Latest California Healthline Stories
Is California Ready for Millions of Newly Insured?
Not only does the state face a challenge in training enough health care workers to care for millions of newly insured Californians in 2014, state officials also have to figure out how to distribute the workforce efficiently, according to the Center for the Health Professions at UC-San Francisco.
Kim Dempsey of NCB Capital Impact Discusses Ways To Boost Capacity of Community Clinics
Kim Dempsey, director of innovation and strategy at NCB Capital Impact, spoke with California Healthline about recommendations for improving the operations of community health centers.
Health Care Lobbying in California Tops List in Record Year
Health care issues generated $35.7 million in lobbying last year in California, leading the way to a record year. Lobbyists earned more money from more clients in California in 2011 than ever before, according to the secretary of state.
Health Care Reform Driving Physicians Together
Hospitals increasingly are employing physicians, while independent doctors are teaming up to jointly contract with health insurers — driven in large part by the Affordable Care Act. Both trends have led to larger provider networks, though the effect on health care costs is not yet clear.
Central Valley Residency May Stay Open
Paul Hensler, CEO of Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield, said yesterday he plans to keep the family practice residency program intact.
Two weeks ago, the hospital announced it was closing that residency program to the incoming class of six residents, though the program itself would continue. Yesterday, Hensler said he and community members have been working hard to come up with a solution to keep the program.
“There are two scenarios,” Hensler said, “to either make the [Family Practice] department more cost-effective, or to develop a collaborative program with the community here.”
Are ACOs Casting a Wide Net for Patients?
With the launch of the Pioneer Accountable Care Organization Model in January, health care provider organizations have been working to build their patient bases. Early signs point to a heated competition among Pioneer ACOs to attract a diverse population now in order to reap financial benefits in later years.
New California Law Seeks To Expand Telehealth Services for Medicaid Beneficiaries
April Armstrong and Thomas Nesbitt of UC-Davis Health System, Mario Gutierrez of the Center for Connected Health Policy, Jen Lang-Ree, a nurse practitioner in California, and Jonathan Lopez, a dermatology patient, spoke with California Healthline about a new law that expands and streamlines telehealth services in the state.
California Lags in Nurse-to-Resident Ratio Despite Increase in Nursing School Graduates
Deloras Jones of the California Institute for Nursing & Health Care, Pamela Lassetter of the Fresno Regional Workforce Investment Board and DeAnn McEwen of the California Nurses Association’s Council of Presidents spoke with California Healthline about the state’s nurse-to-resident ratio.
Report Looks at SHOP Exchange Viability
The first series of forums put on by Small Business Majority went to small towns and cities across California to raise the notion of a business-specific health insurance exchange — the Small Business Health Options Program, known as SHOP. The idea is to pool small business resources and buying power — separate from the California Health Benefit Exchange’s individual market — so business owners can get a better, more financially stable option for health insurance.
Now, a second set of forums — with experts from California, as well as from other states that have tried similar projects — has finished. This week the Small Business Majority released a report summarizing the points brought up in those forums.
“Affordability is the number one issue to small business owners,” according to Terry Gardiner of Small Business Majority. “Most companies who have not offered insurance say it’s because it’s too expensive, they cant afford it. And the ones who actually are providing coverage, they are struggling.”
Few People Aware of Medical Review Program
It has been 11 years since California launched its Independent Medical Review program, an appeals process that allows Californians to challenge denial or delay of coverage by private health care insurers.
In the Capitol Building in Sacramento yesterday, a policy briefing laid out the findings of a new report on IMR that includes praise for its effectiveness and some recommendations on how to make the program stronger.
The briefing was sponsored by the California HealthCare Foundation, which commissioned the report and publishes California Healthline.