Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Obama, Democratic Leaders Push for Swift Action on Reform
President Obama has called for both houses of Congress to pass health care reform legislation before lawmakers adjourn for the August recess. House Democrats stepped up to the plate and unveiled their proposal yesterday, and the Senate HELP Committees approved its bill this morning.
Bill Would Amend Medicare Payment Inequities Among California Counties Classified as Rural
Larry deGhetaldi of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Elizabeth McNeil of the California Medical Association and Tom Mentzer, spokesperson for Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.), discussed the proposal with California Healthline.
Medicare Reimbursements in Some California Counties Spark Federal Legislation, Lawsuit
Santa Cruz physician Larry De Ghetaldi, Rep. Sam Farr and Elizabeth McNeil of the California Medical Association discussed the push for higher Medicare reimbursements with California Healthline.
Medicare Payment Delays Push California Physicians To Stop Accepting New Patients
Mike Barlow of Palmetto, Dev GnanaDev of the California Medical Association, and Sandra Newman and Julian Delgado of the California Academy of Family Physicians discussed the situation with California Healthline.
State To End Part B Premium Payments for Some Beneficiaries
Thousands of low-income seniors will soon be responsible for paying $96.40 monthly premiums for Medicare Part B that California previously had paid. Senior advocates worry that the change will push some beneficiaries to opt out of Part B, which covers outpatient care.
Aging Population Could Push Major Changes to Health Care
An Institute of Medicine report released last week called for major changes in the health care system to meet the needs of an aging population. One of the report’s authors said changes could be of the same scale as those that came out of the emergence of HIV/AIDS.
State Partnerships for Long-term Care Policies Under Fire
California health officials defend the state’s public-private partnership that urges people to buy long-term care insurance, but consumer advocates caution consumers to examine such policies carefully before taking the plunge.
California Seeks Changes to Medicare Audit Program
CMS has piloted a Medicare audit program in California since 2005, but many California hospitals, nursing homes and now lawmakers say there are major problems in the program and are calling for it to be re-examined before it is rolled out nationwide.
Aging Californians Challenge State Health Care System
California policymakers are struggling to deal with the implications of a dramatic increase in the number of elderly Californians. Some of the major issues: a shortage of geriatric health care specialists, limited long-term care options and increasing numbers of Alzheimer’s patients.
Pay Attention to Prevention: A Message That People Don’t Hear
New statistics show that Medicare beneficiaries are not using the preventive care benefits that the program covers. Health care advocates assert that the situation could contribute to more serious illnesses developing later, pushing Medicare officials to plan wider outreach efforts.