Policy and Legislation
A last-minute proposal to replace a controversial tax on health plans allowed California Gov. Jerry Brown to avoid deep health and social service cuts in his preliminary state budget for 2016-2017, released Thursday.
Doctors, providers and other stakeholders have until Monday to submit comment on new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for prescribing opioids for chronic pain.
A group of researchers from the University of Michigan have found that, Medicaid expansion nationally under the Affordable Care Act significantly reduced uninsured hospital stays in 2014, the latest in a slew of reports to suggest the reforms have resulted in fewer numbers of uninsured.
Republicans will try to override the expected veto later this month, but House Speaker Paul Ryan admitted they do not have the votes to do so.
Beginning in January, family caregivers like Matsushima could have a much different experience. A new California law, SB 675, requires hospital staffers to involve a family caregiver during the hospitalization and discharge process, which supporters say will improve patients' overall health and reduce their chances of readmission.
The Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights said it will change the rules so that mental health providers can share data with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, part of a slate of executive actions President Barack Obama on Tuesday announced to help curtail gun violence.
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and other organizations representing Medicare Advantage plans that serve low income and disabled populations say two options for interim relief on star quality ratings do not go far enough to address how socioeconomics affect scores.
Men are getting more screening colonoscopies since the health law reduced how much Medicare beneficiaries pay out of pocket for the preventive tests, a recent study found. The change, however, didn't affect women's rates.
The Patient Access and Medicare Protection Act, which was recently passed, will hold Medicare reimbursement rates steady for freestanding radiation oncology centers. Additionally, two providers listed as B3 stable, 21st Century Oncology and Vantage Oncology, will see their 2016 rates hold steady for 2017-18, according to a report from Moody's Investor Service.
Despite advice to shop around before selecting a plan, consumers may find that getting answers about drug coverage can be an exercise in frustration, despite a federal health law requirement that insurers provide lists of the prescription medications included in their plans.