Latest California Healthline Stories
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.
Disease Outbreaks Prompt Vaccine Bill, Possible State Action at Preschool Level
A bill in the California Legislature seeking to end the personal exemption for childhood immunizations may be followed by a bill calling for immunizations for preschoolers in the state.
Narrow Networks Can Limit Patient Choice, but Are They Affecting Provider Behavior?
While most of the focus on narrow networks in the Affordable Care Act’s exchange plans has been on how they affect consumers, some health policy insiders have begun considering the impact of such plans on providers. But is it too soon to tell the full effects of such networks on hospitals and physicians?
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.
Should Terminally Ill Californians Have the Right To Choose How, When They Die?
We asked legislators, physicians, nurses, religious leaders and consumer advocates to weigh in on a proposal in the state Legislature that would give terminally ill Californians the right to ask for medical help to end their lives.
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.
New UC Medical Center Supports Obama’s Precision Medicine Initiative
UC-San Francisco’s new $1.5 billion hospital complex at Mission Bay opened its doors Feb. 1 with plans to use new technology and patient-centric care to pursue its mission to expand precision medicine, one of President Obama’s fast-track initiatives.
How Two States Are Addressing Consumer Concerns About Narrow Networks
Insurers, regulators and state and federal lawmakers spent a good portion of last year belatedly acknowledging consumer complaints about health plans limited provider networks, learning more about the problem and drafting nascent solutions. Here’s a look at how two states are handling the issue.