Outpatient surgery centers in California face new regulations and oversight under a brand-new law. After much discussion and several amendments, the C...
Advocates Say Balance Billing of Medi-Cal Patients on the Rise
Advocates say that health care providers increasingly are balance billing Medi-Cal beneficiaries — a practice that violates state law, the Los...
Managed Care Tax Left Hanging
The California Legislature, now adjourned until Jan. 4, passed a flurry of bills in the last days of session, but restructuring the managed care organ...
California Assembly Approves Physician-Assisted Death Bill
On Wednesday, the Assembly voted 43-34 to pass a bill (ABX2-15) that would legalize physician-assisted death in California, the San Jose Mercury News ...
Apples and Oranges: How Should We Look at Republican, Democratic Health Care Plans?
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton supports the Affordable Care Act but says that there is room for improvement. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wa...
State Begins To Collect Back Payments From Pharmacies Over Medi-Cal Cuts
State officials last week started to collect the so-called “clawback” money from pharmacies — money the state wants to recoup from p...
Perceptions of Mental Health Care Improving; Access Issues Remain
A majority of U.S. residents believe that while mental health care is important, it is often costly and difficult to access, according to a survey rel...
Health Plan To Return to Local Control?
Tuesday is a big day for the Alameda Alliance for Health. On Sept. 1, the not-for-profit local health plan in the East Bay officially begins its new c...
2014-16 Hospital Quality Assurance Fee/Estimated Funding for District/Muni Hospitals
This is an update on the 2014-16 hospital quality assurance fee (HQAF). This fee went into effect January 1, 2014 and runs through December 2016. ...
What's Behind the Committee Door?
Playing politics is like breathing air in Sacramento, so it’s no surprise that some bills, no matter their popularity, suffer ignominious defeat...