘Shortcomings’ in Mental Health Hospitals’ Administration
Poor budgeting methods, administrative inefficiencies and unclear staffing needs all combine for a low score for the California Department of State Hospitals, according to a new report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office.