Latest California Healthline Stories
New Stewardship Responsibilities, Costs Proposed for Drug, Needle Manufacturers
Dealing with medical waste — unused drugs and used needles and syringes — is generating new policy questions in California: Whose responsibility is it and who pays?
California Works To Help Small Businesses Navigate State Exchange
Rep. Ami Bera from Sacramento County, David Chase of the Small Business Majority, San Francisco business owner Virginia Donohue and Anne Gonzales of Covered California spoke with California Healthline about the growth and benefits for small businesses to enroll in the state’s health benefit exchange.
Los Angeles, Orange Counties Grapple With Shortage of Nursing Instructors
Attracting faculty at nursing schools is a challenge for some schools in Southern California, according to stakeholders. With nursing faculty members in short supply, experts worry that the number of new nurses will not be enough to meet growing demand.
When Health Plans Drop Your Doctor: Are Narrow Networks a Bad Idea?
Many health plans on Covered California and other insurance exchanges exclude some prominent doctors and hospitals. The trade-off — less access for lower prices — has raised concerns and even spurred lawsuits, but experts say it’s the likely direction for the nation’s health system.
Building a New Health Care Workforce
An Assembly committee last week staged a hearing on statewide health care workforce shortages in Bakersfield, where providers are especially scarce, according to legislators.
Licensed midwives no longer need to be under the supervision of a physician and are restricted to attending to normal births under a bill signed into law Thursday.
California Weighs Policy Changes To Address Provider Shortage
Bill Barcellona of the California Association of Physician Groups, Dawn Benton of the California Society of Health System Pharmacists, Sen. Ed Hernandez and Paul Phinney of the California Medical Association spoke with California Healthline about legislative efforts to address the state’s primary care physician shortage.
Governor Signs Physical Therapy Bill
A bill allowing California patients to seek treatment from a physical therapist without a physician’s referral was signed into law Monday.
Stanislaus County ACO Shows Remarkable Results in Four Key Benchmark Metrics
From emergency department visits to length of hospital stays, a number of higher-quality, lower-cost metrics have borne fruit in a new patient-centered accountable care program in the Central Valley.
Pharmacist Practice Bill Going to Governor
State legislators passed a bill that expands practicing autonomy of California pharmacists in an effort to relieve pressure on primary care providers.