Latest California Healthline Stories
Committee OKs Pricing Transparency Bill
The Assembly health committee yesterday approved a bill to establish an all-payer claims database in California, a move toward what one expert called the ‘missing piece’ of health care reform — pricing transparency.
Cost Containment Bill Goes Down
A Senate proposal to limit in-office physician referrals failed in committee yesterday. The bill was aimed at cost containment, according to its author, Sen. Ed Hernandez.
Emotions Run High Over Senate Bill To Restructure Exchange Board
A Senate committee came close last week to rejecting a bill to expand the size of the Covered California board of directors even though the measure didn’t have official opposition.
Exchange Success Helps Nudge First Budget Near a Half-Billion Dollars
Those 1.2 million exchange enrollees came at a price. Covered California ran quite a bit over budget this year in part because of the tremendous success of exchange and Medi-Cal enrollment efforts.
Bills To Raise Medi-Cal Provider Rates Unanimously Pass First Hurdle
A bill to increase Medi-Cal primary care provider rates to Medicare reimbursement levels was unanimously approved by the Assembly Health Committee this week. A companion bill reversing cuts in Medi-Cal payments also passed unanimously.
Should California Strengthen School Immunization Rules?
We asked stakeholders how California legislators and policymakers should respond to two growing trends: the number of kindergartners starting school without standard vaccinations and an increase in communicable diseases like measles and whooping cough.
How a Legal Decision in Florida Might Affect California’s Autism Therapy Policy
A debate about autism treatment policy in a California Senate hearing today could be influenced by a court ruling in Florida.
How California Took the ‘Lead’ on Obamacare — and Why It’s Too Early To Take a Victory Lap
One-point-four million sign-ups on the insurance exchange. One-point-nine million Medicaid enrollees. When it comes to raw Obamacare enrollment figures, no other state comes close to California. The state has claimed its role as the lead car, but it’s still on the first lap of a multiyear race, experts say.
Assembly Health Committee Votes for More Primary Care Residency Slots
One response to the problem of too few primary care physicians in California is to increase the number of residency slots in underserved areas, according to a bill approved unanimously by the Assembly Committee on Health yesterday.
As Enforcer Of Obamacare, The IRS Faces Limits
Americans love their tax refunds. I know I do. So why is conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh advising his listeners to avoid them? In a word, Obamacare. “If you structure your taxes so that you do not get a refund, you do not have to buy insurance and you do not have to pay […]