Latest California Healthline Stories
Obama, Romney Health Care Differences Detailed in Study
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney would dismantle most of the federal Affordable Care Act and make sweeping changes to Medicare and Medicaid, according to a study released Wednesday by UCLA’s Center for Health Policy Research.
The side-by-side analysis of health care proposals in the 2012 presidential contest found stark policy differences between the former Massachusetts governor and President Barack Obama, said Shana Alex Lavarreda, the report’s co-author and director of UCLA’s Health Insurance Studies Program.
“I think the choice is very clear,” she said. “It wasn’t hard to find major distinctions.”
How Should Exchange Handle Vision, Dental Coverage?
Federal guidelines provide some direction, but state insurance exchanges are largely on their own when deciding details of offering vision and dental coverage under the Affordable Care Act. We asked stakeholders and consumer advocates what California should do.
‘No Debate,’ Cleveland Clinic’s Great. But How To Replicate?
At last week’s debate, both President Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney agreed on one point: The Cleveland Clinic is a model for U.S. health care. But the men had different visions for how to realize similar reforms.
Watch Sears and Darden, Not Obama vs. Romney, for Future of Health Care
Sears Holdings and Darden Restaurants are adopting a new direct contribution model for their employees’ health benefits, a change that may prompt other major companies to follow suit.
FTC, Calif. AG Put Pressure on M&A — and Confuse Providers
Compete — or consolidate? Lawmakers can’t seem to decide which approach they want hospitals and doctors to follow, and the mixed messages are causing confusion.
Can Health Policy Contribute to Drop in Crime Rate?
Two significant changes in California’s health system — federal reform and realignment of state and county responsibilities for government health programs — offer new opportunities to improve the way things work in California on many fronts, including the criminal justice system, according to some. We asked experts to explain how.
Exchange Considers Community Grants for Outreach
Stakeholders and board members mapped out marketing strategies focusing on community outreach for California’s new Health Benefit Exchange at a board meeting this week in Sacramento.
Board members realize new rules and opportunities coming into play in 2014 as part of national health reform may be confusing for many Californians and they hope to make the process as simple and straightforward as possible.
The exchange’s staff is planning ways to use community-based grants to educate Californians on how and where to sign up for health care. The exchange is paying particular attention to communicating with populations it considers hard to reach, including rural and lower income Californians, according to Juli Baker, chief technology officer for the exchange.
Forum Examines Specifics of Bending the Cost Curve
A forum organized by a Massachusetts health policy research institute explored ways California policymakers and health care providers can combat the spiraling costs of health care ranging from adhering to prescription drug regimens to avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations.
The Exchange by Any Other Name
Now there are four.
At yesterday’s meeting of the state’s Health Benefit Exchange board, Chris Kelly, the exchange’s senior advisor for marketing and outreach, presented the four finalists in the project to pick a new name for the exchange — the name that will be used to market the exchange’s choices and services.
“We brought forward about 13 names last time [at the Aug. 23 board meeting],” Kelly said, “including Wellquest and, of course, Avocado — that is still a crowd favorite.”
Kelly prefaced his presentation by reiterating that each proposed name includes a marketing package with a unique logo and tagline — “a voice of its own,” as Kelly put it.
California Could Lose $61B in Medicare Pay. Does it Matter?
A new analysis projects the impact of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicare cuts on California: at least $61 billion over a decade. It’s a striking figure — but the effect on patients and providers is still unclear.