‘Uncategorized’ Archives
California to get $15.6 Million from AIG Tax Settlement
The American International Group Inc. will pay $15.6 million in penalties to California to settle allegations that its affiliated companies under reported how much business they did to state regulators. The payment to California's treasury, announced Thursday, is part of a $146.5-million national settlement that AIG reached with a number of [...]
Wellpoint to Buy 1-800 Contacts
WellPoint Inc. plans to buy contact lens retailer 1-800-Contacts Inc. in a deal that would give the insurer its first direct-to-consumer business outside selling individual health coverage. The eyewear company will help diversify its revenue sources with a high-margin business. WellPoint is the second-largest U.S. health insurer based on both [...]
Four Myths About ObamaCare That Just Won’t Die
Death panels! Secret slush funds! Open warfare on the Catholic church! These are some of the misrepresentations that are often bandied about when talking about healthcare reform. There's one absolute fact, though: ObamaCare is destined to play a major role in this year's debt talks and elections and will undoubtedly have a big effect on [...]
Substantial Medi-Cal Cuts in Browns New Budget
CA Governor Jerry Brown proposed $8.3 billion in cuts across education, health care and welfare programs in laying out a plan to address California's $15.7 billion shortfall, an amount equal to 17 percent of the state's discretionary fund. He warned that additional cuts are ahead if voters reject his tax-hike initiative in November saying that's [...]
Medical Device Monitoring to be Revamped
The Food and Drug Administration plans to unveil an improved medical device safety monitoring and reporting program. The program will help identify and remove defective devices from the market earlier than previous attempts. Currently, medical supplies and devices are not uniformly labeled with a unique identifier, making tracking difficult [...]
Health Net Chosen to Participate in “Dual Eligibles” Program
"Dual Eligibles" are the state's sickest and poorest residents, and the California Department of Health Care Services has selected Health Net to participate in it's Dual Eligibles pilot program, under which LA County residents who receive both Medicare and Medi-Cal would be enrolled in a managed care plan according to the San Fernando Valley [...]
Medicare to Settle Hospital Reimbursement Dispute
Medicare settled a dispute with about 2,200 hospitals over an error in reimbursement rates, offering what could amount to a $3 billion infusion to hospitals that are already bracing for funding cuts under the federal healthcare law. More than 200 California hospitals are included in three similar agreements reached April 5 and they stand to [...]
Would Health Reform Raise the Deficit?
A conservative economist recently concluded that the new health care law would add $340 billion to our nation's deficit, but the Congressional Budget Office projects the law would decrease deficits. Charles Blahous, a public trustee who oversees Medicare and Social Security finances claims that accounting practices have obscured the true fiscal [...]
Health Reform Discussion Sponsored by California Ambulance Association
Join a discussion representing California’s key EMS system stakeholders — including provider organizations, medical directors, regulators, and workforce — to confront tough issues on potential opportunities and challenges of health care reform. The think tank is sure to discuss controversial issues in a frank and, at times, difficult [...]
Employee Benefits–5 Things to Know
Many business owners are still scratching their heads when trying to understand what health reform means for their businesses. They need to know what their businesses are required and not required to do. Not knowing can cost then unnecessary expenses and penalties. For instance, they don't have to provide benefits now, or claim a tax credit or [...]
