Latest California Healthline Stories
Hospital Mergers Are Out. ‘Strategic Alliances’ Are In. Is Obamacare Responsible?
Dignity Health and Kaiser are helping lead a new wave of deal making that focuses less on traditional mergers and more on quality alliances and joint ventures, as providers come together in the wake of the Affordable Care Act.
Health Agency Opposes Bill To Create Children’s Medi-Cal Advisory Panel
A legislative proposal to create an advisory panel to look at children’s health issues in Medi-Cal has an unusual opponent: the Department of Health Care Services.
Big Bills Lurk In Specialty Drug Category
It used to be that your health plan’s annual out-of-pocket maximum was more like the safety net under a high wire: You sure were glad it was there, but you didn’t actually plan to use it. These days, it could take one measly trip to the pharmacy for you to lose your balance and fall […]
Legal Expert Says State May Be Out of Compliance on Autism Therapy Benefit
It’s been almost a month since federal officials released guidance about including coverage of autism therapy as a Medicaid benefit. Not acting on that guidance might expose the state to legal risk, one expert says.
Judge Allows State Conservator To Take Over Public Health Plan’s Finances
The struggle over the financial workings of a public health plan in Alameda County ended last week when a Superior Court judge ruled the state may appoint the conservator of its choice to temporarily run Alameda Alliance for Health.
New Access to HIV Care, New Difficulties in Affordability
The Affordable Care Act offers new coverage opportunities for thousands of HIV-positive Californians who previously were ineligible for private insurance or Medi-Cal. However, the coverage comes with a new set of complexities and often higher prices.
Tribal Health Leaders Ask for Consistency, Assistance From Covered California
California tribal leaders and Covered California officials met to work on unique health coverage problems faced by American Indians ranging from inconsistent interpretations of eligibility to outreach among rural areas without Internet.
California Disease Outbreaks Come Amid New Evidence of Vaccine Safety
Californians opting out of immunizations contributed to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases this year, according to state health officials who point to new research indicating vaccines generally are safe and do not pose long-term health threats.
Older LGBT Patients Have Unique Set of Medicare, Medi-Cal Benefit Issues
The federal approach to benefits for same-sex couples can be confusing, in part because of conflicting recognition and regulation between states — and that can have an effect on California policy.
Website Glitches. Health Literacy Issues. How Navigators Navigated the ACA Launch
Organizations working to enroll consumers in coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges faced a number of challenges, including low consumer health literacy and technical glitches. As HHS reviews the next batch of grant recipients, there are still some questions about the role of navigators and how crucial they are to enrollment.