Latest California Healthline Stories
Can Health Care Reform Rein in Costs?
One of the main goals of health care reform — lowering the cost of care — was a major focal point last week at a policy forum in San Francisco hosted by the New America Foundation.
“There are a huge set of provisions in [the national health reform law] that are already working to make coverage more affordable,” Herb Schultz, regional director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said. “The truth is, it’s not a 2014 thing,” Schultz said. “There are a heck of a lot of things happening in 2010 and 2011.”
Schultz pointed to the recent enactment of provisions to extend dependent health care coverage to age 26, and the elimination of pre-existing conditions as a basis for denying coverage to children under 19. In the past, taxpayers generally paid for treating those uninsured people, he said, rather than insurers.
A Tale of Two Campaigns: Repeal vs. Reinforce
Republican efforts to do away with health reform have coalesced around a strategy to defund the law. Meanwhile, Democrats will mount a spirited defense of the overhaul timed to its six-month anniversary and the rollout of new provisions.
Deep in the Pile of Health Bills To Be Signed
So quick, tell me what the Maddy Fund is, and why it needs a new law to fix it. Or what’s the big problem with the peer review system in California?
These questions and more will be answered this month by Governor Schwarzenegger, who has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto hundreds of bills passed by the Legislature, dozens of them health care-related.
The Maddy Fund is an emergency medical services fund set up by counties to reimburse physicians, hospitals, poison control centers and other emergency expenses.
Hope, Fear in State’s Community Clinics
There are some in the health care world who contend clinics caring for Medi-Cal patients and the uninsured are doomed to failure. Not so, according to a study released yesterday by the California HealthCare Foundation, which publishes California Healthline.
The report, Financial Health of Community Clinics, found that financially stronger clinics serve a high number of low-income patients and manage to have high reimbursement levels compared to financially weaker clinics.
Carmela Castellano-Garcia can explain that one. She’s president and CEO of the California Primary Care Association which represents more than 800 clinics and health centers in the state.
Politics of Economy May Affect Health Care Policy
Financial concerns from Sacramento to Washington, D.C., are overshadowing the health reform overhaul and could shape implementation efforts moving forward.
Some Fear IPAB Will Be Error of Commission
Proponents of the Independent Payment Advisory Board — which is slated to launch in 2014 — hail IPAB as a transformative effort to ensure needed cost controls, but critics warn that the board will weaken Medicare and harm patient care. Both sides note that IPAB may undergo a makeover before its ultimate debut.
Berwick Takes Reins at CMS, But Reign Might Be Short
Donald Berwick’s selection to run CMS is among President Obama’s most influential policy decisions. However, the White House’s move to install Berwick via recess appointment has been criticized and may complicate his role in the reform law’s implementation.
New Data From Mass. Revive Old Concerns
Massachusetts has served as the proverbial canary in the health reform coal mine, and new findings about rising health costs and access concerns in the Bay State underscore the risks of the nation’s health care overhaul.
New Payment Method May Help Curb Costs, Improve Care
Payment bundling, an important part of national health care reform, is likely to be an integral part of California’s effort to revamp its health care system. The new tool has the potential to deliver lower costs, more efficient reimbursement and better patient outcomes.
High Court Asks Solicitor General’s Opinion in Medi-Cal Case
If the U.S. Supreme Court chooses to hear California’s arguments in favor of reducing Medi-Cal reimbursements, the court’s ruling could have a significant impact on the entire Medicaid program and, in turn, on how health care reform rolls out across the country.