Bernard J. Wolfson

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bwolfson@kff.org
@bjwolfson

Biden Team, UnitedHealth Struggle to Restore Paralyzed Billing Systems After Cyberattack

KFF Health News Original

The cyberattack on a unit of UnitedHealth Group’s Optum division is the worst on the health care industry in U.S. history, hospitals say. Providers struggling to get paid for care say the response by the insurer and the Biden administration has been inadequate.

New Eligibility Rules Are a Financial Salve for Nearly 2 Million on Medi-Cal

KFF Health News Original

Nearly 2 million Medi-Cal enrollees, mainly people who are aged, disabled, or in long-term care, can now accumulate savings and property without limitations and still qualify for the state’s health insurance program for low-income residents. They join an additional roughly 12 million enrollees who already had no asset limits.

Doctors Are as Vulnerable to Addiction as Anyone. California Grapples With a Response.

KFF Health News Original

The Medical Board of California, which licenses MDs, is developing a program to evaluate, treat, and monitor doctors with alcohol and drug problems. But there is sharp disagreement over whether those who might volunteer for the program should be subject to public disclosure and over how much participants should pay.

Bold Changes Are in Store for Medi-Cal in 2024, but Will Patients Benefit?

KFF Health News Original

California’s Medicaid program is undergoing major changes that could improve health care for residents with low incomes. But they are happening at the same time as several other initiatives that could compete for staff attention and confuse enrollees.

In New Year, All Immigrants in California May Qualify for Medicaid Regardless of Legal Status

KFF Health News Original

In the new year, California’s Medicaid program will open to otherwise eligible immigrants ages 26 to 49 without legal residency. They will join children, young adults, and adults over 50 enrolled in Medi-Cal through previous expansions to residents lacking authorization. The change is expected to add over 700,000 first-time enrollees.

New California Law Offers Fresh Protection From Steep Ambulance Bills

KFF Health News Original

The law, which takes effect Jan. 1, prohibits out-of-network ground ambulance operators from billing patients more than they would pay for in-network rides. It also caps how much the uninsured must pay.

Massive Kaiser Permanente Strike Looms as Talks Head to the Wire

KFF Health News Original

Both sides, still at loggerheads over pay and staffing, agreed to keep bargaining after unions announced a possible strike Oct. 4-7. If no deal is reached, a walkout by about 75,000 KP workers in five states could disrupt care.

California Offers Lifeline to 17 Troubled Hospitals

KFF Health News Original

California’s new lending program for distressed hospitals will provide Madera Community Hospital with interest-free loans of up to $52 million if it can agree on a viable reopening plan with Adventist Health. The state will offer an additional $240.5 million in interest-free loans to 16 other troubled hospitals.

Medi-Cal Covers Gender-Transition Treatment, but Getting It Isn’t Easy

KFF Health News Original

Pasha Wrangell has faced delays getting gender-affirming care because of red tape and limited providers. Over more than two years, Wrangell has received only about half the total electrolysis sessions recommended. Wrangell’s insurer through Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, acknowledges the shortage of practitioners.

Giant Health System Almost Saved a Community Hospital. Now, It Wants to ‘Extract Every Dollar.’

KFF Health News Original

A bankruptcy judge will soon decide whether a Central Valley hospital needs to liquidate to repay its creditors. Its largest creditor, St. Agnes Medical Center, is the very entity that backed out of purchasing the Madera Community Hospital last December.

Medi-Cal’s Fragmented System Can Make Moving a Nightmare

KFF Health News Original

When Medi-Cal beneficiary Lloyd Tennison moved last year from Contra Costa County to San Joaquin County, he was bumped off his managed care plan without notice before his new coverage took effect. His case highlights a chronic issue in California’s fragmented Medicaid program.