Latest California Healthline Stories
Bill Aiming To Integrate Mental, Physical Health Care Wins Committee Approval
A Senate committee voted unanimously yesterday to change California’s regulations that prevent billing for mental and physical health care treatments on the same day in rural areas.
Assembly Hearing Examines Latinos’ Unpreparedness for Long-Term Care
More than half of California’s Latino families will need long-term care in the next five years, but more than 90% of them can’t afford it, according to testimony yesterday at an Assembly committee hearing.
Exchange Swamped, Bends the Rules
Faced with a deluge of Californians trying to sign up for health insurance on the last day before penalties begin, Covered California officials bent the deadline rules to help people slip in under the wire.
Dooley Lays Out State’s Approach for Developmental Centers
In a legislative hearing last week, California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Diana Dooley addressed the potential transition of developmental center patients to community-based programs.
Poll: Interest Running High in Exchange
Covered California is in for a wave of enrollees in the next few days, according to a poll from the Public Policy Institute of California that says three-quarters of the state’s uninsured plan to get insurance by March 31.
Exchange Expects a Big Final Week, Allows April Completion of Paperwork
Covered California won’t extend its application deadline of March 31, but it will let anyone who has started the enrollment process to finish applications by April 15.
San Francisco Adult Day Centers Get Reprieve From 10% Medi-Cal Rate Cut
Worried that cutbacks might force closures and create access problems, California officials have ruled that nine Community-Based Adult Services facilities in San Francisco won’t have their Medi-Cal reimbursements reduced by 10%.
Could ‘Terrible’ Medi-Cal Renewal Form Undermine Recent Gains in Enrollment?
Health care advocates say a “badly designed” questionnaire scheduled to be sent to roughly eight million Medi-Cal beneficiaries could confuse people and result in a big drop in enrollment.
Access, Monitoring Raised as Issues for Denti-Cal Restoration Starting May 1
The Department of Health Care Services is ramping up for the partial restoration in May of adult dental services for Medi-Cal beneficiaries, but concerns were raised at a state Senate budget hearing about the department’s monitoring efforts.
A Few Questions Linger as California Prepares To Eliminate MRMIB Programs
From oversight issues to changing the name of the Access for Infants and Mothers program, a number of caveats arose during the budget elimination of a longtime state agency.