Archived California Healthcare News

Medi-Cal ER Encounters Zoom Upward Premium Content
May 11, 2016
The expansion of the Medi-Cal program under the Affordable Care Act has fundamentally reshaped how emergency room encounters are paid for in the state, acording to new data from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development.
In Brief: Theranos Dumps President; Sutter, Stanford Operate Nation\'s Most Profitable Hospitals Premium Content
May 11, 2016

Theranos Dumps President, Expands Board

Theranos, the troubled Northern California laboratory startup, has jettisoned its longtime president and has expanded its board of directors.

Is Zoom+ The Kaiser For Millenials? Free
May 9, 2016
Lacee Badgley, the mother of a 7-year-old, works full time as an insurance adjuster. Like most working parents, she finds making time for doctor’s appointments a challenge. “I don’t have the time or energy to drive around town and then wait,” she said. That’s why Badgley, 36, switched from her previous doctors to Zoom+, a medical provider and health insurer that aims to give patients more control and transparency. She can make same-day appointments through a mobile app, and she’s usually in and out within 30 minutes.
Medicaid Expansion Advocates Turn To Kansas State Elections Free
May 9, 2016
After another legislative session with no action on Medicaid expansion, advocates in Kansas are turning their attention to the upcoming state elections and urging voters to become more vocal on the issue. A Monday rally in a Statehouse hearing room drew a standing-room-only crowd. It was better-attended than other similar rallies in the four years since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states have discretion over whether they expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, commonly called Obamacare.
Prescription Databases Used To Cut Down On Opioid Abuse Free
May 9, 2016
For more than a decade, doctors, dentists and nurse practitioners have liberally prescribed opioid painkillers despite mounting evidence that people were becoming addicted and overdosing on the powerful pain medications. Now, in the face of a drug overdose epidemic that killed more than 28,000 people in 2014, a handful of states are insisting that health professionals do a little research before they write another prescription for highly addictive drugs like Percocet, Vicodin and OxyContin.
Jones Grills Aetna, Humana On Deal Free
May 4, 2016
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones put executives of insurance giants Aetna Inc. and Humana Inc. in the hot seat last week over their proposal for a merger that could create the nation’s third largest insurer. Jones heard testimony from opponents and proponents of the plan, and he administered a dose of his own doubt.
Regulator Fines Anthem $415,000 Premium Content
May 4, 2016
The Department of Managed Health Care has fined Anthem Blue Cross of California $415,000 for what the agency said was a series of violations of rights of enrollees.
Kaiser Questions Heart Attack Model Premium Content
May 4, 2016

Kaiser Permanente researchers have questioned a widely used tool to predict the risk of individuals suffering heart attacks.

In Brief: Three Scope Deaths Linked To Huntington Hospital; HHS Awards $36.8 Million For Health Center Constrution, Renovation Premium Content
May 4, 2016

Three Scope Deaths Linked To Huntington Hospital

Three deaths have been potentially linked to dirty duodenoscopes used at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena last year.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the contaminated scopes and the deaths were detailed in a report made by the hospital to the Food and Drug Administration

Kansas Allows Physicians To Practice Across State Lines Free
May 2, 2016
A “mega-bill” containing several provisions related to licensure of medical professionals survived a rules dispute to pass just before the Kansas Legislature adjourned early Monday morning. Unless Gov. Sam Brownback vetoes the bill, the conference committee report combined in House Bill 2615 will require acupuncturists to be licensed, enter Kansas into a compact that will license physicians to practice across state lines and expand the authority of nurse midwives.
Delving Into The High U.S. Maternal Death Rate Free
May 2, 2016
The relatively high percentage of American women who die as a result of pregnancy, which exceeds that of other developed nations, is prompting a new national prevention campaign that is relying on the states to take a leading role. The key element in that effort is to encourage all states to go beyond the information provided on a typical death certificate by having mortality review panels investigate the causes behind every maternal death that occurs during pregnancy or in the year after delivery.
Shortages Of Hospital ER Drugs Continues To Grow Free
May 2, 2016
At some hospitals, posters on the wall in the emergency department list the drugs that are in short supply or unavailable, along with recommended alternatives. The low-tech visual aid can save time with critically ill patients, allowing doctors to focus on caring for them rather than doing research on the fly, said Jesse Pines, M.D., a professor of emergency medicine and director of the Office for Clinical Practice Innovation at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, who has studied the problems with shortages.
State’s Vets Have Mental Health Issues Premium Content
Apr 27, 2016
California\'s veterans need mental health services at a lower rate than the rest of the state\'s population, but the vast majority are not receiving them or are getting inadequate care.
Undocumented May Get Coverage Free
Apr 27, 2016
California legislators are attempting to clear the way for undocumented immigrants to buy health insurance through the state’s insurance exchange — potentially setting a national precedent. Immigrants living in the country illegally are excluded from the insurance-expanding provisions of Obamacare. They are not eligible for Medicaid (called Medi-Cal in California), and they are not allowed to purchase a health plan from the federal marketplace or any of the state exchanges.
Overweight Moms, Overweight Kids Premium Content
Apr 27, 2016
If a an expectant mother was obese and put on a lot of weight during her pregnancy, the chances are her child is much more likely to be overweight.
In Brief: CMA Joins Reproductive Rights Lawsuit Against Dignity Health; Colusa Regional Medical Center Closes Premium Content
Apr 27, 2016

CMA Joins Reproductive Rights Lawsuit Against Dignity Health

Perhaps the most powerful healthcare lobby in California is trying to join a lawsuit against San Francisco-based hospital chain Dignity Health regarding its restrictions against tubal ligations during maternal deliveries.

Missouri, Kansas Laggards In Public Health Spending Free
Apr 25, 2016
Kansas spends only about $12 per person on public health, making it one of the states putting the least money into preventing chronic and infectious diseases. According to a recent report from the Trust for America’s Health, Kansas spent about $36 million in fiscal year 2015 on public health programs for its 2.9 million people, or about $12.40 per person. That ranked the state 47th in per capita spending compared to the other 49 states and the District of Columbia.
Supreme Court Deals Blow To Subrogration Free
Apr 25, 2016
Accidents happen, and if they’re someone else’s fault, you can go to court to try to get compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If you win, though, the pot of gold you receive may be considerably smaller than you expect: Your health plan may claim some or all of it as reimbursement for money it spent on your medical care. It’s completely legal and it happens all the time. But a recent Supreme Court decision gives consumers ammunition to push back.
Bundled Payments Often Means Free Surgeries For Patients Free
Apr 25, 2016
Lowe’s home improvement company, like a growing number of large companies nationwide, offers its employees an eye-catching benefit: certain major surgeries at prestigious hospitals at no cost to the employee. How do these firms do it? With “bundled payments,” a way of paying that’s gaining steam across the healthcare industry, and that Medicare is now adopting for hip and knee replacements in 67 metropolitan areas, including New York, Miami and Denver.
Mental Health Diagnoses Differ By Race Premium Content
Apr 20, 2016
Most minorities are less likely to be diagnosed with a mental illness than white patients and less likely to receive specific treatments if they actually have an affliction, according to a new study by Kaiser Permanente.

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