Latest California Healthline Stories
Will Health Care Reform Lead to a Single-Payer System?
Health care advocates are evaluating reform proposals offered by Gov. Schwarzenegger and leaders of the Assembly and Senate as short-term strategies to address flaws in the health care system, possibly interim steps toward a single-payer health system.
EHR Adoption Efforts Should Focus on Small Practices
A survey of physicians in Massachusetts found that practice size strongly correlated with EHR adoption, as 52% of practices with 7 or more physicians reported using an EHR, compared with just 14% of solo practices.
Pay for Performance a Factor in Medicare Reform
California HMOs have adopted pay-for-performance programs at a higher rate than the national average, and other states are encouraging CMS to adopt the programs, which some see as a way of addressing the sustainability of Medicare and Medicaid.
Retail Clinics Catering to Uninsured Hispanics
Some health care advocates question whether retail clinics offer patients comprehensive care, but operators of such clinics say they are providing services that are otherwise inaccessible to some patients.
San Francisco Moves Forward With Health Access Plan
San Francisco leaders say the plan to provide health care access to all city residents will withstand any potential legal changes, and health care advocates see the plan as an important step in health care reform.
Kaiser Transplant Program Could Spur More Oversight
The collapse of an organ-transplant program last month at the largest and one of the most highly regarded HMOs in the country is sending ripples of worry through the health care community.
Health Insurance Expansion Efforts Draw Attention
Efforts to reduce the number of uninsured residents are drawing new attention after Massachusetts approved a health insurance mandate last month. California legislators are among those debating what the plan could mean for health care reform efforts.
Health Coverage Mandates Raise New Issue in Debate
At least 30 states nationwide are considering legislation to require that large employers spend a percentage of their payroll on health care coverage for employees. Supporters say the efforts are intended to shore up Medicaid and other safety-net programs, but employers say such bills raise larger issues.
California Pay-for-Performance Programs Draws National Attention
As outcomes of a pay-for-performance program in California are reviewed this week, CMS and other groups consider the program as a model for similar efforts across the U.S.
Will PBMs Drive Up or Curb Medicare Drug Costs?
Pharmacy benefit managers play a central role in the Medicare drug benefit, leading some health care players to question what effect PBMs’ involvement will have on costs under the new benefit.