Latest California Healthline Stories
Stop-Loss Bill Heads for Senate Floor Vote
The Senate Committee on Appropriations yesterday approved a bill to ban a certain type of selection criteria when insurers issue stop-loss health care coverage to small employers.
The bill was one of a small mountain of bills before the Appropriations committee yesterday. The policy committees have finished their legislative work for this session, and bills need to either clear Appropriations this week or be put on suspense to wait for next session. The committee yesterday put 76 proposed laws on the suspense file.
Wal-Mart Could Transform Health Care. But Does it Want to?
Companies like Walgreen and CVS has gotten considerable attention for inching into health care in recent months. But Wal-Mart remains the looming giant that could shake up delivery and access.
Managed Care Tax Decision Left Until New Budget Proposal Arrives
Distrust ran high yesterday during part of a budget subcommittee hearing when the subject turned to reinstitution of a managed care organization tax.
The MCO tax instituted in 2009 had the singular distinction of being embraced by the ones being taxed because the money was matched by federal dollars and was used to support the Healthy Families program. In the long run, health insurers made their money back and the state had more federal dollars in its coffers.
The MCO tax expired in December. The Brown administration wants to keep it going with one big difference: Since the state eliminated Healthy Families, a transition that started in January and runs through the end of this year, the governor would like to put the MCO tax money into a rainy-day fund for the state.
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.