Latest California Healthline Stories
State ‘A Few Weeks’ From Waiver Draft
The Department of Health Care Services is close to finalizing the first draft of the new federal Medicaid waiver, director Jennifer Kent said at her first legislative hearing as head of DHCS.
State Officials Get Earful About ‘Temporary’ Medi-Cal Provider Moratorium from 1999
Lawmakers at a state Senate hearing asked Department of Health Care Services officials to consider ending a 1999 moratorium designed to limit fraud among three types of Medi-Cal providers.
Covered California Will ‘Easily’ Hit Goal
Covered California’s enrollment total hit 474,000 and Medi-Cal sign-ups during the same time reached 779,000 — a total of more than 1.2 million newly enrolled in three months. With a deadline extension, state officials said the exchange would easily hit its goal of 500,000 enrollees.
LAO Report: State Could Lose $1 Billion
The state Legislative Analyst’s Office warns California could lose $1 billion in federal funding if a revised managed care organization tax is not approved.
Soda Warning Label Bill Is Back
A proposal to print a health warning on sugary drinks in California that generated heated debate last year has been reintroduced in the state Legislature.
Patient Satisfaction Among Low-Income Patients on the Rise, Survey Says
Despite concerns about problems with access to care as millions of residents gained health coverage through Medi-Cal expansion or Covered California, patient satisfaction among low-income Californians increased from 2011 to 2014, according to a study by Blue Shield of California Foundation.
Analyst’s Office Cites ‘Shortcomings’ in Mental Health Hospitals’ Administration
Poor budgeting methods, administrative inefficiencies and unclear staffing needs all combine for a low score for the California Department of State Hospitals, according to a new report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office.
Cost Drivers and How To Steer Them
Expensive drugs got much of the blame last week during a legislative hearing hoping to pinpoint the major cost drivers in the state’s health care system.
Health Reform Expert Peter Harbage Dies
The health policy world in California is mourning the death of a big contributor to the health care reform effort.
Boxer, Feinstein Back State Bill To End ‘Personal Belief’ Vaccine Exemptions
Both U.S. senators from California came out in strong support of ending most childhood immunization exemptions in the state, calling the issue a public health necessity.