Health Care Costs

Latest California Healthline Stories

Four Myths About ObamaCare That Just Won’t Die

Has any piece of major legislation ever engendered as much misinformation? More than two years after the Affordable Care Act passed, both critics and supporters are still telling tall tales — and coming up with new ones, too.

State Loses Bid To Cut FQHC Rates, Restructure Pay System

Two budget subcommittees recently rejected an attempt by the state Department of Health Care Services to rework the way it pays federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics. The proposal included a funding cut of 10%, or about $100 million, to those centers.

From Supreme Court to Appeals Court

Yesterday’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court had a ripple effect in California, influencing a number of lawsuits in the state over health care cuts.

Four lawsuits have been filed over the 10% Medi-Cal provider rate cuts, and in all four cases, a federal judge has issued a temporary injunction blocking those cuts. In another court case, an injunction halted 20% trigger cuts to Californians receiving In-Home Supportive Services.

All of those cases were waiting to see what the Supreme Court would decide in Douglas v. Independent Living Center of Southern California. Yesterday’s decision to send that case back to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals was a huge victory for patient rights’ groups, according to Melinda Bird, a Disability Rights California attorney.

Assessing the First Year of CMS’ New Innovation Center

In a report released earlier this month — “One Year of Innovation: Taking Action to Improve Care and Reduce Costs” — the CMS Innovation Center summarizes what it’s been up to in its first year of existence: 16 initiatives involving more than 50,000 health care providers in all 50 states.

Health Care May Play Part in California Political Makeover

With retirements on both sides of the aisle, new congressional districts and new voting rules, California’s political makeup is headed for change in both Washington, D.C., and Sacramento. A couple of health care issues — a controversial Medicare plan in Congress and a state ballot proposal to regulate health insurance premiums — could play a part in how those changes happen.