In Brief: Anthem Leaves Small Business Exchange; Kaiser Links Preventative Care, HPV Vaccinations

Anthem Pulls Out Of Small Business Exchange

Anthem Blue Cross of California has opted to not participate in the insurance exchange that would cater to small businesses.

Anthem officials said that the state of California recently eliminated a rule requiring participants in Covered California's exchange for individual coverage to also participate in the small business exchange. As a result, it decided not to offer cover in the latter.

Anthem Blue Cross has the largest market share in California of small businesses – about 31% statewide, according to market data. Kaiser Permanente, which is participating in the small business exchange, is second, with about 28% of the market.

Anthem's announcement came just weeks after California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones suggested that the carrier not be allowed to participate in the small business exchange because of recent rate increases it imposed that he considered to be unreasonable.

Kaiser Finds Link Between Preventative Care, HPV Vaccinations

If a female Kaiser patient with boys partakes of regular primary care, their sons are significantly more likely to receive a vaccination for the human papilloma virus, according to a new study.

Kaiser examined the medical records of more than 250,000 of its Southern California male patients age 9-17. It determined only a small number had received the HPV vaccine between October 2009 and December 2010 – just 4,055 in total, or about 1.6%. 

However, Kaiser researchers determined that if their mothers had had a flu shot within the past year, they were 16% more likely to have received the HPV vaccination. If their mothers had a pap smear, they were 13% more likely to receive the vaccine.

“Our study findings suggest that a mother’s receipt of preventive services may have an impact on their son’s HPV4 vaccination,” said Rulin Hechter, M.D., the study's lead author and a researcher with the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation. “These mothers might be more familiar with preventive measures for HPV infection, influencing their decision to have their children vaccinated.”

The study also determined that if the mothers had genital warts, their sons were 47% more likely to receive the vaccination, although the numbers did not reach the level of statistical significance.

The study's findings were published in the most recent edition of the American Journal of Public Health.

First Choice Acquires Ventana

First Choice Physician Partners, a medical foundation that is affiliated with for-profit hospital operator Tenet Healthcare, has acquired Ventana Health and Medical Center, a five-physician practice in Pismo Beach. The deal more than doubles the number of physicians directly employed by First Choice, from four to nine. 

First Choice has more than 60 affiliated physicians overall who practice in the Central Coast, the Coachella Valley, the Central Valley, and Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

Tenet formed First Choice, a non-profit, in 2011. It began operations last year.