Archived California Healthcare News

For decades, doctors have been warned about the dangers of delivering babies early without a medical reason. But the practice remained stubbornly persistent. Now, with pressure on doctors and hospitals from the federal government, private and public insurers and patient advocacy groups, the rate of elective deliveries before 39 weeks is dropping significantly, according to latest hospital survey from The Leapfrog Group, a coalition of some of the nation\'s largest corporations that buy health benefits for their employees.

Iowa Won't Expand Medicaid Under ACA

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has notified the federal government that his state will not expand the Medicaid program under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

A new study by a Sunnyvale firm concludes that 80% of the individual health plans offered to applicants in the United States can be paired with a “rate-up” – an often sharp rise in price from the originally quoted premium prior to the finalization of enrollment. The study, undertaken by HealthPocket, which offers Web-based health plan shopping tools for consumers, found that 18% of all consumers encounter a rate-up. The price increase is often the product of the underwriting process and the vetting for pre-existing health conditions. They may prompt the insurer to consider an applicant more of a financial risk, therefore justifying the hike in premium.

CAHP Says Health Plan Margins Are Low; Disputes Consumer Perceptions

A new study by California's leading lobby for health insurers suggests the sector in the Golden State relies on less than golden margins.

Indianapolis-based insurance giant WellPoint, Inc. has named the head of the non-profit hospital operator Trinity Health as its new chief executive officer, filling a vacancy at the company that has lingered for the better part of six months. The 61-year-old Joseph R. Swedish will assume the reins at WellPoint on March 25. He replaces Angela Braly, who stepped down last August after investor pressure following a lag in the company\'s earnings and stock price and criticism leveled at some deals engineered during her tenure.

It\'s official. The Obama administration will be running new health insurance marketplaces in half the states— including the major population centers of Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania and many of the Midwestern states. The federal government had hoped more states this week would agree to form a partnership exchange—the deadline to apply was Friday—but the offer was largely rebuffed. New Jersey, Ohio and Florida, several of the biggest states that had not declared their intentions, officially said no late in the week.

The physician arm of Long Beach-based MemorialCare Health System has entered into a joint venture with a Kentucky surgical company to acquire and manage ambulatory surgery centers in Southern California. The venture between the MemorialCare Medical Foundation and the Louisville-based Surgical Care Affiliates is called Beach Surgical Holdings LLC.

Calling it a historic day for healthcare, the head of the state\'s health benefits exchange introduced on Wednesday a benefits structure for the more than 30 health plans that will be offered to consumers in 2014. Peter V. Lee, the executive director of Covered California, touted the plans that will be offered on its exchange as consumer friendly and transparent.

Despite an ongoing push to reduce hospital readmissions among Medicare patients, a new study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation concludes that one in eight require more acute care within 30 days, with rates significantly higher in several major Midwest cities. According to the report, which is entitled “The Revolving Door” by researchers, 12.4% of Medicare patients nationwide wind up back in the hospital within 30 days of their original discharge. The study was based on 2010 data, and was virtually unchanged when compared to the numbers compiled in 2008, researchers said. Hospital readmissions cost up to $26 billion a year, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and at least $17 billion in these expenses are avoidable if patients receive proper care.