Latest California Healthline Stories
Exchange Ponders Adult Vision Benefit
Covered California is considering adding adult vision benefits to insurance coverage sold through the exchange.
Governor Signs Bill Allowing Mid-Level Practitioners To OK Resuscitative Edicts
California physician assistants and nurse practitioners can approve patient wishes regarding resuscitative measures under legislation approved yesterday by the governor.
Feds OK State’s Drug Medi-Cal Waiver
Federal health officials gave the green light to California’s plan to revamp and better coordinate physical and mental health services delivered in Medi-Cal.
Effort Ramps Up To Establish MCO Flat Tax as Legislature Reconvenes
As the Legislature heads back to work today, replacing the vanishing tax on managed care organizations is the centerpiece of the special session on health care spending. One legislator suggests a flat tax.
State Wants Public Health Innovations
Health officials issued an “innovation challenge” to drum up new ideas and fresh community health approaches.
Advocates, CMS Warn Providers About Continuing Medicare ‘Balance Billing’
A CMS report says low-income seniors and those with disabilities often are billed for copayments, deductibles and other forms of shared payments, which is against the law.
Hearing Targets Foster Kids’ Medication
Foster children are prescribed psychotropic medications at a higher rate than other kids, and lawmakers convened to find out what’s being done about it.
Survey: Doctors Wary of Quality Metrics
Half of primary care physicians have a negative view of quality-of-care metrics, and they worry that those measures could compromise care, a new survey says.
Duals Allowed To Designate an Assistant
State health officials have established a process allowing dual eligibles to designate a friend or relative to make decisions about enrollment choices.
Clinton Meets With Home Care Workers
Home care providers and consumers gathered in Los Angeles yesterday to meet with Hillary Clinton in a roundtable format.