Latest California Healthline Stories
When Health Plans Drop Your Doctor: Are Narrow Networks a Bad Idea?
Many health plans on Covered California and other insurance exchanges exclude some prominent doctors and hospitals. The trade-off — less access for lower prices — has raised concerns and even spurred lawsuits, but experts say it’s the likely direction for the nation’s health system.
The New Heath Coverage Gap: Will Obama or States Take Action To Close It?
A new health coverage gap is emerging in states that are not expanding Medicaid. Experts wonder whether states will act to help residents who are affected or if the Obama administration will provide aid.
How Should the Affordable Care Act Be Judged? How Will It Be Judged?
There’s a rush to judgment when it comes to the Affordable Care Act, particularly of the rocky rollout of HealthCare.gov. But when the dust settles, how should the law be judged? “Road to Reform” consulted experts to find out.
How Can State Hasten Payment Reform?
California is ahead of the national payment reform curve, but even in the Golden State most reimbursement for care is still measured by volume, rather than quality. We asked stakeholders how California can move more quickly and efficiently to a value-based payment system.
How Many People Are Losing Their Plans Under Obamacare, Really?
The swirl of political attention around “Obamacare cancellation letters” has tended to ignore the policy realities — including that most people receiving cancellation letters are being offered other plans. Here’s a closer look at how many plans are being canceled and four other key questions dogging the Affordable Care Act’s latest hot-button issue.
Inland Empire Clinics Work To Ease Demand on Hospital EDs
Community health centers in the recession-battered Inland Empire are focusing on collaboration to steer patients to primary care settings and away from emergency departments.
What Medicare Part D Can — and Can’t — Teach Us About the Affordable Care Act
Increasingly, observers are cautioning: Don’t rush to judgment about the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplaces, because the launch of Medicare Part D was rocky, too. But comparing the two programs makes less and less sense as the weeks go by.
Cities, Counties Helping Covered California
Along with thousands of people hired to help Californians enroll for health insurance in the new statewide marketplace, some city and county governments are joining the effort “because it’s the right thing to do.”
Obamacare Mandates: Why the Fairness Debate Doesn’t Matter
In a “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” interview, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius found herself unable to rebuff the host’s frequent questions about whether it is fair to delay the Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate but not its individual mandate. Health experts have weighed in, but is such a debate necessary at this point?
Should Obamacare Be Delayed — And More to the Point, Can It?
Mounting problems with the federal health insurance exchange have sparked widespread concern, and even supporters of the ACA are turning critical. Experts weigh in on whether the individual mandate and other elements of Obamacare should, or even can, be delayed if the problems persist.