Medicare

Latest California Healthline Stories

Undocumented Immigrants Help Keep Medicare Solvent, According to New Study

New research measuring undocumented immigrants’ contributions to the Medicare program has implications for efforts to extend Medi-Cal coverage to undocumented immigrants, according to California officials.

If Not IPAB, Then What?

There’s bipartisan support for legislation that would eliminate the Affordable Care Act’s Independent Payment Advisory Board, meaning that one of the few ways to limit Medicare spending growth could soon be gone. What other tools could control Medicare spending?

Medicare ‘Doc Fix’ Affects Non-Doctor Providers, Too

The replacement for Medicare’s sustainable growth rate formula affects not just physicians, but also nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists and other types of providers. Leaders of several California provider groups say the new law will help improve beneficiaries’ access to care.

Scorecard: Less Than Half of Medicare Payments Tied to Value

A new scorecard from Catalyst for Payment Reform shows that while there is progress in tying Medicare payments to value, there’s still a long way to go.

If Calif. Ends Coordinated Care Initiative, What Happens to Frail Senior Duals?

If state officials halt the duals demonstration project in January 2016, the move could jeopardize the transition to managed care for thousands of frail, elderly Californians in the Multipurpose Senior Services Program.

If Duals Project Is Curtailed, Future Is Cloudy for Program for Frail Seniors

As part of California’s duals demonstration project, the state is phasing out the Multipurpose Senior Services Program designed for some of the frailest beneficiaries of Medicare and Medi-Cal. But that demonstration project itself could be ended prematurely.