Healthcare

Doctors Undermine Major Drug Reform For Foster Kids

Submitted by Eddie Barrera on Wed, 09/09/2015 - 08:51

When the California Senate passed a package of bills in June to curtail the overprescribing of psychotropic medication to foster youth, lawmakers heralded it as an unprecedented attempt to protect the most vulnerable children in California. But the momentum has slowed. 

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What Do Hillary Clinton and Chris Christie Agree On That Sacramento Still Won't Do?

Submitted by Carmen Balber on Wed, 09/02/2015 - 15:06

The prescription drug abuse epidemic has vaulted into the national presidential debate, most recently this week with a Hillary Clinton op-ed in the New Hampshire Union Leader. Clinton wrote about combating addiction, and called for a requirement that health care providers consult a prescription drug monitoring database before prescribing controlled substances.

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Courage Campaign Demands Covered California's Chief Resign

Submitted by Eddie Barrera on Fri, 08/28/2015 - 10:52
A day after we ran a post about Covered California’s chief promoting health insurance consolidation and fewer consumer choices, Courage Campaign’s executive chairman, Dr. Paul Song, has asked that Peter Lee resign. 
 

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Tough Negotiator? Covered California Chief Says The Fewer Health Insurers The Better

Submitted by Jamie Court on Thu, 08/27/2015 - 16:18

Covered California Chief Peter Lee has claimed that the state doesn’t need health insurance premium regulation because Covered California is a tough negotiator with the health plans.

A study out yesterday casts doubt on that proposition as researchers reported that Covered California health insurance plans have among the narrowest doctor networks in the nation – the 4th worst record.  

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Hidden Covered California Costs And Delaying Medical Care

Submitted by Eddie Barrera on Mon, 07/27/2015 - 11:22
While Covered California bathes in the glow of positive press today for only increasing its 2016 rates by 4 percent on average, what few are mentioning is that healthcare costs are slowly shifting from employers and insurance companies to policyholders. The hidden costs, like deductibles and out-of-network expenses, are forcing policyholders to dig into their own pockets to pay for medical care. 
 

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Include Opt-Out Feature in Covered California Data Mining, Say Federal Officials

Submitted by Eddie Barrera on Mon, 07/20/2015 - 15:00

Covered California’s deep dive into data mining, without consumer permission, has drawn the scrutiny of congressional members. 

Reps. Tony Cárdenas, D-San Fernando Valley; Mark DeSaulnier, D-Richmond; Judy Chu, D-Monterey Park; and Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, today called on the state to protect consumers’ identity information. 

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