Archived California Healthcare News

New Michigan Blues Reform Bill Introduced

The financial remaking of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has begun anew, with bills introduced into the state's Legislature that does not contain language that led to its veto late last year.

Ohio recently became one of only three states that have received approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to revamp the way it provides care for individuals enrolled in both programs. Next September, dual eligibles in the state will be taking part in a demonstration using managed care to coordinate services and reduce the costs of treating this high-touch population.

For the first time in many years, California is moving toward a budget surplus. However, the provider community has raised concerns that they will not escape funding cuts for their services. Gov. Jerry Brown\'s $97.7 billion 2013-2014 budget, unveiled late last week, includes not only a $1 billion budget reserve, but a planned gigantic expansion of the Medi-Cal program.

Kasich Playing Close To Vest On Medicaid Expansion

Although the primary reforms in the Affordable Care Act roll out in less than a year, Ohio Gov. John Kasich has yet to indicate whether he supports expanding the Medicaid program.

Northwestern Medicine has launched a $1 billion effort to beef up its biomedical facilities, part of what officials say will be an effort to put Chicago at the forefront of U.S. medical research.

Chilidren Hospital Los Angeles, Providence Tarzana Enter Into Agreement

Children's Hospital of Los Angeles has entered into an agreement with Providence Tarzana Medical Center to improve pediatric care in the San Fernando Valley section of L.A.

Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has no legal authority to block California\'s insurers from imposing premium increases on consumers, but he bluntly noted at a press conference earlier this week that he might take legal action against Anthem Blue Cross of California and other health insurers to halt early collection of fees associated with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Jones, who has repeatedly made his inability to regulate health insurance premium increases an issue since he was elected commissioner by California\'s voters in 2010 and has backed ballot measures to expand his authority, condemned Anthem last Tuesday for its premature collection of ACA-related fees. The fees are not mandated until 2014, but Anthem is collecting them during the 2013 calendar year anyway, Jones said.

The cancer center at the University of California San Francisco has received a $36 million grant from the NCI. The National Cancer Institute’s grant announcement made note of the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center\'s “solid record of important discoveries in basic, translational, population-based and clinical research. The strong cancer focus, substantial institutional commitment, and sustained high level of research funding base with a significant number of multi-investigator, team-based programmatic grants have positively influenced the research programs at the center.

Last-minute insertions of anti-abortion language into a bill that would have overhauled the operations of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has led to a veto by Gov. Rick Snyder.