Latest California Healthline Stories
UC-Merced, UC-Davis Collaborate on New Virtual Physical Therapy Software
A new version of a gaming system being used for health care applications in the Central Valley may motivate patients, cut costs and deliver efficient care in hard-to-reach situations.
Exchange Expects a Big Final Week, Allows April Completion of Paperwork
Covered California won’t extend its application deadline of March 31, but it will let anyone who has started the enrollment process to finish applications by April 15.
Why Most Health Wonks Aren’t Fretting About This Year’s Biggest ACA Court Case
Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby, argued before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, may end up as “the signature ruling” of this term. But an increasing number of observers are focusing on a different case, heard just down the street on the same day and one level lower on the judicial tree.
San Francisco Adult Day Centers Get Reprieve From 10% Medi-Cal Rate Cut
Worried that cutbacks might force closures and create access problems, California officials have ruled that nine Community-Based Adult Services facilities in San Francisco won’t have their Medi-Cal reimbursements reduced by 10%.
Last Chance: The Obamacare Deadline Is Here
Here it comes, folks, the deadline that I have been harping on for months: March 31 marks the end of Obamacare’s inaugural open-enrollment period and your last chance to sign up for a health plan through the state’s health insurance exchange, Covered California, or the private market. Your last chance, that is, until the next […]
Could ‘Terrible’ Medi-Cal Renewal Form Undermine Recent Gains in Enrollment?
Health care advocates say a “badly designed” questionnaire scheduled to be sent to roughly eight million Medi-Cal beneficiaries could confuse people and result in a big drop in enrollment.
Marijuana Policy Winds Shifting in California
As public sentiment moves toward legalizing marijuana, California lawmakers are considering new statewide regulations for medical marijuana — nearly two decades after California became the first state to authorize its use.
Access, Monitoring Raised as Issues for Denti-Cal Restoration Starting May 1
The Department of Health Care Services is ramping up for the partial restoration in May of adult dental services for Medi-Cal beneficiaries, but concerns were raised at a state Senate budget hearing about the department’s monitoring efforts.
A Few Questions Linger as California Prepares To Eliminate MRMIB Programs
From oversight issues to changing the name of the Access for Infants and Mothers program, a number of caveats arose during the budget elimination of a longtime state agency.
Drug Take-Back Bill Faces Opposition
A new bill in the California Legislature would require drug makers to create, finance and manage a statewide system for collecting and disposing of leftover prescription and over-the-counter drugs. The pharmaceutical industry and other business interests are lining up in opposition.