Latest California Healthline Stories
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.
Notice, Grace Period at Issue in Rescission Rules
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones filed a cross-appeal in the ongoing fight over how to implement California’s 2010 passage of AB 2470, authored by then-Assembly member Hector De La Torre (D-South Gate). The bill, approved by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, banned rescission of consumers’ health coverage except in cases of non-payment or fraud.
The rules laid out by Commissioner Jones spelling out how insurers needed to comply with the law were challenged in court by the Association of Life & Health Insurance Companies in 2011. This year, on Feb. 1, the association filed an appeal of a decision by Sacramento Superior Court judge Michael Kenny, and on Feb. 25, the Commissioner announced his department filed a cross-appeal on two different aspects of the ruling.
Jones is appealing the judge’s decision to narrow the scope of the noticing requirement. Jones also is asking for a more-defined grace period before insurers can rescind coverage based on non-payment.
Pharmacies, Not-for-Profit Groups Could Help Enroll More Californians
Covered California wants to work with retail stores and pharmacies to help make people aware of and sign up for coverage through the exchange. It also has launched a major campaign to involve community groups in the outreach effort.
Bridge Plan Approved by Exchange Board
California’s Health Benefit Exchange board yesterday approved a plan to seamlessly allow low-income Medi-Cal managed care beneficiaries to choose a health plan offered by the exchange, now known as Covered California.
The idea is to allow movement between Medi-Cal and Covered California when beneficiaries’ circumstances change, so more people can stay insured without disruption. The exchange plans to launch the program in April 2014.
Up to 840,000 Californians could be eligible for it, according to David Panush, director of government relations for Covered California.