Latest California Healthline Stories
Podiatry Gets Vote as Medi-Cal Benefit
The California Assembly yesterday unanimously approved a bill to reinstate podiatric services as a Medi-Cal benefit.
Soda Warning Bill Passes Committee; Plan To Insure Undocumented Does Not
A bill to provide health coverage to the state’s undocumented population stalled in committee last week, but another high-profile health bill seeking warning labels on sweetened beverages advanced.
Committee Approves More Funding for IT System, Hopes To Ease Backlog Issue
State officials — who say an inadequate computer system is partly to blame for a backlog of 900,000 Medi-Cal applications — won approval yesterday from a budget subcommittee to increase funding for the state’s IT enrollment system.
UC-Berkeley Study Validates Legislation To Insure Undocumented in California
A new study released two days before related legislation is due to be heard in committee suggests costs of providing health insurance for all Californians — including undocumented individuals — would be relatively low and the payoff relatively high.
Questions Raised Over Medi-Cal Estimates
Legislative analysts and consumer advocates raised questions at a budget subcommittee hearing this week over the state’s estimates of the number of new Medi-Cal enrollees and how much they might cost the state.
Panel Takes on State Health Care Issues
An impressive lineup of speakers assessed the state of health care reform in California at a panel discussion yesterday in Sacramento staged by the Public Policy Institute of California.
Developmental Center Plan Outlined
An Assembly subcommittee last week heard details of a plan to spend $13 million to restructure California’s developmental centers.
Judgment Delayed on Potential State Takeover of Alameda Alliance for Health
The fate of an Alameda County health plan remains in legal limbo until next week when a judge is scheduled to hear the case on whether the state will be allowed to take control of it.
Almost One-Third of Hospital Patients in California Have Diabetes, Study Says
The dramatic rise in diabetes translates into a $1.6 billion annual hospitalization cost in California, according to a new UCLA study.
Hospitals, Providers, Advocates Irked by What’s Left Out of Budget Revision
Some numbers may be stronger in his May budget revision, but Gov. Brown is resisting calls to restore many of the cuts made in previous bad budget years.