Latest California Healthline Stories
Rural Frail, Elderly Beneficiaries Being Shifted to Medicaid Managed Care Plans
A year after launching its rural expansion of Medi-Cal managed care, the state now wants to shift about 24,000 of its most frail and elderly rural beneficiaries into managed care plans.
Decision Time for East Bay Hospital
A last-ditch effort to save the emergency department at Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo is about to encounter a significant hurdle in a county board of supervisors’ meeting.
New Legislative Strategies May Emerge To Raise Medi-Cal Reimbursement Rates
Ever since the Legislature agreed to reduce Medi-Cal provider payments by 10% in 2011, lawmakers have struggled to reverse the cuts. This year, there could be a more targeted approach.
Study Shows Need for Payment Reform, According to California Physicians Group
New research from UC-Berkeley shows costs per patient among hospital-owned physicians groups are higher than in groups owned by physicians themselves.
Death-With-Dignity Group Working To Get Bill Introduced in Sacramento
A national group advocating death-with-dignity laws is zeroing in on California after a well-publicized case of a Californian who moved to Oregon to take advantage of Oregon law.
How Obama Immigration Order Might Affect Medi-Cal Enrollment
President Obama’s executive order on immigration may lead to a modest spike in Medi-Cal enrollment in California, according to some advocates.
State Asking for Continued CHIP Funds
California HHS Secretary Diana Dooley came out strongly in favor of continued federal funding of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, but the funding has yet to be approved by Congress.
Autism Treatment Concerns Raised
Two months after announcing the state would cover autism therapy for Medi-Cal beneficiaries, 105 children have received the service and the backlog for diagnostic evaluation may be as long as a year.
Tobacco Tax Proposal Set To Rise Again
After a number of failed legislative attempts and two narrow ballot-measure losses, the proposal to raise the tobacco tax is officially back at $2 a pack.
One-Quarter of Possible Participants Have Opted Out of the Duals Project
About 50,000 dual-eligibles have now enrolled in Cal MediConnect, but the opt-out rate is high, particularly in Los Angeles County. Overall, more than 100,000 Californians eligible for Medi-Cal and Medicare have chosen not to participate.