Latest California Healthline Stories
‘The Passage of Power’ and the Passage of Medicare
A long-awaited biography of Lyndon Johnson goes inside White House strategy in the early 1960s. Does the battle to pass Medicare hold any lessons for today?
Mixed Reviews at Basic Health Program Briefing
The state Legislature is considering a bill to create a Basic Health Program in California. If adopted, SB 703 by Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina) would create low-cost health care insurance for as many as one million low-income Californians.
One of the options offered states in the Affordable Care Act, the Basic Health Program shares some goals with the Health Benefit Exchange, though the cost of insurance is expected to be significantly lower under the BHP.
That prospect would seem to be a slam-dunk proposition for patient advocates, but it’s not as simple as that.
How Should California Respond if Part or All of ACA Is Struck Down?
California, which has embraced and prepared for reform more aggressively than most states, might have the most to lose if the rules change. We asked policymakers and stakeholders how California should respond if the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down part or all of the Affordable Care Act.
Advocates Hope ACA Will Knit Children’s Patchwork
Hoping the Affordable Care Act will knit together a patchwork of protections, advocates for children’s health coverage await the Supreme Court’s ruling with an uncomfortable mixture of worry and optimism.
A Second Opinion on Medicare ‘Double Counting’
Myth or fact: There’s no such thing as an honest Medicare budget. Why the latest blow-up over health care accounting is symptomatic of a larger problem.
Essential Health Benefit Bill Clears Committee
Bill Monning, chair of the Assembly Committee on Health, knew the moment was a big one.
“We are serving as policymakers in extraordinary times,” Monning (D-Carmel) said yesterday at the health committee hearing. “For up to 5 million Californians, we have the opportunity before us to set essential health benefits.”
Monning introduced AB 1453, which laid out a plan for what essential benefits will be covered in California under the Affordable Care Act. The proposed set of benefits is modeled on the Kaiser small group HMO plan.
Health IT: The Common Ground in Health Care Reform?
Arguments inside and outside the Supreme Court building last month reaffirmed the nation’s sharp divide over the federal health reform law. But one aspect of the law is likely to continue drawing support from both sides of the aisle: health information technology.
Should California Reconsider Health Care Districts?
With the Affordable Care Act poised to dramatically change the state’s health care system, should California be reconsidering special health care districts that generate and consume millions of dollars every year? We asked experts to weigh in.
Where Would Consumers, Insurers Land if ACA Is Struck Down?
If the Supreme Court strikes down part or all of the Affordable Care Act, what might it mean for consumers who support the changes promised in reform? And what might it mean for insurers who were promised millions of new customers?
‘We’ll Deal With it Then’: The State of Play if ACA is Struck Down
Most states — even some that have sued the government over the Affordable Care Act — are preparing contingency plans whether the law is upheld or struck down. But not all states are equally ready to respond.