Latest California Healthline Stories
California Seeks Changes to Medicare Audit Program
CMS has piloted a Medicare audit program in California since 2005, but many California hospitals, nursing homes and now lawmakers say there are major problems in the program and are calling for it to be re-examined before it is rolled out nationwide.
L.A. County Works To Preserve Emergency Department Care After Hospital Closures
Bruce Chernof of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and Jim Lott of the Hospital Association of Southern California discussed the situation with California Healthline.
California Seeks Fines, Penalties Against Insurers for Claims Processing Violations
Cindy Ehnes, director of the Department of Managed Health Care, and Santiago Munoz of the UC Health System spoke with California Healthline about the state’s record fines against PacifiCare for alleged improper claims handling.
Budget Cuts Could Further Limit Provider Pool for Denti-Cal Enrollees, Groups Say
Liz Snow of the California Dental Association and Carmela Castellano-Garcia of the California Primary Care Association discussed the governor’s proposed changes in the dental program for low-income Californians.
Funding Crunch Could Stall Progress on Emergency Preparedness in California
Leigh Hall of the Sonoma County Department of Health Services, Mark Horton of the state Department of Public Health and Jeff Levi of the Trust for America’s Health spoke with California Healthline about funding for disaster preparedness.
Will Health Care Reform Come Down to Dueling Ballot Measures?
Recent history suggests that Californians might be faced with competing ballot initiatives aimed at reworking California’s health care system in November 2008, and a key backer of a single-payer health care system isn’t ruling out the possibility of seeking voter approval for such a system.
Retail Clinics Make Inroads in California, Despite Some Hesitation
California insurers are taking a cautious approach to retail clinics as they open more locations throughout the state, underlining some of the lingering questions over how retail clinics will affect the health care system.
Costs Push Americans To Look Abroad for Health Care Services
With health care costs on the rise, more U.S. residents are considering traveling overseas to undergo medical procedures, often at a fraction of the cost the operation would cost stateside. Health care advocates say the trend highlights shortcomings in the U.S. health care system.
California Grapples With Questions Over Kids’ Health Insurance
Given the stalemate between Congress and President Bush, California has taken steps to adopt waiting lists and begin dropping children from programs funded through the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. However, some advocates are questioning the legality of such moves.
Aging Californians Challenge State Health Care System
California policymakers are struggling to deal with the implications of a dramatic increase in the number of elderly Californians. Some of the major issues: a shortage of geriatric health care specialists, limited long-term care options and increasing numbers of Alzheimer’s patients.