Archived California Healthcare News

Abortion Scope of Practice Expanded

At a time when reproductive rights are being restricted in many parts of the nation, Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill into law that will allow non-physician medical professionals to perform certain types of abortions.

Three insurance companies confirmed late last week that they have enrolled customers through the federal online marketplace created by the health law, but the numbers were meager and signup frustration continued for many people. While completed signups at Cigna, Aetna and a Blue Cross plan in Louisiana confirmed that the federal system serving 36 states is functioning at some level, there were continued reports of delays and failures.

Hospital-acquired infections cost the healthcare system between $96 billion and $147 billion annually, according to a new report funded by a Chicago-area company. The study, which was published in the most recent issue of the Journal of Medical Economics, relied on extended analysis of existing studies.

The California Department of Managed Health Care has apparently prevailed in a unique civil lawsuit the agency brought against a South Pasadena plastic surgeon in 2011 who repeatedly dunned her insured patients for additional payments. The proposed judgment, issued on Sept. 26 by Glendale Superior Court Judge David S. Milton, would order Jeannette Y. Martello, M.D., to pay the DMHC $562,500 in civil penalties stemming for her attempting to inappropriately collect thousands of dollars from patients who had insurance policies regulated by the agency.

Two of the most influential hospital operators in Orange County have entered into an affiliation expected to expand services to medically underserved areas and expand the region\'s options for specialty care. The affiliation between UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange and Fountain Valley-based MemorialCare Health System will bring the county\'s one public hospital into the mix with a six- hospital system. Although only two of MemorialCare\'s hospitals are in Orange County – Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Laguna Hills and Saddleback Memorial Medical Center San Clemente –they are far enough from UCI that they can bring it a significant geographic reach.

When consumers start shopping for coverage through new federally run health insurance exchanges on Tuesday, they will be asked dozens of questions before they are shown what health plans are available and how much they cost. Then, to finalize their enrollment, they must contact the private insurer and pay their first monthly premium.

Health insurance exchanges in the Midwest opened for business today in fits and starts, with most deferring to the federal government\'s online marketplace, healthcare.gov. The opening of the exchanges is considered a critical part of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and it occurs on the first day of the first shutdown of the federal government since 1996.

The California Department of Insurance (DOI) has received a $5.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to push healthcare price transparency among both medical providers and payers. The DOI will use the funds over the next two years to establish a data center that will collect and disseminate healthcare pricing data to Californians.