Latest California Healthline Stories
Vaccine Requirement Goes to Governor
The full Legislature has passed a bill to eliminate the personal belief exemption for school children’s immunizations. The legislation still faces one more hurdle: the governor.
Medi-Cal Mental Health Waiver Approved
Integration of physical and mental health in the Medi-Cal program got a boost from federal approval of a five-year extension of the specialty mental health services waiver.
Supreme Court Ripples in California
After yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act subsidies, health care reform advocates and experts in California talked of relief and renewed resolve.
Dental Managed Care Takes a New Tack
A California insurer has shown strong results with a new financial model for paying dental providers combining managed care and fee for service.
Bill To End Intoxicated Patient Diversion
The Assembly Committee on Health approved legislation to stop hospitals from asking police to take their severely intoxicated patients.
Emergency Transport Firms Want a Seat at Medi-Cal Rate Talks Table
A coalition of six emergency transport companies, saying Medi-Cal reimbursement covers one-sixth of the actual cost of emergency ambulance services, seeks a rate increase from the state.
Governor Calls for Special Legislative Session To Address Health Spending
With health care spending high on his list of fiscal concerns, Gov. Brown has called for a special legislative session dealing with Medi-Cal, loss of the managed care organization tax and other health spending issues.
Survey Bolsters Nurse Practitioner Bill
AARP, which has been campaigning for state legislation to expand scope of practice for nurse practitioners, is releasing a survey today that shows strong support for the proposal among older Californians.
Sacramento County Votes To Provide Health Care for Undocumented Adults
Six years after trying to eliminate the county’s indigent care program, Sacramento reversed direction and now will provide the services.
Scathing Auditor’s Report on Medi-Cal
California lawmakers need to ramp up their monitoring of the Department of Health Care Services to make sure Medi-Cal managed care patients can access care, according to a state audit released yesterday.