Latest California Healthline Stories
How Obama Immigration Order Might Affect Medi-Cal Enrollment
President Obama’s executive order on immigration may lead to a modest spike in Medi-Cal enrollment in California, according to some advocates.
State Asking for Continued CHIP Funds
California HHS Secretary Diana Dooley came out strongly in favor of continued federal funding of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, but the funding has yet to be approved by Congress.
Autism Treatment Concerns Raised
Two months after announcing the state would cover autism therapy for Medi-Cal beneficiaries, 105 children have received the service and the backlog for diagnostic evaluation may be as long as a year.
Tobacco Tax Proposal Set To Rise Again
After a number of failed legislative attempts and two narrow ballot-measure losses, the proposal to raise the tobacco tax is officially back at $2 a pack.
One-Quarter of Possible Participants Have Opted Out of the Duals Project
About 50,000 dual-eligibles have now enrolled in Cal MediConnect, but the opt-out rate is high, particularly in Los Angeles County. Overall, more than 100,000 Californians eligible for Medi-Cal and Medicare have chosen not to participate.
State Tweaks Timeline for Duals Project
Alameda County has been dropped from the state’s duals demonstration project and automatic enrollment in Orange County will be delayed at least one more month.
Exchange Bus Tour ‘Resonating’ With Californians as Open Enrollment Nears
A week on a bus may not seem like grand fun, but for some Covered California officials barnstorming the state this week, it is an “eye-opening experience.”
Promising Epilepsy Rx from UC-Davis
A new treatment for extremely severe epileptic seizures was found to be effective with no side effects in the first clinical use of an experimental medication, according to UC-Davis researchers.
Medi-Cal Enrollment Jumps to 11.3 Million
Enrollment in Medi-Cal continues to rise and now includes almost one-third of the state’s population. The number of beneficiaries — estimated now at about 11.3 million — is likely to dip after the renewal period ends.
Pressure Ratchets Up on Pending Sale of Six Safety-Net Hospitals to Prime
A number of California legislators have joined the chorus of concerns about the impending sale of six Daughters of Charity hospitals, asking the state attorney general’s office to nix the sale.