Latest California Healthline Stories
Assistants Could Do More Under Proposed Bill
If medical assistants could do more, then physician assistants could do more, and that would free primary care physicians to do more. That’s the theory behind a bill that won committee approval yesterday in the California Assembly and now heads to a floor vote.
Transparency Sought for Health Care Department
One of a few bills still making its way through the committee process at the end of the California Legislature session seeks to bring a higher level of transparency to the Department of Health Care Services.
Senate Report Examines Goals for Alzheimer’s Care
The Senate Office of Research released a report focusing on the “impending public health crisis” of Alzheimer’s disease in California.
Less Hidden Information by Exchange Under New Bill
A Senate committee this week approved legislation to increase transparency at Covered California, the state’s health benefit exchange.
Bill Would Exempt Some Skilled Nursing Facilities From Cut
The effort to reverse a Medi-Cal reimbursement rate cut still is moving forward as an urgency measure, even though the Legislature already passed a budget.
First MCO Tax, Next Comes Rate-Setting
State officials reached an agreement on reinstating the managed care organization tax in part by addressing several of the desires of the institutions being taxed.
Floor Vote Coming for ‘De-linking’ Plan
A legislative committee yesterday questioned a proposal to “de-link” some provisions of the Coordinated Care Initiative and to expand the role of the Department of Finance in the state’s plans for covering Californians eligible for Medicare and Medi-Cal.
Plan for Autism Medi-Cal Benefit Rejected
State officials eliminated a plan to cover applied behavioral analysis — known as ABA therapy — as an essential health benefit for autistic children in Medi-Cal.
Bill Would Extend Private Plan Requirement To Cover Autism Therapy
An Assembly committee this week approved a bill to extend a requirement that private health insurers include a form of autism therapy in their California benefit plans.
Yamada Takes a Lonely Stand on ADHC Bill
A proposed bill to protect adult day health services was opposed by the people it was designed to benefit, and the author refused any amendments. Predictably, lawmakers rejected the bill.