Health premium increases meet resistance

San Francisco Chronicle

Hundreds of thousands of Californians covered by the state's largest health insurers are facing double-digit premium hikes, and regulators and consumers are pushing back. On Thursday, the state insurance commissioner said Blue Shield of California's proposed health premium increases - averaging 11.7 percent for most policyholders, but nearing 20 percent for some - were unreasonable.

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Medi-Cal expansion bills sail through CA Legislature

Sacramento Bee

The Legislature approved two bills today to expand Medi-Cal coverage to more than 1 million low-income California residents under the federal Affordable Care Act.

Assembly Bill 1x 1 now heads to the Senate, after passing the Assembly 53-22. Shortly after the Assembly vote, the Senate sent the Assembly a similar Medi-Cal expansion bill 24-7. Senate Bill 1x 1 is authored by Sen. Ed Hernandez, D-West Covina.

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California insurance commissioner chides Blue Shield over rates

Los Angeles Times

For the second time in two days, a state regulator criticized Blue Shield of California for an "unreasonable" rate hike affecting tens of thousands of individual policyholders. California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said Thursday that the nonprofit health insurer's latest rate hike of as much as 20% for about 268,000 individual policyholders was excessive. But he and other state officials don't have the authority to reject changes in premiums. Jones said he asked Blue Shield to impose a smaller increase that would have saved policyholders an estimated $16.5 million. The company declined to do so, he said.

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Most large employers to keep health insurance benefit: survey

Reuters

Most large employers don't expect to send their full-time employees to government health exchanges for insurance during the next five years, but some retirees and part-time workers will end up there, a new survey has found. The outlook for corporate insurance in the long term is less certain. Only about 26 percent of large employers surveyed were very confident their company will offer healthcare benefits in 10 years. That is a slight increase from last year's 23 percent, but a sharp drop from 73 percent five years ago.

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Departments grinding through dual-state-jobs investigation

State Worker

Officials from California's Department of Human Resources and the State Personnel Board told lawmakers today that they are analyzing how departments applied an obscure, controversial policy that allows salaried state employees to take a second part-time job in their same department and earn an hourly wage.

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ABC Recovery Center gala to honor 50 year legacy

Southwest Riverside News Network

The ABC Recovery Center in Indio will celebrate its 50th anniversary and honor the CEO of the Betty Ford Center at a gala next week. The March 15 gala featuring music by the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies swing band will begin at 6 p.m. at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. The ABC Recovery Center provides detoxification, residential, transitional and outpatient services for people addicted to alcohol and drugs.The center was started in 1963 in an Indio home and hosted Alcoholics Anonymous meetings every night. Its programs are based on 12 Step principles, and the center is licensed and certified by the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, according to center spokeswoman Kate Burke.

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Safe Bet: Treat Pathologic Gambling Like Alcohol Addiction

MedScape Today

Practice guidelines to identify, prevent, and/or treat pathologic gambling should mirror those for alcohol addiction, according to a new report from the United Kingdom. In the report, experts from the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPysch) in Wales and the charity Alcohol Concern call for routine screening for gambling problems in substance abuse services, creation of a national database to record problems associated with gambling, and more research examining new treatment and prevention strategies.

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Covered California's plan to partner with Wal-Mart is criticized

Los Angeles Times

California officials face mounting criticism from union leaders over plans to let retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. enroll shoppers in President Obama's healthcare expansion. The state wants employees at Wal-Mart and other retailers to help consumers learn about their options and assist them in buying federally subsidized private insurance. These plans are part of state efforts to implement the federal healthcare law and reach out to 5 million Californians eligible for new coverage starting in January.

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Health care reform opportunities a challenge for highly diverse population with many languages

Associated Press

Set on a gritty corner of Oakland's International Boulevard, the nonprofit Street Level Health Project offers free checkups to patients who speak a total of 22 languages, from recent Mongolian immigrants seeking a doctor to Burmese refugees needing a dental exam. It also opens a window on one of the challenges for state leaders who are trying to implement the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama's sweeping health care overhaul.

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Exchange Official Says Thousands Might Leave Job-Based Health Plans

California Healthline

Peter Lee -- executive director of Covered California -- said that a few hundred thousand state residents might choose to forgo employer-sponsored health insurance to sign up for health plans offered through the state health insurance exchange, Capital Public Radio's "KXJZ News" reports. Background: The Affordable Care Act requires states to launch online insurance marketplaces by 2014. California's exchange -- named Covered California -- primarily will serve individuals and small businesses.

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California, on Brink of Recovery, Braces for Setback on Federal Aid

New York Times

After years of ballooning budget deficits, California finally seemed on firmer footing. Unemployment remained high, but revenues and housing prices were up. Taxpayers even voted themselves a tax increase to bring deficits down. And then came the automatic federal budget cuts known as sequestration. As the $85 billion in spending cuts slowly roll out nationwide, California officials are girding themselves for a blow not only to the state's large military industry but also to its nascent economic recovery. Still, experts say, it will most likely slow down, though not derail, the state's economic growth.

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House OKs Bill To Avert Government Shutdown, Maintain Budget Cuts

California Healthline

On Wednesday, the House voted 267-151 to approve a continuing resolution extension bill (HR 933) that would limit federal non-discretionary spending to $984 billion through September and prevent a shutdown of the federal government on March 27, when the current stopgap CR expires, The Hill's "Floor Action Blog" reports. About the Bill: The new six-month stopgap CR proposal also would maintain the $85 billion in spending cuts under sequestration, which took effect on March 1 and include a 2% reduction to Medicare reimbursement rates.

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Assembly Budget Panel To Probe Gov. Brown's Medi-Cal Expansion Plans

California Healthline

On Wednesday, the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services is scheduled to hold a hearing on proposals by Gov. Jerry Brown (D) to expand Medi-Cal under the Affordable Care Act, the Los Angeles Times reports. Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program. Background: Under the ACA, the Medi-Cal expansion would affect individuals with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level, or $15,415 annually.

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Universities ignoring binge drinking culture and failing to protect students' wellbeing, say teachers

Independent

Universities are failing in their duty of care to undergraduates by ignoring the binge drinking culture and failing to help young people settle into student life, according to head teachers. A survey of school leaders at both private and state schools revealed almost universal concern over the level of pastoral support on offer at higher education institutions. The findings come amid evidence of growing mental health problems and a sharp increase in the number of suicides among those in full-time education.

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Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris urges funding for prescription tracking

Los Angeles Times

Calling prescription drug abuse an urgent public health problem, California Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris is pushing lawmakers to fund an effort to identify physicians who recklessly prescribe addictive medications. Harris said in an interview that she wanted to use a state database of prescriptions, known as CURES, to draw a bead on doctors who abuse their prescribing powers, a controversial step discussed for years but never adopted.

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Medical pot a huge part of Silicon Valley

San Francisco Chronicle

Being a computer coder takes a physical toll. The long hours sitting at a keyboard can cause back and wrist pain. You can run to a pharmacy and pick up some Advil, or if you're in Silicon Valley, you can drop by the Palliative Health Center for some Sour Diesel. Palliative Health is a medical marijuana dispensary, one of many in San Jose. Inside, iPads are mounted on pedestals so patients can scroll through and check prices and availability of Sour Diesel, Chem Dog and a dozen or so other strains. The shop offers marijuana-infused sodas, muffins and chocolates, and monthly classes on cooking with cannabis.

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Gambling addict South Bay official quits

San Francisco Chronicle

Santa Clara County supervisor said Friday that he was resigning after prosecutors filed felony charges alleging he stole public money and nearly $100,000 in campaign donations to finance a gambling habit, then covered up the thefts on government disclosure forms.

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Across-the-Board Cuts Take Effect, but Their Impact Is Not Immediately Felt

New York Times

University officials, city managers, day care providers and others spent Saturday assessing how they would absorb their part of the across-the-board cuts in federal spending that began taking effect over the weekend. But even as the institutions that depend on federal money nervously took stock, most Americans were largely unaffected by the cuts, at least for now. At Los Angeles International Airport, John Konopka, 45, suffered no delays as he arrived from Atlanta.

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Medi-Cal expansion will test capacity

San Francisco Chronicle

In less than one year, the Affordable Care Act's promise to bring health care to perhaps 1 million more California residents will be tested. On Jan. 1, 2014, Medi-Cal, the publicly funded health program for low-income and disabled residents, launches a huge statewide expansion. But making a promise is one thing, and delivering is another. In some places, it's already difficult for many poor California residents to find a doctor who is able - or willing - to see them. Many medical providers who see these patients say they are overwhelmed, a situation that could worsen when those newly covered by Medi-Cal arrive for care.

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White House Releases 700 Pages of Rules on Implementing the ACA

California Healthline

On Friday, the Obama administration released more than 700 pages of new regulations on the implementation of various aspects of the Affordable Care Act, The Hill's "RegWatch" reports. Three of the four sets of rules have been finalized and take effect on May 11. All four sets are scheduled to be published sometime in the middle of this month. They cover the ACA's health insurance exchanges and new standards and reforms to the insurance market, such as encouraging cost-sharing, stabilizing health insurance premiums and blocking insurers from denying coverage, "RegWatch" reports.

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California’s Clinics Grow, But Hiring Doctors May Not Be Easy

Capital Public Radio

Just north of downtown Woodland, the Peterson clinic runs out of what used to be a one-story county hospital, built after world war two.  Low income and uninsured people come here for health care. But not for much longer. The county wants to demolish the building. And that's just fine for Communicare CEO Robin Affrime. "It would be so expensive to make it work, the way that we would like to present a community health center," says Affrime.

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Dan Walters: Jerry Brown's budget boasting should be put in context

San Luis Obispo Tribune

Gov. Jerry Brown did another victory lap in Washington late last month, suggesting during a national governors' conference that California had shown the way to resolve the federal government's budget woes by balancing the state budget after years of deficits. It's a drum that he's been beating ever since voters passed Proposition 30, which temporarily raises sales and income taxes by about $6 billion a year. He unveiled a new budget in January that he claims is balanced and during his State of the State address in late January called it "a solid and enduring budget." But how legitimate is Brown's claim? It's shaky, if one looks at the numbers and assumptions behind the rhetoric.

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