Latest California Healthline Stories
Cedars-Sinai Didn’t Make the List in Year 1. What Will Year 2 of Narrow Networks Hold?
Covered California’s goal of expanding access to coverage didn’t mean that customers had access to all providers, as health plans chose to leave one of the state’s best — and priciest — hospitals off their provider lists. One year later, does the decision still make sense? And what will happen in the upcoming enrollment period?
Calif. Senate OKs Diabetes Action Plan
The state Senate passed a bill calling for state officials to create a diabetes assessment and action plan that could lay the groundwork for future legislation by establishing the disease’s cost to the state.
Does Covered California Really Have You Covered?
A worrisome trend is emerging among some Californians who thought they were safe and secure under Covered California: Their plans are being canceled without consent and sometimes without notice. Take Ricki Manahan, who lives in Truckee, a mountain town north of Lake Tahoe. Manahan and her husband signed up for an Anthem plan from Covered […]
Judicial Ruling on East Bay Hospital’s Closure Complicated by Patient’s Death
The fate of Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo — and the people served by it — could be decided in an upcoming Superior Court ruling.
High-Priced Drug Makes Its Way Into California Prisons
California Correctional Health Care Services, which oversees clinical care and prescriptions for 125,000 inmates at 34 prisons, last month began using the expensive hepatitis C drug Sovaldi. The treatment has sparked a congressional investigation and a debate over its price.
Bill Linking CalFresh to Medi-Cal Eligibility Set To Head to Governor
A Senate committee and Assembly floor vote last week put red bows of approval on a legislative package to share eligibility determination between CalFresh and Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
Legislature Backs Bill Pushing State To Accept $6 Million Medi-Cal Grant
This week, the Assembly passed a bill to require the state to accept a $6 million grant to help Medi-Cal enrollees renew their benefits. The author of the bill says the state’s rejection of the California Endowment grant stems from the Department of Finance wanting to limit Medi-Cal renewals to cut costs.
Bill Requiring Paid Sick Leave Headed for Floor Vote in Senate
State legislators will decide in the next couple weeks whether California should follow Connecticut’s lead and become the second state to require employers to provide paid sick leave for workers.
Bill Curbing Narrow Networks Opposed
A bill restricting California insurers’ use of narrow provider networks faces opposition as it moves toward a floor vote in the Assembly.
Can the ACA Solve Staggering Prescription Drug Prices?
Many Americans believe the ACA should act as a salve for all things that ail the nation’s health care system. In light of the ongoing debate over the high cost of Gilead’s new hepatitis C treatment, what is the law doing to hold down prescription drug prices?