New Report: Over 1 million Californians Have Benefited From Health Reform
A new report states that over one million Californians have benefited from provisions contained in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Health Reform. The report found that state residents who have benefitted from the law’s provisions include: More than 500,000 low-income adults…
Covered California Provides Health Insurance Cost Estimate Tool
In anticipation of 2014, Covered California releases a cost estimate tool that calculates premiums and copayments based on your household size and income.
California Rolls Out New Rental Assistance Program for Medi-Cal Recipients Leaving Long Term Care
California’s Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is announcing a new program to incentive people with disabilities to leave long term care (LTC) facilities. The goal is to create more affordable housing stock for people with disabilities to move directly…
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones Says Anthem’s Rate Increase is “Unreasonable”
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones went on record criticizing Anthem for implementing “unreasonable” rate increases for more than 250,000 small business policyholders. Commissioner Jones said that small businesses will face a rate hike over 10% in 2013. Anthem’s spokesperson said the…
Researchers Find Minimal State Cost for California’s Medi-Cal Expansion
A joint study by the University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Labor Research and Education and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found that California will significantly increase health insurance coverage at minimal cost to the state budget. According to…
California Extends Spousal Protections to Same-Sex Couples Applying for Medi-Cal LTC benefits
California’s Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has officially released ACWDL 12-36 which implements AB 641 (Feuer) and extends the spousal protections now available to married, opposite-sex couples, to same-sex spouses and registered domestic partners through the transfer of property…
LSNC Sues the County Over Refusal to Provide Indigent Medical Care
The Sacramento Bee reports of a lawsuit filed in Superior Court, in which Legal Services of Northern California (LSNC) says the county is denying medical care to General Assistance applicants waiting for grant approval, in violation of state law. The…
New Study: California Has 2nd Highest Rate of Uninsured Children
A new study from Georgetown Health Policy Institute Center reported that California was second in the rate of uninsured children. The report found that about 745,000 children living in California, or about 8%, did not have health insurance in 2011….
A New Health Market Study Shows that Sacramento Health Systems Weathered the Economic Downturn Well
According to a new study released by the Center for Studying Health System Change, the Sacramento health market weathered the storm much better than most California counterparts. Despite the of economic downturn, Sacramento hospitals and health care leaders turned to…
New Report Details Problems Switching From Fee for Service to Managed Care Plans
According to a new report, California encountered several problems during a year-long effort to transition 240,000 Medi-Cal beneficiaries from fee-for-service to managed care plans. The federally approved demonstration project involved 240,000 low-income seniors and people with disabilities. The Medi-Cal beneficiaries either selected…