Latest California Healthline Stories
Study: Insurers Are Palliative Care Innovators
Six major health insurers in California are expanding access to palliative care by providing more specialized case management and opening up the hospice benefit beyond its Medicare boundaries, according to a new study expected to be released today.
The study, “A Better Benefit: Health Plans Try New Approaches to End-of-Life Care,” is accompanied by a second paper in today’s scheduled release: “End-of-Life Care in California: You Don’t Always Get What You Want.” The two papers are funded and published by the California HealthCare Foundation, which publishes California Healthline.
The study of the six largest health plans was based on interviews with stakeholders and with health plan directors, as well as reviews of published studies and academic reports, to determine the extent of palliative care alternatives at those plans.
Are High-Risk Pools a Preview of Obamacare’s Failure?
Two months ago, the Obama administration suspended enrollment in an Affordable Care Act program that offers insurance coverage for sick residents. Some observers say the move is indicative of larger ACA snags to come, while others say the high-risk pools have isolated problems.
Competition Spurs Northern Expansion in San Diego
Health care providers are expanding their reach in San Diego’s wealthier northern communities as declining reimbursements and changes to the delivery system under the Affordable Care Act alter the economic environment for health care.
Public Involvement in Managed Care Licensing?
Thirteen bills came before the Assembly Committee on Health yesterday and all 13 were approved, but not all them got a red-carpet reception.
One of the bills that stirred up opposition from health plans was a proposal by Assembly member Roger Dickinson (D-Sacramento) to open the managed care licensing process to public scrutiny and input.
“We know that millions more Californians will attain coverage under the Affordable Care Act, along with millions more in the impending Medi-Cal expansion, and [the effort] to move current enrollees in Healthy Families and other programs into Medi-Cal managed care,” Dickinson said, “making it an opportune time to apply for managed care licensure.”
Immigrant Health Care: Many Not Eligible for Medicaid Expansion
A study finds that a significant portion of low-income individuals in states like California and Texas would not be helped by a potential Medicaid expansion because of their immigration status. The states are assessing other avenues of coverage.
Spring Recess Gives Way to Spring Work
The California Legislature yesterday returned to work after a 10-day spring recess. A small mountain of bills is in front of lawmakers who have until May 31 to pass bills off the floor.
Health care legislation up for discussion includes:
Douglas Updates Legislators on Health System Changes
California’s health care system is undergoing its biggest changes in almost 50 years. Toby Douglas, director of the agency at the eye of the health care storm, updated legislators on the progress of some of the changes in a hearing last week in Sacramento.
Committee Votes to Remove Limits on Coverage for UC Students
The Assembly Committee on Health last week voted to halt caps on health care coverage for some UC students. Currently, coverage for the roughly 135,000 students covered by UC plans runs out at $400,000, which can be catastrophic to students who develop rare and severe conditions, such as brain cancer.
“We want to make sure that UC students receive the same reforms as are in the Affordable Care Act,” said Assembly member Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), author of AB 314, which passed the Assembly Committee on Health last week by a 13-4 vote. Under the Affordable Care Act, caps on care cost have been removed.
“We want to ensure, if [UC students] get a serious illness like cancer, they’re not left without care,” Pan said.
Five Things Obamacare Got Right — and What Experts Would Fix
The Affordable Care Act celebrates its third birthday this week. Will it be a happy one? In the eyes of experts, here’s a look at what the law got right — and what deserves a do-over.
As Mass. Goes, So Goes California? Questioning the Safety Net’s Future
Although county officials are worried that expanded insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act could prompt newly insured Californians to turn away from safety-net facilities, Massachusetts health reformers say that hasn’t been their experience.