This model of care is one of the ways created by the Affordable Care Act to reduce health care costs while improving quality of care. You can also watch the accompanying video that explains ACOs.
American Academy Of Pediatrics Recommends Individualized Counseling For Parents Of Premature Infants
The pediatric academy suggests that decisions on whether to resuscitate extremely premature infants be based on the particular child’s chance of survival and the family’s goals – not simply gestational age.
Achieving Mental Health Parity: Slow Going Even In ‘Pace Car’ State
California regulators have tried harder than most to make mental health parity laws work but it’s been tough to enforce the rules and gain the cooperation of insurers.
Advocates Say Mental Health ‘Parity’ Law Is Not Fulfilling Its Promise
A landmark federal law requiring insurers to cover mental illness as they would any other disease is not being followed or enforced, say patient advocates and attorneys. Insurers say they have taken “tremendous steps.”
Study: Highest-Charging U.S. Hospitals Are For-Profits, Concentrated In Florida
Most of the 50 hospitals with the highest charges are in the South and about half are owned by for-profit Community Health Systems.
Learning A New Health Insurance System The Hard Way
A Sacramento couple struggled to take advantage of subsidized health care coverage through Covered California in 2014 – facing one glitch after another. This year, they are more savvy about navigating the system.
Rule Proposed On Providing Mental Health ‘Parity’ In Medicaid Program
Seven years after passing a mental health parity law, the federal government issues its first proposal on how public programs such as Medicaid and CHIP should comply.
Battle For Mental Health Parity Produces Mixed Results
Some of the obvious problems, such as separate deductibles for mental health care, have been eliminated. But advocates are concerned about more subtle insurance processes, such as reviews of medical necessity, that could be hampering coverage.
Ritual, Not Science, Keeps The Annual Physical Alive
While most Americans believe it is important to have a physical every year, the evidence suggests otherwise.
Blue Shield of California Loses Its State Tax Exemption
The unheralded move by California tax authorities last August may leave the insurer on the hook for tens of millions of dollars in taxes dating back to 2013. Blue Shield of California is protesting the action.
Advocates Say California Counties Need To Shore Up Care For Remaining Uninsured
Report by Health Access California says 3 million uninsured in California have uneven access to care, depending on which county they live in.
Kaiser Permanente Faulted Again For Mental Health Care Lapses In California
Following up on a critical report in 2013, the California Department of Managed Health Care found Kaiser Permanente had not resolved concerns about providing timely and appropriate access to treatment.
Measles Outbreak Sparks Bid To Strengthen Calif. Vaccine Law
Two California lawmakers have introduced a bill to eliminate a “personal belief exemption” used by parents to sidestep a school vaccination requirement.
Study: Suffering At The End Of Life Getting Worse, Not Better
The percentage of Americans experiencing pain in the last year of life increased between 1998 and 2010, despite the growth of palliative care programs and hospice use, according to a study released Monday.
Most Californians On Insurance Exchange Are Sticking With Last Year’s Plan
In California, the vast majority of people renewing health insurance coverage in the state’s exchange did not switch health plans, and instead are sticking with the one they selected last year.
Testimonio Médico Clave Para Niños Que Piden Asilo
El abogado de Nueva York Brett Stark, quien ha trabajado con docenas de niños de Centroamérica que cruzaron solos la frontera hacia Estados Unidos durante el año pasado, dice que lograr que las cortes les otorguen asilo es extremadamente difícil. Por eso muchas veces busca a un defensor especial: un doctor. Estas asociaciones médico-legales han […]
Doctors’ Testimony Crucial As Border Children Seek Asylum
Medical-legal partnerships in New York and Los Angeles help some unaccompanied minors navigate immigration hearings.
As California Expands Medicaid To New Beneficiaries, Many Others Are Dropped
Previous enrollees in the program for low-income residents must reapply and many are finding the new applications too onerous to complete, advocates say.
An interview with Consumer Reports’ Nancy Metcalf, author of a new guide to end-of-life planning.
Proton Center Closure Doesn’t Slow New Construction
A proton beam therapy center in Indiana is closing, and insurers are reluctant to cover the expensive treatment for common cancers. But plans for three new proton therapy centers for the D.C. area are still moving forward.
