In Brief: DMHC Investigating Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield
DMHC Investigating Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California
The Department of Managed Health Care is investigating Anthem Blue Cross of California and Blue Shield of California for potentially misleading new enrollees about the breadths of its provider networks offered through the Covered California health insurance exchange.
The DMHC has received 115 complaints about Blue Cross and 97 complaints about Blue Shield regarding its access to providers since January, according to the agency.
DMHC officials said they will spend about 60 days investigating the provider lists offered by the two health plans, which will then have about 45 days to respond. The findings of the investigation are likely to be made public by Nov. 15 – the first day of open enrollment for those seeking to purchase coverage through the exchange.
Spokespersons with both plans have indicated that there have either been minor glitches in publishing their networks, or that some providers have inadvertently told patients they were not included.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield were among the most successful of health plans in terms of purchases being made by individuals during the 2013-14 open enrollment period, the first under the Affordable Care Act. They enrolled more than 806,500 Californians out of the 1.4 million who obtained coverage, according to data from Covered California.
UC Davis Study Links Pesticide Exposure To Autism Risk
Researchers at the University of California at Davis have discovered a potential link between the exposure of pregnant women to pesticide with an increased risk of autism in their children.
According to the study by the UC Davis MIND (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute, expectant mothers who lived near farms and fields where pesticides were used had a two-thirds greater chance of having a child with an autism spectrum disorder. Pesticides containing organophosphates, pyrethroids and carbamates were linked specifically.
“This study validates the results of earlier research that has reported associations between having a child with autism and prenatal exposure to agricultural chemicals in California,” said lead study author Janie F. Shelton, a UC Davis graduate student. “While we still must investigate whether certain sub-groups are more vulnerable to exposures to these compounds than others, the message is very clear: Women who are pregnant should take special care to avoid contact with agricultural chemicals whenever possible.”
More than 1,000 mothers who reported having autistic children were surveyed for the study, with their home addresses during pre-conception and pregnancy cross-matched to a database that reports where pesticides are being used in California.
Those who lived with three-quarters of a mile to a mile where commercial pesticides were applied had children more likely to develop autism or other cognitive disorders.
