Latest California Healthline Stories
Plan Proposed to Cover Autistic Children
A Senate subcommittee last week proposed a $50 million solution to temporarily address the lack of coverage of a type of autism treatment under Medi-Cal — a gap in care that recently affected hundreds of Healthy Families children when the state moved them to Medi-Cal managed care plans.
The new proposal would appropriate $50 million to make sure Medi-Cal children with autism are able to receive applied behavioral analysis treatment — known as ABA therapy — through the end of 2013. The assumption is that ABA therapy will be available as an essential health benefit under the Affordable Care Act starting in 2014.
“Clearly this item is to bridge a gap of service,” said Sen. Bill Monning (D-Monterey), chair of the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, at a hearing last week.
How Do California Small Business Owners Feel About ACA?
In the wake of a Gallup poll showing that almost half of the country’s small business owners predict the Affordable Care Act will be bad for business, we asked stakeholders to assess the mood in California. The new state health exchange is scheduled to announce insurers and premiums for the “SHOP” small business exchange early next month.
School Nurses Case to Supreme Court
The California Supreme Court today will hear oral arguments about the safety and well-being of schoolchildren with diabetes. The case centers on school nurses, but nursing leaders say it could set precedent for the practice of nursing in California.
Cash-strapped school districts across the state have laid off school nurses, creating a dilemma for diabetic children who need insulin shots during school hours.
The state has argued that non-medical personnel can administer the shots. State officials say requiring nurses to do the job endangers children’s ready access to insulin injections and puts their health at risk.
Low Costs and Narrow Networks: Inside Covered California
Why are some top insurers sitting out — and several top hospitals being pushed out — of the Golden State’s health insurance exchange? Here’s a look at the payers and providers that won’t be participating next year, and what their absences mean.
Federal Court Upholds 10% Medi-Cal Provider Cut
The United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday upheld the right of California to impose a 10% rate reduction on providers of Medi-Cal services.
The long-awaited ruling is the last judicial step, short of the U.S. Supreme Court, for the controversial cut to hospitals, physicians, emergency transport and dentists. Provider groups have said they would likely appeal the rate reduction to the Supreme Court.
The federal ruling lifted the injunctions on implementing the reductions. Outside of a Supreme Court appeal, the federal judicial panel clearly stated there would be no further appeals considered.
‘Free Data’ Movement Gets Boost From Big Conference
The future is bright for real-life, real-time projects based on open-source health data, according to experts who gathered in San Francisco last week for the Healthy Communities Data Summit.
Exchange Rates Make ‘Great Day For California’
Covered California, the state’s health benefit exchange, yesterday announced a rate structure for its health insurance plans that came in at a much more affordable price than first projected.
That was great news for exchange officials and it accounted for much of the pomp around that rare circumstance during yesterday’s announcement.
“This is really a great day for California,” said Diana Dooley, secretary of the state’s Health and Human Services agency and chair of the Covered California board. “We have come a long way and we have a long way to go,” she said. “We are moving to make Californians healthier and give them the financial security they need.”
Task Force To Examine Developmental Centers
Diana Dooley, secretary of the state’s Health and Human Services agency, yesterday announced formation of a task force to take a hard look at the viability of closing four developmental centers in California.
“I don’t know if the four developmental centers we operate can all close,” Dooley said. “I want to hear from the stakeholders with an open mind. Clearly there is a problem with these centers, but we also have to address the fiscal issues. If they cannot operate, then we should look at a timeline for closing them.”
Developmental centers in California have come under fire recently — with allegations of chronic abuse of patients, investigations by multiple government agencies and loss of federal certification. The state has taken a number of steps, particularly at Sonoma Developmental Center, to investigate possible abuses and improve safety of the centers’ clients.
Exchange Premiums Closely Watched by Industry, Nation
“Everyone will be watching what goes on in California” this week, according to health insurance industry leaders. The state’s new health insurance exchange announced which insurers will offer coverage in Covered California and how much they’ll charge.
How Obamacare Could Change Medi-Cal For the Better (and Worse)
The Affordable Care Act will help boost Medi-Cal enrollment, which could lead to positive trickle-down effects for California, but observers warn that the program is already dealing with funding and access concerns.