Latest California Healthline Stories
Does Obama Deserve Blame for Mandate’s Troubles?
Candidate Obama opposed health reform’s individual mandate; President Obama signed the mandate into law. Why did the president shift his thinking — and will the decision haunt his signature legislation?
Clues to How the Supreme Court Might Rule on Health Reform
The fate of the Affordable Care Act rests in the hands of the Supreme Court justices, who next week will hear oral arguments over three days. How the court might rule is a hot topic — and several historic court decisions provide some hints as to which way the case will go.
On the Health Reform Trail: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
At the two year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, California has made significant progress in establishing an insurance exchange and undertaking other provisions of the law. However, the road ahead is marked by uncertainty, and California must meet more challenges before the job is done.
Health Care Reform Driving Physicians Together
Hospitals increasingly are employing physicians, while independent doctors are teaming up to jointly contract with health insurers — driven in large part by the Affordable Care Act. Both trends have led to larger provider networks, though the effect on health care costs is not yet clear.
Are ACOs Casting a Wide Net for Patients?
With the launch of the Pioneer Accountable Care Organization Model in January, health care provider organizations have been working to build their patient bases. Early signs point to a heated competition among Pioneer ACOs to attract a diverse population now in order to reap financial benefits in later years.
Assessing the First Year of CMS’ New Innovation Center
In a report released earlier this month — “One Year of Innovation: Taking Action to Improve Care and Reduce Costs” — the CMS Innovation Center summarizes what it’s been up to in its first year of existence: 16 initiatives involving more than 50,000 health care providers in all 50 states.
Making a Place for Small Businesses in Exchanges
Health insurance exchanges for small businesses are set to go online in 2014, alongside state-based exchanges for the individual market. Recent research shows that the success of the so-called Small-Business Health Options Program will be based on whether it can offer more plan choices and contain costs.
State Choices on Essential Benefits May Become More Complicated
Stakeholders are responding to HHS’ recent bulletin giving states a large hand in determining “essential health benefits” to be offered through insurance exchanges in 2014. In California, officials are trying to determine how to handle a growing list of state-mandated benefits within the exchanges.
Why We Can’t Get National Malpractice Reform
National medical malpractice reform has been stalled for years, and a newly released White House memo helps underscore why federal efforts have been a non-starter.
State of the Union: Time To Trim the Regulatory Fat in Health Care?
President Obama scarcely mentioned health care in last night’s speech — and perhaps that’s more of a metaphor than the president intended. In keeping with the Obama administration’s efforts to cut through “red tape,” efforts are growing to rein in federal health care regulations.