Type One
Governor Vetoes AB 2098
News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 28, 2024 Governor Vetoes AB 2098 Earlier today, Gov. Newsom vetoed #AB2098 which would...
DHCS – CALHEALTHCARES AWARDS $69.4 MILLION TO 293 PROVIDERS TO HELP EXPAND MEDI-CAL ACCESS
News Release August 5, 2021 SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced today a new commitment...
Letter to Secretary Becerra regarding “Provider Relief Funds”
Letter to Becerra re PRF Funds Attached is a letter signed by the below members (40) of the California Congressional...
California hospitals suffer massive losses from fewer patients, major COVID-19 expenses
With the June 15th budget deadline looming, the Legislature has presented a united front in rejecting many of the provisions set...
Governor’s 2020-21 May Revise
The Governor released the May revision to the proposed 20-21 state budget today. As has been recently reported, California has...
Governor’s 2020-21 May Revise
The Governor released the May revision to the proposed 20-21 state budget today. As has been recently reported, California has...
HHS Awards Nearly $165 Million to Combat COVID-19 in Rural Communities
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded nearly...
Governor’s 2020-21 Budget Proposal
Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan proposes $107.4 billion in total funds for DHCS programs and services. It includes significant funding for...
Newsom’s first rodeo: In year one, the governor bucks both Trump and Brown
Californians will soon be allowed to eat roadkill but be prohibited from buying fur coats. Abortion pills will become available...
As Hospitals Post Price Lists, Consumers Are Asked To Check Up On Them
With much fanfare, federal officials required hospitals nationwide this year to post their “list” prices online. But it’s not yet...
DHLF Lobbying Dues Disclosure for Cost Reports
October 8, 2018 TO: Members, District Hospital Leadership Forum FROM: Sherreta Lane, DHLF Senior Vice President, Finance Policy SUBJECT: Medicare...
CA State Budget Proposal: 2019-20
On January 10, 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom released the proposed 2019-20 state budget which includes a $144 billion general fund,...
Trump Highlights Health Agenda With Vow To Lower ‘Unfair’ Drug Prices
It was not the centerpiece, but health was a persistent theme in President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address...
Pain From The Government Shutdown Spreads. This Time It’s Food Stamps.
Antoinette Martinez was relieved when she heard she would receive her food stamps for February about two weeks early. Her...
Public Charge Letter
December 10, 2018 Samantha Deshommes Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division Office of Policy and Strategy US Citizenship and Immigration Services U.S....
California’s Top Lawyer Cements His Role As Health Care Defender-In-Chief
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Xavier Becerra, the political savvy Democratic attorney general of California, has sued the Trump administration 45 times...
Coverage Denied: Medicaid Patients Suffer As Layers Of Private Companies Profit
Marcela Villa isn’t a big name in health care — but she played a crucial role in the lives of...
En Route To Congress, California Democrats Hit Wall On ‘Medicare-For-All’
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Each of the seven California Democrats who flipped Republican congressional seats in the midterm election campaigned for...
After Bitter Closure, Rural Texas Hospital Defies The Norm And Reopens
Five months ago, the 6,500 residents of Crockett, Texas, witnessed a bit of a resurrection — at least in rural...
Newsom Comes Out Swinging On Day One For Single-Payer, Immigrant Coverage
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Within hours of assuming office Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a defiant challenge to the Trump administration...
Newsom Diverges Sharply From Washington With Health Care Budget
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday unveiled his first state budget, one that leads California down a very different...
Medicare Cuts Payments To Nursing Homes Whose Patients Keep Ending Up In Hospital
The federal government has taken a new step to reduce avoidable hospital readmissions of nursing home patients by lowering a...
After Terribly Deadly Flu Season, California Aims To Track Deaths More Closely
California’s Department of Public Health says the flu killed 329 people under age 65 in the last flu season, from...
Buyers Of Short-Term Health Plans: Wise Or Shortsighted?
Supporters of the nation’s health law condemn them. A few states, including California and New York, have banned them. Other...
California Dreamin’? With Newsom’s Win, Single-Payer Unlikely To Follow Anytime Soon
Californians on Tuesday elected a governor who campaigned for a complete overhaul of how people get their health coverage —...
Fixing Obamacare’s ‘Family Glitch’ Hinges On Outcome Of November Elections
Last Christmas Eve, Justine Bradford-Trent slipped on ice, slamming to the ground. Her elbow swelled. Was it broken? She couldn’t...
Politicians Hop Aboard ‘Medicare-For-All’ Train, Destination Unknown
After decades in the political wilderness, “Medicare-for-all” and single-payer health care are suddenly popular. The words appear in political advertisements...
Hidden Drugs And Danger Lurk In Over-The-Counter Supplements, Study Finds
Everyone has seen the ads or the products on the shelves. A dietary supplement that promises to make consumers skinny,...
Update on Supplemental Funds / My Medical Leave
At both the CFO and Board meetings last week, we went over the various supplemental funding programs, which I’m summarizing...
DHLF PRIME Legislative Briefing – 9/12/2018
On September 12, the DHLF provided a successful briefing to state legislative staff on district/municipal hospitals’ experience to date with...
In The Battle To Control Drug Costs, Old Patent Laws Get New Life
In the drug pricing battle, progressive lawmakers such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and patients’ rights activists rarely find themselves...
5 Things To Know About Trump’s New ‘Public Charge’ Immigration Proposal
A proposed rule from the White House would make it harder for legal immigrants to get green cards if they...
Paper Jam: California’s Medicaid Program Hits ‘Print’ When The Feds Need Info
In the shadow of Silicon Valley, the hub of the world’s digital revolution, California officials still submit their records to...
California: A Health Care Laboratory With Mixed Results
California’s expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act enabled many low-income HIV patients to get health insurance previously denied...
McCain’s Complicated Health Care Legacy: He Hated the ACA. He Also Saved It.
There are many lawmakers who made their names in health care, seeking to usher through historic changes to a broken...
Breathing ‘A Chore’: California Wildfires Threaten The Health Of Young And Old
Debbie Dobrosky noticed a peculiar hue in the sky on Monday — “a very ugly yellow casting” — as she peeked...
Medicaid Expansion Making Diabetes Meds More Accessible To Poor, Study Shows
Low-income people with diabetes are better able to afford their medications and manage their disease in states that expanded Medicaid...
Medicare Reconsiders Paying For Seniors’ Spine Operations At Surgery Centers
Medicare is reviewing whether seniors should undergo spine surgeries at same-day surgery centers, the government-run health program announced Wednesday, five...
Community Frets As Buyer For Cherished Rural Hospital Slips From View
Confusion is growing in the remote Surprise Valley region of northeastern California as locals wonder whether a Denver entrepreneur will...
Insurers Fall Short In Catching And Reporting Medicaid Fraud, Inspectors Find
Despite receiving billions of dollars in taxpayer money, Medicaid insurers are lax in ferreting out fraud and neglect to tell...
Doctors And Dentists Welcome Pay Hike For Treating Low-Income Patients
For the second year in a row, California is boosting pay for doctors and dentists who treat the state’s poorest...
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Justice Kennedy Retires. Now What?
The retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy has triggered a political earthquake in Washington, as Republicans see a chance...
New Hospital Leader Fights Price Controls Despite Reputation As A Reformer
In Maryland, Carmela Coyle is known as a reformer. During her tenure as president of the Maryland Hospital Association, she...
California’s Attorney General Vows National Fight To Defend The ACA
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra pledged Friday to redouble his efforts as the Affordable Care Act’s leading defender, saying attacks...
Health Care Looms Large In Race For California’s Top Cop
Attorney General Xavier Becerra uses a well-worn refrain to describe his role as the state’s chief law enforcement officer: to...
L.A. County Unlawfully Terminated Thousands Of Medi-Cal Recipients, Court Rules
Los Angeles County unlawfully dropped an estimated 22,000 people from California’s Medicaid program, including low-income seniors and disabled residents who...
Longtime ‘Fighter’ Lands Top Spot In Powerful Nurses Union
Bonnie Castillo’s first experience with organized labor dates to the mid-1960s, when she was just 5. Her father was a...
Tax-Funded Mental Health Programs Not Always Easy To Find
Back in 2008, Mary Hogden was homeless, living on the streets of Berkeley. “I got beat up really badly out...
Study: Nearly Three-Quarters Of Commonly Used Medical Scopes Tainted By Bacteria
In an ominous sign for patient safety, 71 percent of reusable medical scopes deemed ready for use on patients tested...
Former California State Contractor Sued Over Breach Of HIV Patient Privacy
A security breach by a private company that contracted with California’s public health department inadvertently allowed unauthorized access to the...
California Takes On Health Giant Over High Costs
California’s attorney general sued Sutter Health, accusing the hospital giant of illegally quashing competition and for years overcharging consumers and...
Thousands Mistakenly Enrolled During State’s Medicaid Expansion, Feds Find
California signed up an estimated 450,000 people under Medicaid expansion who may not have been eligible for coverage, according to...
Everything You Need To Know About The New Medicare Cards (But Beware Of Scams)
In April, the government will start sending out new Medicare cards, launching a massive, yearlong effort to alter how 59...
A Health Plan ‘Down Payment’ Is One Way States Try Retooling Individual Mandate
As President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans tirelessly try to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, a number of states are...
State Pay Cut For Dental Hygienists Who Serve The Poor Was Illegal, Court Finds
California officials illegally slashed payments to dental hygienists who treat some of the state’s most fragile residents, including the elderly...
New UC-Irvine Center To Study The Highs And Lows of Pot
Jody Jacobson Wedret rolled her eyes after listening to scientists, policy wonks and marijuana advocates expound on pot’s potential to...
Hospitals Want To Cut Back On Free Care. Critics Say No Way.
Five years after Fresno-based attorney Joy Dockter started fighting for patients saddled with medical debt, hospitals continue to go after...
Community Health Centers Caught In ‘Washington’s Political Dysfunction’
With lawmakers facing another deadline this week for legislation to keep the federal government open, one of the outstanding issues...
Californians Scramble To Beat Midnight Enrollment Deadline
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Blanca Espinoza walked out of a second-story office overlooking one of the city’s busiest intersections Wednesday afternoon,...
CHIP Renewed For Six Years As Congress Votes To Reopen Federal Government
A brief, partial shutdown of the federal government ended Monday, as the Senate and House approved legislation that would keep...
Trump’s Work-For-Medicaid Rule Puts Work On States’ Shoulders
The Trump administration’s watershed decision Thursday to allow states to test a work requirement for adult Medicaid enrollees sparked widespread...
Trump Administration Rule Paves Way For Association Health Plans
The Department of Labor on Thursday released proposed new rules that proponents say will make it easier for businesses to...
State Gives Medi-Cal Enrollees Something To Smile About
Susan Inglett’s dental coverage changed just after she got a root canal on one of her top teeth. It was...
Sen. Collins’ Strategy To Stabilize Insurance Market Raises Doubts Among Analysts
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), whose vote was pivotal in pushing the GOP tax bill forward last week, thought she had...
Whistleblower: Medicaid Managed-Care Firm Improperly Denied Care To Thousands
In early October, an executive at one of the nation’s largest physician-practice management firms handed her bosses the equivalent of...
PRIME/Waiver Update
Dear CEOs and CFOs of district/municipal hospitals: We wanted to take this opportunity to let you all know of the...
Enriched By The Poor: California Health Insurers Make Billions Through Medicaid
Medicaid is rarely associated with getting rich. The patients are poor, the budgets tight and payments to doctors often paltry....
House Tax Bill Would Scrap Deduction For Medical Expenses
The tax bill unveiled by Republicans in the House on Thursday would not, as had been rumored, eliminate the tax...
Governor Inks Support for Some Key Health Bills, Nixes Others
Wielding his pen, Gov. Jerry Brown has reinforced the Affordable Care Act, stood up to pharmaceutical companies and boosted testing...
New Law Challenges ‘Evils’ Of Pharma Profits, California Governor Claims
California Gov. Jerry Brown defied the drug industry Monday by signing a sweeping drug price transparency bill that will force...
Imagining A Single-Payer Health System In California
With the crumbling of the latest GOP plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, many Americans seem more...
A Tale Of Two States: California, Texas And The Latest ACA Repeal Bid
The GOP’s latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act wobbled on Friday as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said he...
Federal ACA Activities 9/20/17
We wanted to provide you with an update on federal activities around the repeal of the ACA. As you have...
California, Other States To Extend Obamacare Sign-Up Beyond Federal Limit
California and several other states will exempt themselves this year from a new Trump administration rule that cuts in half...
For Millions Of Insured Californians, State Health Laws Don’t Apply
True or false? If you’re a Californian with private health insurance, you have the right to an appointment within a...
For Covered California, Uncertainty Is The New Certainty
SACRAMENTO — Covered California’s board made several multimillion-dollar decisions Thursday, all addressing one unsettling theme: uncertainty. Over and over, board members...
Medi-Cal Sued For Pushing Patients Into Managed Care Despite Judges’ Orders
Alondra Diaz can’t get enough of Elmo and Barney, and she adores picture books. The 14-year-old, who will enter high...
Why A Pennsylvania Insurer’s Collapse Could Whack Californians In the Wallet
Health insurers across the country are on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars in losses stemming from the...
McCain Votes No, Derails ‘Skinny Repeal’ In Marathon Session
WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who interrupted brain cancer treatment to return to Capitol Hill and advance the health...
Senate Parliamentarian Upends GOP Hopes For Health Bill
The official rules keeper in the Senate Friday tossed a bucket of cold water on the Senate Republican health bill...
Analysis: Senate’s Latest Health Blueprint Cuts Costs At The Expense Of Chronically Ill
The latest Senate health proposal reins in costs by effectively splitting the individual insurance market, with healthy people diverted into...
The Union That Roars: Nurses Aren’t Giving Up On California’s Single-Payer Push
To some, the California Nurses Association’s political tactics in pushing for a single-payer health system seemed a bit, well, extreme....
As Seniors Get Sicker, They're More Likely To Drop Medicare Advantage Plans
When Sol Shipotow enrolled in a new Medicare Advantage health plan earlier this year, he expected to keep the doctor...
Advocacy Alert: US Senate Contacts
As you know, the Senate currently is working to try to pass a ACA repeal bill with the vote likely...
Advocacy Alert: US Senate Contacts
As you know, the Senate currently is working to try to pass a ACA repeal bill with the vote likely...
Lots Of Boos In California For Senate Health Bill
California politicians, medical providers and consumer advocates served up harsh critiques of the newly unveiled Senate health care bill Thursday,...
$20 Million On The Way for Clinics That Serve California’s Poor
California State Treasurer John Chiang plans today to announce grants totaling $20 million for community clinics that serve low-income and...
California Nixes Plan To Offer Full Medicaid Benefits To Undocumented Young Adults
As they scrambled to finalize next year’s state budget, California lawmakers this week abruptly dropped a plan to offer full...
SB 538 (Monning) – OPPOSE
Dear Senator Lara: The District Hospital Leadership Forum (DHLF), on behalf of California’s district and municipal public hospitals (DMPHs), is...
Advocacy Trip to Washington D.C.
A group of DHLF members traveled to Washington, D.C. the week of 5/22/17 to advocate on issues related to the...
Advocacy Trip to Washington D.C.
A group of DHLF members traveled to Washington, D.C. the week of 5/22/17 to advocate on issues related to the...
California Could Become First State To Extend Medi-Cal To Undocumented Young Adults
California could become the first state to extend full Medicaid benefits to undocumented immigrants up to age 26 after two...
Republicans Race The Clock On Health Care — But The Calendar Is Not Helping
Back in January, Republicans boasted they would deliver a “repeal and replace” bill for the Affordable Care Act to President...
California Governor Urges State Budget Restraint Amid Obamacare Repeal Effort
At the unveiling of his revised $183 billion budget proposal on Thursday, California Gov. Jerry Brown pointed to a chart...
Bill Aims To Loosen Drugmaker-Doctor Ties By Limiting Perks For Promoting Meds
A new California bill aims to reduce the pharmaceutical industry’s influence in medical decision-making by restricting payments and gifts from...
Running Short On Time, Covered California And Insurers Seek Obamacare Answers From GOP
With a deadline looming, California’s health exchange and a major insurer pressed Republican leaders in Washington to clear up confusion...
Negotiating Drug Prices: Should State Agencies Band Together?
Citing budget-busting drug costs, a California lawmaker wants state health programs to band together to negotiate better prices with drug...
Grasping For The Middle Ground On Obamacare
Joel Hay, a professor at the University of Southern California, describes his political views as “conservative, free market.” But in...
California Lawmakers Consider Giving State Regulators More Grounds To Reject Health Insurance Mergers
State lawmakers are considering a proposal to give state regulators a broader mandate when evaluating whether insurance company mergers would...
The Next Obamacare Battleground: Subsidies For Out-Of-Pocket Costs
When Republicans pulled their Affordable Care Act replacement bill last Friday, Lauren Lake’s primary reaction was relief. But like a...
House Leaders ‘Came Up Short’ In Effort To Kill Obamacare
Despite days of intense negotiations and last-minute concessions to win over wavering GOP conservatives and moderates, House Republican leaders Friday...
Five Ways The GOP Health Bill Would Reverse Course From The ACA
After literally years of promises, House Republicans finally have a bill they say will “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care...
Aca and Medicaid update
It is expected that an ACA repeal-replace bill will be considered the week of March 6 in the House Energy...
Support For Health Law Grows, Leaving Republicans In A Bind
Republican members of Congress are at home this week, with many of them getting an earful from anxious constituents about...
Single-Payer Health Care Bill Introduced In California Senate
Legislation introduced in the state Senate Friday would set California on a path toward the possible creation of a single-payer health...
Rest Of The U.S. Could Learn ‘A Great Deal’ From Covered California, Study Says
A five-state study of Obamacare health insurance exchanges finds California’s to be the “most successful” of the group. Researchers say...
Letter to California Congressional Delegation
Attached is a letter the DHLF sent on February 1 to the California Congressional Delegation outlining California’s district and municipal...
Hoping To Control Health Costs, California Lawmaker Targets Prescription Drug Coupons
A California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would ban drugmakers from issuing coupons that lower patients’ prescription copayments for...
Medicare’s Coverage Of Therapy Services Again Is In Center Of Court Dispute
Four years after Medicare officials agreed in a landmark court settlement that seniors cannot be denied coverage for physical therapy...
Drug Prices, Opioids, And Obamacare: A Conversation With Assemblyman Jim Wood
California policymakers are facing a busy year, as a Republican-controlled Congress inches closer to rolling back key provisions of the...
Crucial California HIV Program In Disarray After Contract Switch
A change in contractors for a state-run AIDS program has resulted in enrollment delays and left some patients unable to...
Governor released 2017-18 proposed state budget.
Amid uncertainty about changes in state revenue and policies in Washington, California Gov. Jerry Brown presented the $177.1 billion 17-18...
Shoppers On California Exchange Sidestep Soaring Premiums But Pass Up Subsidies
Californians tend to avoid the worst of premium hikes on the state exchange by choosing lower-cost plans, but many also...
Thousands Of Covered California Enrollees Could Lose Subsidies In January
An error by Covered California has left about 24,000 policy holders at risk of losing their federal tax credits in...
Amid Sign-Up Surge, Covered California Extends Enrollment Deadline
Californians are signing up in higher numbers than they did last year for health plans sold on the state’s health...
In House Majority Leader’s Calif. District, Many Depend On Health Law He Wants To Scrap
U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act first and replace it sometime later. That...
Price’s Appointment Boosts GOP Plans To Overhaul Medicare And Medicaid
President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Rep. Tom Price to head the Department of Health and Human Services signals that the...
Blue Shield, California’s Biggest Obamacare Insurer, Vows It’s Not ‘Running For The Hills’
The chief executive of Blue Shield of California, the largest insurer on the state-run marketplace, says he’s committed to selling...
California Voters Divided On Drug Price Ballot Measure But Support Other Health Initiatives
Less than a week before the election, California voters’ support for Proposition 61 appears to have eroded, and they are...
Blue Shield Again Owes Californians Millions In Health Care Rebates
About 240,000 Californians with job-based health coverage may have been surprised by a recent letter from Blue Shield of California...
Report: States Increase Cost Controls To Manage Medicaid Growth
With a record 73 million people enrolled in Medicaid, most states next year will tighten controls on spending to battle...
District/municipal supplemental funding update (managed care IGTs)
14-15 QAF managed care funds DHCS and California hospitals are still awaiting CMS approval on the first component of rates...
New California Law Allows Organizations to Buy EpiPens For Emergencies, But Will They?
Justine Saffir, director at the Sunnymont-Westside nursery school in San Jose, keeps in her classroom a spare EpiPen to treat...
Drug Price Transparency Bill Clears Key Hurdle in California Legislature
Controversial California legislation requiring drug companies to justify treatment costs and price hikes jumped one more hurdle Thursday, just a...
California’s Public Hospitals Face New Medi-Cal Mandate
Public hospitals in California will be required to contract with at least one Medi-Cal managed care plan starting in 2018...
Obamacare Expansion A Bumpy Ride For Rural Health Clinics
A network of clinics that serves low-income patients in rural Northern California is finally finding balance after being deluged with...
Two Insurance Giants Planning To Jump Into California’s Medicaid Market
Two of the nation’s largest insurers are reaching out to doctors as they prepare to offer health coverage to low-income...
A Chat With The Head Of California’s Doctor Lobby
The California Medical Association, which represents about 41,000 doctors, has been at the heart of health care deliberations in Sacramento...
Feds Urge State Medicaid Programs To Boost Use Of Long-Acting Contraceptives
The federal government, which spends billions of dollars each year covering unintended pregnancies, is encouraging states to adopt policies that help...
Hospital Workers Union Pulls California Ballot Measure On Hospital Exec Pay
A powerful hospital workers union has been forced to withdraw a proposed measure that would have capped the pay of...
HOPD Letter
Attached is a letter from the California District Hospital Leadership Forum on the hospital outpatient department pending proposed rule being...
June 30, 2016 DHLF Update
PRIME On June 17, DHCS reported that ALL PRIME applications had been approved! Therefore, attention turns to the IGTs/federal match...
Revamp Of State Program For Medically Fragile Kids Moves Forward In Legislature
California lawmakers on Tuesday pushed forward compromise legislation that would transform how the state’s most medically fragile kids receive care....
California Budget: Small Health Gains, Advocates Look To Nov. Ballot For Big-Ticket Items
The $122.5 billion state budget approved this week by California lawmakers will fund a variety of health-related efforts, including training...
DHLF PRIME Update
A few important/timely updates about PRIME: Good news – all PRIME applications with the exception of one (which remains a...
State Legislators Push Bill To Inform Patients Of Drug Company Discount Programs
California lawmakers are lining up in support of a bill that would require health plans to provide information about patient-assistance...
Hike In Minimum Wage Will Push Some Workers Out Of Medi-Cal
California’s decision to raise its hourly minimum wage to $15 by 2022 could have unintended consequences for thousands of workers...
UnitedHealth To Exit California’s Obamacare Market
UnitedHealth Group Inc. is leaving California’s insurance exchange at the end of this year, state officials confirmed Tuesday. The nation’s...
Medicare’s Drug-Pricing Experiment Stirs Opposition
Aiming to keep costs in check, Medicare is proposing to test different ways to pay for drugs — one of...
Covered California Says It’s Moving Fast To Fix Involuntary Switches Into Medi-Cal
Under fire from federal lawmakers and consumer advocates, Covered California is speeding up its response to a systemic problem that...
California’s Medical Board Declares Neutrality On Proposed Doctor Disclosure Law
The 15-member board that monitors physicians in California Friday declared its neutrality on pending state legislation that would require doctors...
Medi-Cal’s Doctor Sign-Up System Finally Going Online
Medi-Cal’s enrollment system for doctors and other health care providers, long criticized in the medical community for being complicated and...
Waiver Legislation / CMS Final Rule on Medicaid Managed Care / Hospital outpatient site neutral activities
Waiver Legislation Many thanks DHLF members who wrote letters to the Senate and Assembly Health Committees in support of the...
Will Covered California Sell Health Coverage To The Undocumented?
California legislators are attempting to clear the way for undocumented immigrants to buy health insurance through the state’s insurance exchange...
Gonorrhea Rate Has Shot Up In California
Rates of gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease, are rising sharply in California, especially among gay and bisexual men, according to...
More Customers Dumped From Covered California Without Notice
Lynn Kersey has some advice for pregnant women who bought health insurance policies from Covered California and want to keep...
March 2016 DC Advocacy Trip
Several members of the DHLF traveled to Washington, D.C. for advocacy on federal issues of importance to California’s district/municipal hospitals...
March 2016 DC Advocacy Trip
Several members of the DHLF traveled to Washington, D.C. for advocacy on federal issues of importance to California’s district/municipal hospitals...
Covered California Imposes New Quality, Cost Conditions On Plans
Moving into a realm usually reserved for health care regulators, Covered California Thursday unveiled sweeping reforms to its contracts with...
Experts Say Health Care Companies Are Tantalizing Targets For Cyberattackers
A recent cyberattack against hospital chain MedStar was just the latest in a series of strikes against health care companies,...
Battle Heating Up Over ‘Surprise’ Medical Bills
Have you ever gone in for a medical procedure you knew was covered by your health plan, only to be...
$6.8 Billion Health Insurance Merger Clears First State Hurdle
The California Department of Managed Health Care gave a green light Tuesday to the $6.8 billion acquisition of Health Net...
Calif., N.H. Seek To Help Consumers Get Details On Health Care Prices
California and New Hampshire are revealing some of the biggest secrets of health care by publishing price information to help...
State Finalizing Plans To Close Centers For The Severely Disabled
The final countdown has begun for the last of three large state-run institutions that care for the severely disabled: In...
State Legislature Passes New MCO Tax, Rescues Over $1 Billion for Medi-Cal
The California legislature Monday approved a new health care tax, capping a months-long quest to safeguard over $1 billion in...
Senate/Assembly pass managed care tax legislation, including elimination of DP/NF clawback
Both the Assembly and Senate passed the managed care organization (MCO) financing package on February 29. Of interest to district/municipal...
Kaweah Delta asks legislators to vote 'yes' on managed care bill
The Kaweah Delta Health Care District is calling on local legislators to vote for the state’s Managed Care Organizations (MCO)...
Fight Looms Over Medi-Cal For Adult Immigrants Without Papers
A plan to offer full state-sponsored health benefits for adult immigrants without papers is likely to spark one of the...
Covered California Takes Aim At System Gamers
It may soon become harder to enroll in Covered California health plans outside the regular open-enrollment period. Covered California, the...
California Legislature poised to pass replacement tax on health care plans
SACRAMENTO — After months of uncertainty, the Legislature appears poised to approve a tax on health care plans that would...
State Legislative Day-2016
At the conclusion of our May 17, 2016 DHLF Board meeting, members will adjourn to the state Capitol to meet...
Federal Advocacy Days, Spring 2016
We are planning a spring DHLF DC Advocacy Trip in March. The plan is to travel on Monday, March 21...
State’s Medi-Cal Bill For Undocumented Kids Could Rise
The cost of providing full Medi-Cal benefits to undocumented immigrant children in California could be significantly more than the state’s...
Licking Wounds, Insurers Accelerate Moves To Limit Health-Law Enrollment
Stung by losses under the federal health law, major insurers are seeking to sharply limit how policies are sold to...
DHLF Update-February 1, 2016
Waiver Webinar DHCS conducted a webinar last week on Medi-Cal 2020, the recently-negotiated 1115 waiver. The webinar slides, which include...
State Seeks to Calm Fears Over Change in Autism Care
Today the state will begin a transition in the health coverage of 9,000 children who are treated for autism under...
Potential Outcomes of the ACA's Third Enrollment Period and Their Implications
Officials are hoping for strong enrollment during President Obama’s last year at the helm of his signature health law, but...
Brown Touts Calif.'s Embrace of ACA, Cautions About Health Costs
In his State of the State address on Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) touted California’s embrace of the Affordable Care...
PRIME Update–January 21, 2016
On January 21, 2016, DHLF staff met with DHCS regarding the PRIME program. Below are a few updates. The protocols...
4.7M Calif. Medical Records Affected by Data Breaches Last Year
Last year, more than 4.7 million medical records were affected by data breaches in California, according to federal data, the...
Infections From Duodenoscopes Higher Than Previously Estimated
The number of potentially deadly infections linked to contaminated duodenoscopes in California and other states is greater than federal investigators...
Let the Budget Plan Pushback Begin
On Monday, the Legislature reconvenes its extraordinary session on health care and officially embarks on the long public debate over...
2016-17 State Budget–January 7, 2016
Earlier today, Governor Brown presented the 2016-17 proposed state budget. The proposed budget increases spending for education, health care and...
Brown's Budget Proposal To Address Health Care Issues in California
Gov. Jerry Brown’s (D) fiscal year 2016-2017 budget proposal — set to be released Thursday — likely will address funding...
Feds OK California's $6.2 Billion Waiver
CMS last week officially approved a five-year, $6.2 billion federal 1115 waiver for California, also known as Medi-Cal 2020. The waiver...
Medical-Cal 1115 Waiver Approved–December 31, 2015
The DHLF is pleased to share the below Department of Health Care Services notice about the approval of the Medi-Cal...
Covered California Officials Report Recent Surge in Enrollment
On Wednesday, Covered California officials announced that more than 197,000 consumers had signed up for coverage as of Tuesday evening,...
DHLF Representatives Traveled to Washington DC–November 2015
In early November, a contingent of DHLF members traveled to Washington D.C. to advocate on behalf of the Forum specifically...
Calif., Other States Scrutinize Regulatory Boards After Ruling
California and other states are more closely scrutinizing regulatory boards and commissions, including those related to various health care trades,...
More Than 20 Calif. Facilities Among Leapfrog's 'Top Hospitals' Lists
More than 20 California facilities were included in the Leapfrog Group’s annual “Top Hospitals” lists released Wednesday, Healthcare DIVE reports...
Researchers, Health Officials Trying to Solve Dual Eligibles' Opt-Out Puzzle
On Monday, health policy researchers at UCLA announced the launch of a project to better understand why such a high...
Spike in Medi-Cal Enrollment Adds Pressure to 'Doctor Deserts'
A spike in Medi-Cal enrollment after California expanded the program under the Affordable Care Act has exacerbated problems with health...
UnitedHealth's Threat To Leave Exchanges Not Expected To Mean Much in California
UnitedHealth Group’s announcement this week that it may pull out of Affordable Care Act exchanges is not expected to have...
Why Maryland — Not California — Pulled Off the 'Boldest Proposal' in Health Care
For a year, a dozen of California’s most powerful health care leaders had been privately meeting to talk a revolution....
California Aging Population Likely To Increase Health Care Costs
California’s growing aging population likely will pose several challenges, including new costs on taxpayers for health care services, the Sacramento...
What Paul Ryan's Election to House Speaker Means for the Affordable Care Act
In a recent interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” newly elected House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) signaled a need for...
Long-Range Outlook for Long-Term Care
It was a good year for long-term care policy issues in the Capitol, and there will be a full slate...
Study: Hospitals Need Better Efficiency
Hospital inpatient care is highly inefficient, according to a study released this week by a health care consulting firm. Axene...
Waiver Approval a Strong Start, Now Time for Long-Term Vision, Expert Says
The agreement between California and CMS officials on a federal waiver for California’s Medicaid program means $6.2 billion worth of...
$6 Billion Waiver Gets Federal Approval
CMS officials on Saturday agreed in principle to a five-year, $6.2 billion waiver for California’s Medicaid program. That was good...
Obama Administration Unveils HealthCare.gov Upgrades
The Obama administration on Sunday unveiled a faster, more user-friendly version of HealthCare.gov, the Washington Times reports. Officials launched the...
Exchange Survey Sets Table for Upcoming Open Enrollment Period
Many Californians don’t know they qualify for coverage help in the form of federal subsidies, according to a survey released...
State Scales Back Medicaid Waiver Request From $17 Billion to $7 Billion
On Tuesday, a policy analyst from the state Legislative Analyst’s Office said the state has revised its 1115 Medicaid waiver...
Hospitals Urged To Avoid Serving Meat From Livestock Raised on Antibiotics
Raising animals on a diet of antibiotics produces healthier and larger livestock but it’s also contributing to increased incidences of...
Scope of Practice Legislation To Fight Another Day
Amid the deluge of health care bills signed and vetoed by the governor in recent days, absent were several bills...
Brown Vetoes Medi-Cal Bills, Citing Expected $1.1B Budget Deficit
Citing the state Legislature’s failure to rework the expiring managed care organization tax and the resulting budget deficit, Gov. Jerry...
Aid for Police in Handling Mentally Ill
Police officers need to handle mentally ill people a little differently than others, and many of them just don’t understand...
GAO Slams CMS' Oversight of Medicare Advantage Provider Networks
CMS must do more to ensure that Medicare Advantage plans have adequate networks, according to a Government Accountability Office report...
National Drug Take-Back Day Saturday
Roughly 350 drop-off sites in California will take consumers’ unwanted or unused medications on Saturday and properly dispose of them....
New Oversight for Outpatient Surgery
Outpatient surgery centers in California face new regulations and oversight under a brand-new law. After much discussion and several amendments,...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Uninsured Numbers Drop Substantially
More than two-thirds of all Californians who were uninsured before Affordable Care Act implementation now have coverage, according to a study...
Lawmakers Voice Concerns Over Covered Calif.'s Data Mining Plan
On Monday, four U.S. lawmakers from California sent a letter to Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee raising privacy concerns...
Auditor's Report Shows 'Symbiotic Relationship' in Medi-Cal Managed Care
The seeming reluctance by state officials to closely monitor Medi-Cal managed care plans is troubling, said Gerald Kominski, director of...
Governor Calls for Special Legislative Session To Address Health Spending
Gov. Jerry Brown (D) last week issued a proclamation to convene a special legislative session on health care spending on the...
California Legislature Nears Deal Ahead of Budget Plan Deadline
During a joint budget committee meeting on Tuesday, California Senate and Assembly Democrats neared a deal on a final budget...
Lawmakers Nearing Deal On California Budget
Democratic leaders in the Senate and the Assembly are nailing down a final deal on the state budget, sources in...
Protest Rises Over Medi-Cal Rates
The Capitol lawn is going to be a little livelier on Tuesday, as hundreds of protesters from across the state...
GAO: CMS Too Reliant on Doctors When Setting Medicare Pay Rates
CMS is too reliant on the American Medical Association when setting provider reimbursement rates, according to a recent Government Accountability...
Legislation and state budget activities addressing AB 97 cuts
SB 243 and AB 366, Medi-Cal Rates On May 28, the Legislature considered the bills that were on the Appropriations...
California Democrats Release Competing Budget Proposals
On Tuesday, Democrats in the California Senate and Assembly released separate budget plans that differ on various key spending proposals,...
2015-16 State Budget May Revise
The governor released his “May Revise” of the state budget proposal for 2015-16 on May 14, 2015. The May Revise...
Brown Unveils Revised Budget Plan; Health Advocates React
On Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) released the revised version of his fiscal year 2015-2016 budget plan, which includes several...
Legislature's Turn To Consider Open Data
Last month, California HHS embraced the open data movement in health care with a decision to make more data available...
Bill Extends, Expands Benefits Review
Who doesn’t like Ch-Burp? The much-beloved acronym CHBRP, belonging to the California Health Benefits Review Program, will get a longer...
State Submits $17B Waiver Plan; Advocates Urge Medi-Cal Rate Review
California health officials submitted a Medicaid waiver request to federal regulators calling for $17 billion in health care reform projects in...
State releases draft 2015 Waiver (Medi-Cal 2020) application
In mid-March, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released a draft of the 2015 Section 1115 Waiver Renewal application,...
State releases draft 2015 Waiver (Medi-Cal 2020) application
Earlier this week, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released a draft of the 2015 Section 1115 Waiver Renewal...
Five Years of California Health Reform: 'A Tremendous Designed Experiment'
Nadereh Pourat, director of research at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, gives an involuntary gasp when she’s asked...
CHA Official: California's Safety-Net Hospitals Are 'at Risk'
California’s safety-net hospitals often do not have enough patients with private health coverage to offset the cost of treating a...
CBO Lowers Cost Projection for ACA Over Next 10 Years by 11%
The federal government will spend 11% less on the Affordable Care Act over the next decade than previously anticipated, according...
Another California Superbug Outbreak Linked to Endoscopes
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles has confirmed several cases of infections linked to the same type of medical endoscopes...
Pressure Rising To Restore Medi-Cal Cuts
A protest Wednesday at the Capitol Building will highlight proposed legislation to reverse cuts to Medi-Cal provider rates. In 2011...
Flurry of Bills Before Legislative Deadline
The deadline is Friday for introducing bills in the California Legislature. Several health-related bills have gotten in under the wire in Sacramento,...
Superbug Outbreak Highlights Hospital Infection Concerns Across U.S.
An outbreak of a potentially deadly bacterial infection at UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center that was linked to medical endoscopes...
LAO Report: State Could Lose $1 Billion
California stands to lose about $1 billion in federal health care funding through potential elimination of the current managed care...
DPH Fines 10 California Hospitals $700K for Adverse Events
On Wednesday, the California Department of Public Health announced that it has fined 10 hospitals hundreds of thousands of dollars...
Patient Satisfaction Among Low-Income Patients on the Rise, Survey Says
More than half of Medi-Cal and other low-income patients rated their care as very good or excellent, a gain of...
February 10, 2015 Update
Mental Health Services Act: Please see the attached memo from the DHLF federal advocate, Charity Bracy, regarding funding availability via...
2016 DHLF Tracked Legislation
District Hospital Leadership Forum – Legislative Status Report February 6, 2016. Feb 6, 2016 report ...
Analyst's Office Cites 'Shortcomings' in Mental Health Hospitals' Administration
The Legislative Analyst’s Office found a number of budgeting inefficiencies and question marks about policies and procedures in its evaluation...
DHLF State Budget Update
State Budget: Today the Governor released his proposed 2015-16 state budget. An overall summary follows this update, but unlike prior...
May Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
April Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
March Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
February Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
January Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
October/November Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As we...
September Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of...
August Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of...
July Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of...
May/June Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsletter,...
2013-2014 Budget Recap
2013-14 State Budget News Affecting District/Municipal Hospitals: On June 27, the governor signed the 2013-14 state budget. There are two...
April Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsletter,...
March Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsletter,...
February/Early March Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
January 2013 Recap of DHLF Activities
Happy New Year! Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly...
November Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
Election Analysis and 2013 California Issues
The coming 2013-14 legislative session will present several new opportunities and a few new challenges. It is first worth considering...
October Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
September Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
August 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last recap in early August....
July & Early August 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last recap in early July....
June 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Governor Brown signed the 2012-13 state budget on June 27. The 2012-13 budget is reliant upon a package of ballot...
May 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
The Governor released the 2012-13 state budget “May Revise” on May 14. The “May Revise” revises the January budget proposal...
April 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on in April. Your feedback on all communications...
March Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on in April. Your feedback on all communications...
February 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
The DHLF Board met February 15 and then members participated in the first DHLF Legislative Day in the State Capitol....
Type Two
Governor Vetoes AB 2098
News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 28, 2024 Governor Vetoes AB 2098 Earlier today, Gov. Newsom vetoe...
DHCS – CALHEALTHCARES AWARDS $69.4 MILLION TO 293 PROVIDERS TO HELP EXPAND MEDI-CAL ACCESS
News Release August 5, 2021 SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announce...
Letter to Secretary Becerra regarding “Provider Relief Funds”
Letter to Becerra re PRF Funds Attached is a letter signed by the below members (40) of the California Congres...
California hospitals suffer massive losses from fewer patients, major COVID-19 expenses
With the June 15th budget deadline looming, the Legislature has presented a united front in rejecting many of...
Governor’s 2020-21 May Revise
The Governor released the May revision to the proposed 20-21 state budget today. As has been recently report...
Governor’s 2020-21 May Revise
The Governor released the May revision to the proposed 20-21 state budget today. As has been recently report...
HHS Awards Nearly $165 Million to Combat COVID-19 in Rural Communities
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Health Resources and Services Admini...
Governor’s 2020-21 Budget Proposal
Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan proposes $107.4 billion in total funds for DHCS programs and services. It inclu...
Newsom’s first rodeo: In year one, the governor bucks both Trump and Brown
Californians will soon be allowed to eat roadkill but be prohibited from buying fur coats. Abortion pills will...
As Hospitals Post Price Lists, Consumers Are Asked To Check Up On Them
With much fanfare, federal officials required hospitals nationwide this year to post their “list” prices o...
DHLF Lobbying Dues Disclosure for Cost Reports
October 8, 2018 TO: Members, District Hospital Leadership Forum FROM: Sherreta Lane, DHLF Senior Vice Pres...
CA State Budget Proposal: 2019-20
On January 10, 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom released the proposed 2019-20 state budget which includes a $144 billio...
Trump Highlights Health Agenda With Vow To Lower ‘Unfair’ Drug Prices
It was not the centerpiece, but health was a persistent theme in President Donald Trump’s State of the Union...
Pain From The Government Shutdown Spreads. This Time It’s Food Stamps.
Antoinette Martinez was relieved when she heard she would receive her food stamps for February about two weeks...
Public Charge Letter
December 10, 2018 Samantha Deshommes Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division Office of Policy and Strategy US ...
California’s Top Lawyer Cements His Role As Health Care Defender-In-Chief
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Xavier Becerra, the political savvy Democratic attorney general of California, has sued...
Coverage Denied: Medicaid Patients Suffer As Layers Of Private Companies Profit
Marcela Villa isn’t a big name in health care — but she played a crucial role in the lives of thousands of...
En Route To Congress, California Democrats Hit Wall On ‘Medicare-For-All’
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Each of the seven California Democrats who flipped Republican congressional seats in the ...
After Bitter Closure, Rural Texas Hospital Defies The Norm And Reopens
Five months ago, the 6,500 residents of Crockett, Texas, witnessed a bit of a resurrection — at least in rur...
Newsom Comes Out Swinging On Day One For Single-Payer, Immigrant Coverage
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Within hours of assuming office Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a defiant challenge to...
Newsom Diverges Sharply From Washington With Health Care Budget
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday unveiled his first state budget, one that leads Californ...
Medicare Cuts Payments To Nursing Homes Whose Patients Keep Ending Up In Hospital
The federal government has taken a new step to reduce avoidable hospital readmissions of nursing home patients...
After Terribly Deadly Flu Season, California Aims To Track Deaths More Closely
California’s Department of Public Health says the flu killed 329 people under age 65 in the last flu season,...
Buyers Of Short-Term Health Plans: Wise Or Shortsighted?
Supporters of the nation’s health law condemn them. A few states, including California and New York, have ba...
California Dreamin’? With Newsom’s Win, Single-Payer Unlikely To Follow Anytime Soon
Californians on Tuesday elected a governor who campaigned for a complete overhaul of how people get their heal...
Fixing Obamacare’s ‘Family Glitch’ Hinges On Outcome Of November Elections
Last Christmas Eve, Justine Bradford-Trent slipped on ice, slamming to the ground. Her elbow swelled. Was it b...
Politicians Hop Aboard ‘Medicare-For-All’ Train, Destination Unknown
After decades in the political wilderness, “Medicare-for-all” and single-payer health care are suddenly po...
Hidden Drugs And Danger Lurk In Over-The-Counter Supplements, Study Finds
Everyone has seen the ads or the products on the shelves. A dietary supplement that promises to make consumers...
Update on Supplemental Funds / My Medical Leave
At both the CFO and Board meetings last week, we went over the various supplemental funding programs, which I...
DHLF PRIME Legislative Briefing – 9/12/2018
On September 12, the DHLF provided a successful briefing to state legislative staff on district/municipal hosp...
In The Battle To Control Drug Costs, Old Patent Laws Get New Life
In the drug pricing battle, progressive lawmakers such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and patients’ rights a...
5 Things To Know About Trump’s New ‘Public Charge’ Immigration Proposal
A proposed rule from the White House would make it harder for legal immigrants to get green cards if they have...
Paper Jam: California’s Medicaid Program Hits ‘Print’ When The Feds Need Info
In the shadow of Silicon Valley, the hub of the world’s digital revolution, California officials still submi...
California: A Health Care Laboratory With Mixed Results
California’s expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act enabled many low-income HIV patients to get...
McCain’s Complicated Health Care Legacy: He Hated the ACA. He Also Saved It.
There are many lawmakers who made their names in health care, seeking to usher through historic changes to a b...
Breathing ‘A Chore’: California Wildfires Threaten The Health Of Young And Old
Debbie Dobrosky noticed a peculiar hue in the sky on Monday — “a very ugly yellow casting” — as she p...
Medicaid Expansion Making Diabetes Meds More Accessible To Poor, Study Shows
Low-income people with diabetes are better able to afford their medications and manage their disease in states...
Medicare Reconsiders Paying For Seniors’ Spine Operations At Surgery Centers
Medicare is reviewing whether seniors should undergo spine surgeries at same-day surgery centers, the governme...
Community Frets As Buyer For Cherished Rural Hospital Slips From View
Confusion is growing in the remote Surprise Valley region of northeastern California as locals wonder whether ...
Insurers Fall Short In Catching And Reporting Medicaid Fraud, Inspectors Find
Despite receiving billions of dollars in taxpayer money, Medicaid insurers are lax in ferreting out fraud and ...
Doctors And Dentists Welcome Pay Hike For Treating Low-Income Patients
For the second year in a row, California is boosting pay for doctors and dentists who treat the state’s poor...
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Justice Kennedy Retires. Now What?
The retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy has triggered a political earthquake in Washington, as...
New Hospital Leader Fights Price Controls Despite Reputation As A Reformer
In Maryland, Carmela Coyle is known as a reformer. During her tenure as president of the Maryland Hospital Ass...
California’s Attorney General Vows National Fight To Defend The ACA
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra pledged Friday to redouble his efforts as the Affordable Care Act...
Health Care Looms Large In Race For California’s Top Cop
Attorney General Xavier Becerra uses a well-worn refrain to describe his role as the state’s chief law enfor...
L.A. County Unlawfully Terminated Thousands Of Medi-Cal Recipients, Court Rules
Los Angeles County unlawfully dropped an estimated 22,000 people from California’s Medicaid program, includi...
Longtime ‘Fighter’ Lands Top Spot In Powerful Nurses Union
Bonnie Castillo’s first experience with organized labor dates to the mid-1960s, when she was just 5. Her fat...
Tax-Funded Mental Health Programs Not Always Easy To Find
Back in 2008, Mary Hogden was homeless, living on the streets of Berkeley. “I got beat up really badly out t...
Study: Nearly Three-Quarters Of Commonly Used Medical Scopes Tainted By Bacteria
In an ominous sign for patient safety, 71 percent of reusable medical scopes deemed ready for use on patients ...
Former California State Contractor Sued Over Breach Of HIV Patient Privacy
A security breach by a private company that contracted with California’s public health department inadverten...
California Takes On Health Giant Over High Costs
California’s attorney general sued Sutter Health, accusing the hospital giant of illegally quashing competit...
Thousands Mistakenly Enrolled During State’s Medicaid Expansion, Feds Find
California signed up an estimated 450,000 people under Medicaid expansion who may not have been eligible for c...
Everything You Need To Know About The New Medicare Cards (But Beware Of Scams)
In April, the government will start sending out new Medicare cards, launching a massive, yearlong effort to al...
A Health Plan ‘Down Payment’ Is One Way States Try Retooling Individual Mandate
As President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans tirelessly try to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, a...
State Pay Cut For Dental Hygienists Who Serve The Poor Was Illegal, Court Finds
California officials illegally slashed payments to dental hygienists who treat some of the state’s most frag...
New UC-Irvine Center To Study The Highs And Lows of Pot
Jody Jacobson Wedret rolled her eyes after listening to scientists, policy wonks and marijuana advocates expou...
Hospitals Want To Cut Back On Free Care. Critics Say No Way.
Five years after Fresno-based attorney Joy Dockter started fighting for patients saddled with medical debt, ho...
Community Health Centers Caught In ‘Washington’s Political Dysfunction’
With lawmakers facing another deadline this week for legislation to keep the federal government open, one of t...
Californians Scramble To Beat Midnight Enrollment Deadline
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Blanca Espinoza walked out of a second-story office overlooking one of the city’s bus...
CHIP Renewed For Six Years As Congress Votes To Reopen Federal Government
A brief, partial shutdown of the federal government ended Monday, as the Senate and House approved legislation...
Trump’s Work-For-Medicaid Rule Puts Work On States’ Shoulders
The Trump administration’s watershed decision Thursday to allow states to test a work requirement for adult ...
Trump Administration Rule Paves Way For Association Health Plans
The Department of Labor on Thursday released proposed new rules that proponents say will make it easier for bu...
State Gives Medi-Cal Enrollees Something To Smile About
Susan Inglett’s dental coverage changed just after she got a root canal on one of her top teeth. It was 2009...
Sen. Collins’ Strategy To Stabilize Insurance Market Raises Doubts Among Analysts
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), whose vote was pivotal in pushing the GOP tax bill forward last week, thought sh...
Whistleblower: Medicaid Managed-Care Firm Improperly Denied Care To Thousands
In early October, an executive at one of the nation’s largest physician-practice management firms handed her...
PRIME/Waiver Update
Dear CEOs and CFOs of district/municipal hospitals: We wanted to take this opportunity to let you all know of ...
Enriched By The Poor: California Health Insurers Make Billions Through Medicaid
Medicaid is rarely associated with getting rich. The patients are poor, the budgets tight and payments to doct...
House Tax Bill Would Scrap Deduction For Medical Expenses
The tax bill unveiled by Republicans in the House on Thursday would not, as had been rumored, eliminate the ta...
Governor Inks Support for Some Key Health Bills, Nixes Others
Wielding his pen, Gov. Jerry Brown has reinforced the Affordable Care Act, stood up to pharmaceutical companie...
New Law Challenges ‘Evils’ Of Pharma Profits, California Governor Claims
California Gov. Jerry Brown defied the drug industry Monday by signing a sweeping drug price transparency bill...
Imagining A Single-Payer Health System In California
With the crumbling of the latest GOP plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, many Americans seem m...
A Tale Of Two States: California, Texas And The Latest ACA Repeal Bid
The GOP’s latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act wobbled on Friday as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) s...
Federal ACA Activities 9/20/17
We wanted to provide you with an update on federal activities around the repeal of the ACA. As you have heard ...
California, Other States To Extend Obamacare Sign-Up Beyond Federal Limit
California and several other states will exempt themselves this year from a new Trump administration rule that...
For Millions Of Insured Californians, State Health Laws Don’t Apply
True or false? If you’re a Californian with private health insurance, you have the right to an appointment w...
For Covered California, Uncertainty Is The New Certainty
SACRAMENTO — Covered California’s board made several multimillion-dollar decisions Thursday, all addressi...
Medi-Cal Sued For Pushing Patients Into Managed Care Despite Judges’ Orders
Alondra Diaz can’t get enough of Elmo and Barney, and she adores picture books. The 14-year-old, who will en...
Why A Pennsylvania Insurer’s Collapse Could Whack Californians In the Wallet
Health insurers across the country are on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars in losses stemming from...
McCain Votes No, Derails ‘Skinny Repeal’ In Marathon Session
WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who interrupted brain cancer treatment to return to Capitol Hill an...
Senate Parliamentarian Upends GOP Hopes For Health Bill
The official rules keeper in the Senate Friday tossed a bucket of cold water on the Senate Republican health b...
Analysis: Senate’s Latest Health Blueprint Cuts Costs At The Expense Of Chronically Ill
The latest Senate health proposal reins in costs by effectively splitting the individual insurance market, wit...
The Union That Roars: Nurses Aren’t Giving Up On California’s Single-Payer Push
To some, the California Nurses Association’s political tactics in pushing for a single-payer health system s...
As Seniors Get Sicker, They're More Likely To Drop Medicare Advantage Plans
When Sol Shipotow enrolled in a new Medicare Advantage health plan earlier this year, he expected to keep the ...
Advocacy Alert: US Senate Contacts
As you know, the Senate currently is working to try to pass a ACA repeal bill with the vote likely occurring w...
Advocacy Alert: US Senate Contacts
As you know, the Senate currently is working to try to pass a ACA repeal bill with the vote likely occurring w...
Lots Of Boos In California For Senate Health Bill
California politicians, medical providers and consumer advocates served up harsh critiques of the newly unveil...
$20 Million On The Way for Clinics That Serve California’s Poor
California State Treasurer John Chiang plans today to announce grants totaling $20 million for community clini...
California Nixes Plan To Offer Full Medicaid Benefits To Undocumented Young Adults
As they scrambled to finalize next year’s state budget, California lawmakers this week abruptly dropped a pl...
SB 538 (Monning) – OPPOSE
Dear Senator Lara: The District Hospital Leadership Forum (DHLF), on behalf of California’s district and mun...
Advocacy Trip to Washington D.C.
A group of DHLF members traveled to Washington, D.C. the week of 5/22/17 to advocate on issues related to the ...
Advocacy Trip to Washington D.C.
A group of DHLF members traveled to Washington, D.C. the week of 5/22/17 to advocate on issues related to the ...
California Could Become First State To Extend Medi-Cal To Undocumented Young Adults
California could become the first state to extend full Medicaid benefits to undocumented immigrants up to age ...
Republicans Race The Clock On Health Care — But The Calendar Is Not Helping
Back in January, Republicans boasted they would deliver a “repeal and replace” bill for the Affordable Car...
California Governor Urges State Budget Restraint Amid Obamacare Repeal Effort
At the unveiling of his revised $183 billion budget proposal on Thursday, California Gov. Jerry Brown pointed ...
Bill Aims To Loosen Drugmaker-Doctor Ties By Limiting Perks For Promoting Meds
A new California bill aims to reduce the pharmaceutical industry’s influence in medical decision-making by r...
Running Short On Time, Covered California And Insurers Seek Obamacare Answers From GOP
With a deadline looming, California’s health exchange and a major insurer pressed Republican leaders in Wash...
Negotiating Drug Prices: Should State Agencies Band Together?
Citing budget-busting drug costs, a California lawmaker wants state health programs to band together to negoti...
Grasping For The Middle Ground On Obamacare
Joel Hay, a professor at the University of Southern California, describes his political views as “conservati...
California Lawmakers Consider Giving State Regulators More Grounds To Reject Health Insurance Mergers
State lawmakers are considering a proposal to give state regulators a broader mandate when evaluating whether ...
The Next Obamacare Battleground: Subsidies For Out-Of-Pocket Costs
When Republicans pulled their Affordable Care Act replacement bill last Friday, Lauren Lake’s primary reacti...
House Leaders ‘Came Up Short’ In Effort To Kill Obamacare
Despite days of intense negotiations and last-minute concessions to win over wavering GOP conservatives and mo...
Five Ways The GOP Health Bill Would Reverse Course From The ACA
After literally years of promises, House Republicans finally have a bill they say will “repeal and replace...
Aca and Medicaid update
It is expected that an ACA repeal-replace bill will be considered the week of March 6 in the House Energy and ...
Support For Health Law Grows, Leaving Republicans In A Bind
Republican members of Congress are at home this week, with many of them getting an earful from anxious constit...
Single-Payer Health Care Bill Introduced In California Senate
Legislation introduced in the state Senate Friday would set California on a path toward the possible creation...
Rest Of The U.S. Could Learn ‘A Great Deal’ From Covered California, Study Says
A five-state study of Obamacare health insurance exchanges finds California’s to be the “most successful...
Letter to California Congressional Delegation
Attached is a letter the DHLF sent on February 1 to the California Congressional Delegation outlining Californ...
Hoping To Control Health Costs, California Lawmaker Targets Prescription Drug Coupons
A California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would ban drugmakers from issuing coupons that lower patients...
Medicare’s Coverage Of Therapy Services Again Is In Center Of Court Dispute
Four years after Medicare officials agreed in a landmark court settlement that seniors cannot be denied covera...
Drug Prices, Opioids, And Obamacare: A Conversation With Assemblyman Jim Wood
California policymakers are facing a busy year, as a Republican-controlled Congress inches closer to rolling b...
Crucial California HIV Program In Disarray After Contract Switch
A change in contractors for a state-run AIDS program has resulted in enrollment delays and left some patients ...
Governor released 2017-18 proposed state budget.
Amid uncertainty about changes in state revenue and policies in Washington, California Gov. Jerry Brown presen...
Shoppers On California Exchange Sidestep Soaring Premiums But Pass Up Subsidies
Californians tend to avoid the worst of premium hikes on the state exchange by choosing lower-cost plans, but ...
Thousands Of Covered California Enrollees Could Lose Subsidies In January
An error by Covered California has left about 24,000 policy holders at risk of losing their federal tax credit...
Amid Sign-Up Surge, Covered California Extends Enrollment Deadline
Californians are signing up in higher numbers than they did last year for health plans sold on the state’s h...
In House Majority Leader’s Calif. District, Many Depend On Health Law He Wants To Scrap
U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act first and replace it sometim...
Price’s Appointment Boosts GOP Plans To Overhaul Medicare And Medicaid
President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Rep. Tom Price to head the Department of Health and Human Servic...
Blue Shield, California’s Biggest Obamacare Insurer, Vows It’s Not ‘Running For The Hills’
The chief executive of Blue Shield of California, the largest insurer on the state-run marketplace, says he’...
California Voters Divided On Drug Price Ballot Measure But Support Other Health Initiatives
Less than a week before the election, California voters’ support for Proposition 61 appears to have eroded, ...
Blue Shield Again Owes Californians Millions In Health Care Rebates
About 240,000 Californians with job-based health coverage may have been surprised by a recent letter from Blue...
Report: States Increase Cost Controls To Manage Medicaid Growth
With a record 73 million people enrolled in Medicaid, most states next year will tighten controls on spending ...
District/municipal supplemental funding update (managed care IGTs)
14-15 QAF managed care funds DHCS and California hospitals are still awaiting CMS approval on the first co...
New California Law Allows Organizations to Buy EpiPens For Emergencies, But Will They?
Justine Saffir, director at the Sunnymont-Westside nursery school in San Jose, keeps in her classroom a spare ...
Drug Price Transparency Bill Clears Key Hurdle in California Legislature
Controversial California legislation requiring drug companies to justify treatment costs and price hikes jumpe...
California’s Public Hospitals Face New Medi-Cal Mandate
Public hospitals in California will be required to contract with at least one Medi-Cal managed care plan start...
Obamacare Expansion A Bumpy Ride For Rural Health Clinics
A network of clinics that serves low-income patients in rural Northern California is finally finding balance a...
Two Insurance Giants Planning To Jump Into California’s Medicaid Market
Two of the nation’s largest insurers are reaching out to doctors as they prepare to offer health coverage to...
A Chat With The Head Of California’s Doctor Lobby
The California Medical Association, which represents about 41,000 doctors, has been at the heart of health car...
Feds Urge State Medicaid Programs To Boost Use Of Long-Acting Contraceptives
The federal government, which spends billions of dollars each year covering unintended pregnancies, is encour...
Hospital Workers Union Pulls California Ballot Measure On Hospital Exec Pay
A powerful hospital workers union has been forced to withdraw a proposed measure that would have capped the pa...
HOPD Letter
Attached is a letter from the California District Hospital Leadership Forum on the hospital outpatient departm...
June 30, 2016 DHLF Update
PRIME On June 17, DHCS reported that ALL PRIME applications had been approved! Therefore, attention turns ...
Revamp Of State Program For Medically Fragile Kids Moves Forward In Legislature
California lawmakers on Tuesday pushed forward compromise legislation that would transform how the state’s m...
California Budget: Small Health Gains, Advocates Look To Nov. Ballot For Big-Ticket Items
The $122.5 billion state budget approved this week by California lawmakers will fund a variety of health-relat...
DHLF PRIME Update
A few important/timely updates about PRIME: Good news – all PRIME applications with the exception of one (...
State Legislators Push Bill To Inform Patients Of Drug Company Discount Programs
California lawmakers are lining up in support of a bill that would require health plans to provide information...
Hike In Minimum Wage Will Push Some Workers Out Of Medi-Cal
California’s decision to raise its hourly minimum wage to $15 by 2022 could have unintended consequences for...
UnitedHealth To Exit California’s Obamacare Market
UnitedHealth Group Inc. is leaving California’s insurance exchange at the end of this year, state officials ...
Medicare’s Drug-Pricing Experiment Stirs Opposition
Aiming to keep costs in check, Medicare is proposing to test different ways to pay for drugs — one of which ...
Covered California Says It’s Moving Fast To Fix Involuntary Switches Into Medi-Cal
Under fire from federal lawmakers and consumer advocates, Covered California is speeding up its response to a ...
California’s Medical Board Declares Neutrality On Proposed Doctor Disclosure Law
The 15-member board that monitors physicians in California Friday declared its neutrality on pending state leg...
Medi-Cal’s Doctor Sign-Up System Finally Going Online
Medi-Cal’s enrollment system for doctors and other health care providers, long criticized in the medical com...
Waiver Legislation / CMS Final Rule on Medicaid Managed Care / Hospital outpatient site neutral activities
Waiver Legislation Many thanks DHLF members who wrote letters to the Senate and Assembly Health Committees in ...
Will Covered California Sell Health Coverage To The Undocumented?
California legislators are attempting to clear the way for undocumented immigrants to buy health insurance thr...
Gonorrhea Rate Has Shot Up In California
Rates of gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease, are rising sharply in California, especially among gay and...
More Customers Dumped From Covered California Without Notice
Lynn Kersey has some advice for pregnant women who bought health insurance policies from Covered California an...
March 2016 DC Advocacy Trip
Several members of the DHLF traveled to Washington, D.C. for advocacy on federal issues of importance to Calif...
March 2016 DC Advocacy Trip
Several members of the DHLF traveled to Washington, D.C. for advocacy on federal issues of importance to Calif...
Covered California Imposes New Quality, Cost Conditions On Plans
Moving into a realm usually reserved for health care regulators, Covered California Thursday unveiled sweeping...
Experts Say Health Care Companies Are Tantalizing Targets For Cyberattackers
A recent cyberattack against hospital chain MedStar was just the latest in a series of strikes against health ...
Battle Heating Up Over ‘Surprise’ Medical Bills
Have you ever gone in for a medical procedure you knew was covered by your health plan, only to be hit weeks l...
$6.8 Billion Health Insurance Merger Clears First State Hurdle
The California Department of Managed Health Care gave a green light Tuesday to the $6.8 billion acquisition of...
Calif., N.H. Seek To Help Consumers Get Details On Health Care Prices
California and New Hampshire are revealing some of the biggest secrets of health care by publishing price info...
State Finalizing Plans To Close Centers For The Severely Disabled
The final countdown has begun for the last of three large state-run institutions that care for the severely di...
State Legislature Passes New MCO Tax, Rescues Over $1 Billion for Medi-Cal
The California legislature Monday approved a new health care tax, capping a months-long quest to safeguard ove...
Senate/Assembly pass managed care tax legislation, including elimination of DP/NF clawback
Both the Assembly and Senate passed the managed care organization (MCO) financing package on February 29. Of...
Kaweah Delta asks legislators to vote 'yes' on managed care bill
The Kaweah Delta Health Care District is calling on local legislators to vote for the state’s Managed Care O...
Fight Looms Over Medi-Cal For Adult Immigrants Without Papers
A plan to offer full state-sponsored health benefits for adult immigrants without papers is likely to spark on...
Covered California Takes Aim At System Gamers
It may soon become harder to enroll in Covered California health plans outside the regular open-enrollment per...
California Legislature poised to pass replacement tax on health care plans
SACRAMENTO — After months of uncertainty, the Legislature appears poised to approve a tax on health care...
State Legislative Day-2016
At the conclusion of our May 17, 2016 DHLF Board meeting, members will adjourn to the state Capitol to meet wi...
Federal Advocacy Days, Spring 2016
We are planning a spring DHLF DC Advocacy Trip in March. The plan is to travel on Monday, March 21 with cong...
State’s Medi-Cal Bill For Undocumented Kids Could Rise
The cost of providing full Medi-Cal benefits to undocumented immigrant children in California could be signifi...
Licking Wounds, Insurers Accelerate Moves To Limit Health-Law Enrollment
Stung by losses under the federal health law, major insurers are seeking to sharply limit how policies are sol...
DHLF Update-February 1, 2016
Waiver Webinar DHCS conducted a webinar last week on Medi-Cal 2020, the recently-negotiated 1115 waiver. The...
State Seeks to Calm Fears Over Change in Autism Care
Today the state will begin a transition in the health coverage of 9,000 children who are treated for autism un...
Potential Outcomes of the ACA's Third Enrollment Period and Their Implications
Officials are hoping for strong enrollment during President Obama’s last year at the helm of his signatu...
Brown Touts Calif.'s Embrace of ACA, Cautions About Health Costs
In his State of the State address on Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) touted California’s embrace of the A...
PRIME Update–January 21, 2016
On January 21, 2016, DHLF staff met with DHCS regarding the PRIME program. Below are a few updates. The prot...
4.7M Calif. Medical Records Affected by Data Breaches Last Year
Last year, more than 4.7 million medical records were affected by data breaches in California, according to fe...
Infections From Duodenoscopes Higher Than Previously Estimated
The number of potentially deadly infections linked to contaminated duodenoscopes in California and other state...
Let the Budget Plan Pushback Begin
On Monday, the Legislature reconvenes its extraordinary session on health care and officially embarks on the l...
2016-17 State Budget–January 7, 2016
Earlier today, Governor Brown presented the 2016-17 proposed state budget. The proposed budget increases spe...
Brown's Budget Proposal To Address Health Care Issues in California
Gov. Jerry Brown’s (D) fiscal year 2016-2017 budget proposal — set to be released Thursday —...
Feds OK California's $6.2 Billion Waiver
CMS last week officially approved a five-year, $6.2 billion federal 1115 waiver for California, also known as...
Medical-Cal 1115 Waiver Approved–December 31, 2015
The DHLF is pleased to share the below Department of Health Care Services notice about the approval of the Med...
Covered California Officials Report Recent Surge in Enrollment
On Wednesday, Covered California officials announced that more than 197,000 consumers had signed up for covera...
DHLF Representatives Traveled to Washington DC–November 2015
In early November, a contingent of DHLF members traveled to Washington D.C. to advocate on behalf of the Forum...
Calif., Other States Scrutinize Regulatory Boards After Ruling
California and other states are more closely scrutinizing regulatory boards and commissions, including those r...
More Than 20 Calif. Facilities Among Leapfrog's 'Top Hospitals' Lists
More than 20 California facilities were included in the Leapfrog Group’s annual “Top HospitalsR...
Researchers, Health Officials Trying to Solve Dual Eligibles' Opt-Out Puzzle
On Monday, health policy researchers at UCLA announced the launch of a project to better understand why such a...
Spike in Medi-Cal Enrollment Adds Pressure to 'Doctor Deserts'
A spike in Medi-Cal enrollment after California expanded the program under the Affordable Care Act has exacerb...
UnitedHealth's Threat To Leave Exchanges Not Expected To Mean Much in California
UnitedHealth Group’s announcement this week that it may pull out of Affordable Care Act exchanges is not...
Why Maryland — Not California — Pulled Off the 'Boldest Proposal' in Health Care
For a year, a dozen of California’s most powerful health care leaders had been privately meeting to talk...
California Aging Population Likely To Increase Health Care Costs
California’s growing aging population likely will pose several challenges, including new costs on taxpay...
What Paul Ryan's Election to House Speaker Means for the Affordable Care Act
In a recent interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” newly elected House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wi...
Long-Range Outlook for Long-Term Care
It was a good year for long-term care policy issues in the Capitol, and there will be a full slate of them aga...
Study: Hospitals Need Better Efficiency
Hospital inpatient care is highly inefficient, according to a study released this week by a health care consul...
Waiver Approval a Strong Start, Now Time for Long-Term Vision, Expert Says
The agreement between California and CMS officials on a federal waiver for California’s Medicaid program...
$6 Billion Waiver Gets Federal Approval
CMS officials on Saturday agreed in principle to a five-year, $6.2 billion waiver for California’s Medic...
Obama Administration Unveils HealthCare.gov Upgrades
The Obama administration on Sunday unveiled a faster, more user-friendly version of HealthCare.gov, the Washin...
Exchange Survey Sets Table for Upcoming Open Enrollment Period
Many Californians don’t know they qualify for coverage help in the form of federal subsidies, according ...
State Scales Back Medicaid Waiver Request From $17 Billion to $7 Billion
On Tuesday, a policy analyst from the state Legislative Analyst’s Office said the state has revised its ...
Hospitals Urged To Avoid Serving Meat From Livestock Raised on Antibiotics
Raising animals on a diet of antibiotics produces healthier and larger livestock but it’s also contributing ...
Scope of Practice Legislation To Fight Another Day
Amid the deluge of health care bills signed and vetoed by the governor in recent days, absent were several bil...
Brown Vetoes Medi-Cal Bills, Citing Expected $1.1B Budget Deficit
Citing the state Legislature’s failure to rework the expiring managed care organization tax and the resu...
Aid for Police in Handling Mentally Ill
Police officers need to handle mentally ill people a little differently than others, and many of them just don...
GAO Slams CMS' Oversight of Medicare Advantage Provider Networks
CMS must do more to ensure that Medicare Advantage plans have adequate networks, according to a Government Acc...
National Drug Take-Back Day Saturday
Roughly 350 drop-off sites in California will take consumers’ unwanted or unused medications on Saturday...
New Oversight for Outpatient Surgery
Outpatient surgery centers in California face new regulations and oversight under a brand-new law. After much ...
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 p...
Managed Care Tax Left Hanging
The California Legislature, now adjourned until Jan. 4, passed a flurry of bills in the last days of session, ...
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 i...
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 imp...
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 —...
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 diffic...
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 ...
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,...
What's Behind the Committee Door?
Playing politics is like breathing air in Sacramento, so it’s no surprise that some bills, no matter the...
Uninsured Numbers Drop Substantially
More than two-thirds of all Californians who were uninsured before Affordable Care Act implementation now have...
Lawmakers Voice Concerns Over Covered Calif.'s Data Mining Plan
On Monday, four U.S. lawmakers from California sent a letter to Covered California Executive Director Peter Le...
Auditor's Report Shows 'Symbiotic Relationship' in Medi-Cal Managed Care
The seeming reluctance by state officials to closely monitor Medi-Cal managed care plans is troubling, said Ge...
Governor Calls for Special Legislative Session To Address Health Spending
Gov. Jerry Brown (D) last week issued a proclamation to convene a special legislative session on health care ...
California Legislature Nears Deal Ahead of Budget Plan Deadline
During a joint budget committee meeting on Tuesday, California Senate and Assembly Democrats neared a deal on ...
Lawmakers Nearing Deal On California Budget
Democratic leaders in the Senate and the Assembly are nailing down a final deal on the state budget, sources i...
Protest Rises Over Medi-Cal Rates
The Capitol lawn is going to be a little livelier on Tuesday, as hundreds of protesters from across the state ...
GAO: CMS Too Reliant on Doctors When Setting Medicare Pay Rates
CMS is too reliant on the American Medical Association when setting provider reimbursement rates, according to...
Legislation and state budget activities addressing AB 97 cuts
SB 243 and AB 366, Medi-Cal Rates On May 28, the Legislature considered the bills that were on the Appropria...
California Democrats Release Competing Budget Proposals
On Tuesday, Democrats in the California Senate and Assembly released separate budget plans that differ on vari...
2015-16 State Budget May Revise
The governor released his “May Revise” of the state budget proposal for 2015-16 on May 14, 2015. The May...
Brown Unveils Revised Budget Plan; Health Advocates React
On Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) released the revised version of his fiscal year 2015-2016 budget plan, which...
Legislature's Turn To Consider Open Data
Last month, California HHS embraced the open data movement in health care with a decision to make more data av...
Bill Extends, Expands Benefits Review
Who doesn’t like Ch-Burp? The much-beloved acronym CHBRP, belonging to the California Health Benefits Re...
State Submits $17B Waiver Plan; Advocates Urge Medi-Cal Rate Review
California health officials submitted a Medicaid waiver request to federal regulators calling for $17 billion...
State releases draft 2015 Waiver (Medi-Cal 2020) application
In mid-March, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released a draft of the 2015 Section 1115 Waiver R...
State releases draft 2015 Waiver (Medi-Cal 2020) application
Earlier this week, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released a draft of the 2015 Section 1115 Wai...
Five Years of California Health Reform: 'A Tremendous Designed Experiment'
Nadereh Pourat, director of research at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, gives an involuntary gasp ...
CHA Official: California's Safety-Net Hospitals Are 'at Risk'
California’s safety-net hospitals often do not have enough patients with private health coverage to offs...
CBO Lowers Cost Projection for ACA Over Next 10 Years by 11%
The federal government will spend 11% less on the Affordable Care Act over the next decade than previously ant...
Another California Superbug Outbreak Linked to Endoscopes
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles has confirmed several cases of infections linked to the same type o...
Pressure Rising To Restore Medi-Cal Cuts
A protest Wednesday at the Capitol Building will highlight proposed legislation to reverse cuts to Medi-Cal pr...
Flurry of Bills Before Legislative Deadline
The deadline is Friday for introducing bills in the California Legislature. Several health-related bills have...
Superbug Outbreak Highlights Hospital Infection Concerns Across U.S.
An outbreak of a potentially deadly bacterial infection at UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center that was ...
LAO Report: State Could Lose $1 Billion
California stands to lose about $1 billion in federal health care funding through potential elimination of the...
DPH Fines 10 California Hospitals $700K for Adverse Events
On Wednesday, the California Department of Public Health announced that it has fined 10 hospitals hundreds of ...
Patient Satisfaction Among Low-Income Patients on the Rise, Survey Says
More than half of Medi-Cal and other low-income patients rated their care as very good or excellent, a gain of...
February 10, 2015 Update
Mental Health Services Act: Please see the attached memo from the DHLF federal advocate, Charity Bracy, rega...
2016 DHLF Tracked Legislation
District Hospital Leadership Forum – Legislative Status Report February 6, 2016. Feb 6, 2016 report ...
Analyst's Office Cites 'Shortcomings' in Mental Health Hospitals' Administration
The Legislative Analyst’s Office found a number of budgeting inefficiencies and question marks about pol...
DHLF State Budget Update
State Budget: Today the Governor released his proposed 2015-16 state budget. An overall summary follows this...
May Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well ...
April Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well ...
March Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well ...
February Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well ...
January Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well ...
October/November Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As we near ...
September Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of the...
August Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of the...
July Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of the...
May/June Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsle...
2013-2014 Budget Recap
2013-14 State Budget News Affecting District/Municipal Hospitals: On June 27, the governor signed the 2013-1...
April Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsle...
March Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsle...
February/Early March Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
January 2013 Recap of DHLF Activities
Happy New Year! Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly reca...
November Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined b...
Election Analysis and 2013 California Issues
The coming 2013-14 legislative session will present several new opportunities and a few new challenges. It i...
October Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined b...
September Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined b...
August 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last recap in early August. As o...
July & Early August 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last recap in early July. As out...
June 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Governor Brown signed the 2012-13 state budget on June 27. The 2012-13 budget is reliant upon a package of ba...
May 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
The Governor released the 2012-13 state budget “May Revise” on May 14. The “May Revise” revises the J...
April 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on in April. Your feedback on all communicati...
March Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on in April. Your feedback on all communicati...
February 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
The DHLF Board met February 15 and then members participated in the first DHLF Legislative Day in the State Ca...
Type Three
Governor Vetoes AB 2098
News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 28, 2024 Governor Vetoes AB 2098...
Read MoreDHCS – CALHEALTHCARES AWARDS $69.4 MILLION TO 293 PROVIDERS TO HELP EXPAND MEDI-CAL ACCESS
News Release August 5, 2021 SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Health...
Read MoreLetter to Secretary Becerra regarding “Provider Relief Funds”
Letter to Becerra re PRF Funds Attached is a letter signed by...
Read MoreCalifornia hospitals suffer massive losses from fewer patients, major COVID-19 expenses
With the June 15th budget deadline looming, the Legislature has presented a united...
Read MoreGovernor’s 2020-21 May Revise
The Governor released the May revision to the proposed 20-21 state budget...
Read MoreGovernor’s 2020-21 May Revise
The Governor released the May revision to the proposed 20-21 state budget...
Read MoreHHS Awards Nearly $165 Million to Combat COVID-19 in Rural Communities
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the...
Read MoreGovernor’s 2020-21 Budget Proposal
Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan proposes $107.4 billion in total funds for DHCS...
Read MoreNewsom’s first rodeo: In year one, the governor bucks both Trump and Brown
Californians will soon be allowed to eat roadkill but be prohibited from...
Read MoreAs Hospitals Post Price Lists, Consumers Are Asked To Check Up On Them
With much fanfare, federal officials required hospitals nationwide this year to post...
Read MoreDHLF Lobbying Dues Disclosure for Cost Reports
October 8, 2018 TO: Members, District Hospital Leadership Forum FROM: Sherreta Lane,...
Read MoreCA State Budget Proposal: 2019-20
On January 10, 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom released the proposed 2019-20 state...
Read MoreTrump Highlights Health Agenda With Vow To Lower ‘Unfair’ Drug Prices
It was not the centerpiece, but health was a persistent theme in...
Read MorePain From The Government Shutdown Spreads. This Time It’s Food Stamps.
Antoinette Martinez was relieved when she heard she would receive her food...
Read MorePublic Charge Letter
December 10, 2018 Samantha Deshommes Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division Office of Policy...
Read MoreCalifornia’s Top Lawyer Cements His Role As Health Care Defender-In-Chief
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Xavier Becerra, the political savvy Democratic attorney general of...
Read MoreCoverage Denied: Medicaid Patients Suffer As Layers Of Private Companies Profit
Marcela Villa isn’t a big name in health care — but she...
Read MoreEn Route To Congress, California Democrats Hit Wall On ‘Medicare-For-All’
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Each of the seven California Democrats who flipped Republican...
Read MoreAfter Bitter Closure, Rural Texas Hospital Defies The Norm And Reopens
Five months ago, the 6,500 residents of Crockett, Texas, witnessed a bit...
Read MoreNewsom Comes Out Swinging On Day One For Single-Payer, Immigrant Coverage
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Within hours of assuming office Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom...
Read MoreNewsom Diverges Sharply From Washington With Health Care Budget
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday unveiled his first state budget,...
Read MoreMedicare Cuts Payments To Nursing Homes Whose Patients Keep Ending Up In Hospital
The federal government has taken a new step to reduce avoidable hospital...
Read MoreAfter Terribly Deadly Flu Season, California Aims To Track Deaths More Closely
California’s Department of Public Health says the flu killed 329 people under...
Read MoreBuyers Of Short-Term Health Plans: Wise Or Shortsighted?
Supporters of the nation’s health law condemn them. A few states, including...
Read MoreCalifornia Dreamin’? With Newsom’s Win, Single-Payer Unlikely To Follow Anytime Soon
Californians on Tuesday elected a governor who campaigned for a complete overhaul...
Read MoreFixing Obamacare’s ‘Family Glitch’ Hinges On Outcome Of November Elections
Last Christmas Eve, Justine Bradford-Trent slipped on ice, slamming to the ground....
Read MorePoliticians Hop Aboard ‘Medicare-For-All’ Train, Destination Unknown
After decades in the political wilderness, “Medicare-for-all” and single-payer health care are...
Read MoreHidden Drugs And Danger Lurk In Over-The-Counter Supplements, Study Finds
Everyone has seen the ads or the products on the shelves. A...
Read MoreUpdate on Supplemental Funds / My Medical Leave
At both the CFO and Board meetings last week, we went over...
Read MoreDHLF PRIME Legislative Briefing – 9/12/2018
On September 12, the DHLF provided a successful briefing to state legislative...
Read MoreIn The Battle To Control Drug Costs, Old Patent Laws Get New Life
In the drug pricing battle, progressive lawmakers such as Sen. Bernie Sanders...
Read More5 Things To Know About Trump’s New ‘Public Charge’ Immigration Proposal
A proposed rule from the White House would make it harder for...
Read MorePaper Jam: California’s Medicaid Program Hits ‘Print’ When The Feds Need Info
In the shadow of Silicon Valley, the hub of the world’s digital...
Read MoreCalifornia: A Health Care Laboratory With Mixed Results
California’s expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act enabled many low-income...
Read MoreMcCain’s Complicated Health Care Legacy: He Hated the ACA. He Also Saved It.
There are many lawmakers who made their names in health care, seeking...
Read MoreBreathing ‘A Chore’: California Wildfires Threaten The Health Of Young And Old
Debbie Dobrosky noticed a peculiar hue in the sky on Monday —...
Read MoreMedicaid Expansion Making Diabetes Meds More Accessible To Poor, Study Shows
Low-income people with diabetes are better able to afford their medications and...
Read MoreMedicare Reconsiders Paying For Seniors’ Spine Operations At Surgery Centers
Medicare is reviewing whether seniors should undergo spine surgeries at same-day surgery...
Read MoreCommunity Frets As Buyer For Cherished Rural Hospital Slips From View
Confusion is growing in the remote Surprise Valley region of northeastern California...
Read MoreInsurers Fall Short In Catching And Reporting Medicaid Fraud, Inspectors Find
Despite receiving billions of dollars in taxpayer money, Medicaid insurers are lax...
Read MoreDoctors And Dentists Welcome Pay Hike For Treating Low-Income Patients
For the second year in a row, California is boosting pay for...
Read MorePodcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Justice Kennedy Retires. Now What?
The retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy has triggered a political...
Read MoreNew Hospital Leader Fights Price Controls Despite Reputation As A Reformer
In Maryland, Carmela Coyle is known as a reformer. During her tenure...
Read MoreCalifornia’s Attorney General Vows National Fight To Defend The ACA
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra pledged Friday to redouble his efforts as...
Read MoreHealth Care Looms Large In Race For California’s Top Cop
Attorney General Xavier Becerra uses a well-worn refrain to describe his role...
Read MoreL.A. County Unlawfully Terminated Thousands Of Medi-Cal Recipients, Court Rules
Los Angeles County unlawfully dropped an estimated 22,000 people from California’s Medicaid...
Read MoreLongtime ‘Fighter’ Lands Top Spot In Powerful Nurses Union
Bonnie Castillo’s first experience with organized labor dates to the mid-1960s, when...
Read MoreTax-Funded Mental Health Programs Not Always Easy To Find
Back in 2008, Mary Hogden was homeless, living on the streets of...
Read MoreStudy: Nearly Three-Quarters Of Commonly Used Medical Scopes Tainted By Bacteria
In an ominous sign for patient safety, 71 percent of reusable medical...
Read MoreFormer California State Contractor Sued Over Breach Of HIV Patient Privacy
A security breach by a private company that contracted with California’s public...
Read MoreCalifornia Takes On Health Giant Over High Costs
California’s attorney general sued Sutter Health, accusing the hospital giant of illegally...
Read MoreThousands Mistakenly Enrolled During State’s Medicaid Expansion, Feds Find
California signed up an estimated 450,000 people under Medicaid expansion who may...
Read MoreEverything You Need To Know About The New Medicare Cards (But Beware Of Scams)
In April, the government will start sending out new Medicare cards, launching...
Read MoreA Health Plan ‘Down Payment’ Is One Way States Try Retooling Individual Mandate
As President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans tirelessly try to dismantle the...
Read MoreState Pay Cut For Dental Hygienists Who Serve The Poor Was Illegal, Court Finds
California officials illegally slashed payments to dental hygienists who treat some of...
Read MoreNew UC-Irvine Center To Study The Highs And Lows of Pot
Jody Jacobson Wedret rolled her eyes after listening to scientists, policy wonks...
Read MoreHospitals Want To Cut Back On Free Care. Critics Say No Way.
Five years after Fresno-based attorney Joy Dockter started fighting for patients saddled...
Read MoreCommunity Health Centers Caught In ‘Washington’s Political Dysfunction’
With lawmakers facing another deadline this week for legislation to keep the...
Read MoreCalifornians Scramble To Beat Midnight Enrollment Deadline
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Blanca Espinoza walked out of a second-story office overlooking...
Read MoreCHIP Renewed For Six Years As Congress Votes To Reopen Federal Government
A brief, partial shutdown of the federal government ended Monday, as the...
Read MoreTrump’s Work-For-Medicaid Rule Puts Work On States’ Shoulders
The Trump administration’s watershed decision Thursday to allow states to test a...
Read MoreTrump Administration Rule Paves Way For Association Health Plans
The Department of Labor on Thursday released proposed new rules that proponents...
Read MoreState Gives Medi-Cal Enrollees Something To Smile About
Susan Inglett’s dental coverage changed just after she got a root canal...
Read MoreSen. Collins’ Strategy To Stabilize Insurance Market Raises Doubts Among Analysts
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), whose vote was pivotal in pushing the GOP...
Read MoreWhistleblower: Medicaid Managed-Care Firm Improperly Denied Care To Thousands
In early October, an executive at one of the nation’s largest physician-practice...
Read MorePRIME/Waiver Update
Dear CEOs and CFOs of district/municipal hospitals: We wanted to take this...
Read MoreEnriched By The Poor: California Health Insurers Make Billions Through Medicaid
Medicaid is rarely associated with getting rich. The patients are poor, the...
Read MoreHouse Tax Bill Would Scrap Deduction For Medical Expenses
The tax bill unveiled by Republicans in the House on Thursday would...
Read MoreGovernor Inks Support for Some Key Health Bills, Nixes Others
Wielding his pen, Gov. Jerry Brown has reinforced the Affordable Care Act,...
Read MoreNew Law Challenges ‘Evils’ Of Pharma Profits, California Governor Claims
California Gov. Jerry Brown defied the drug industry Monday by signing a...
Read MoreImagining A Single-Payer Health System In California
With the crumbling of the latest GOP plan to repeal and replace...
Read MoreA Tale Of Two States: California, Texas And The Latest ACA Repeal Bid
The GOP’s latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act wobbled on...
Read MoreFederal ACA Activities 9/20/17
We wanted to provide you with an update on federal activities around...
Read MoreCalifornia, Other States To Extend Obamacare Sign-Up Beyond Federal Limit
California and several other states will exempt themselves this year from a...
Read MoreFor Millions Of Insured Californians, State Health Laws Don’t Apply
True or false? If you’re a Californian with private health insurance, you...
Read MoreFor Covered California, Uncertainty Is The New Certainty
SACRAMENTO — Covered California’s board made several multimillion-dollar decisions Thursday, all addressing one...
Read MoreMedi-Cal Sued For Pushing Patients Into Managed Care Despite Judges’ Orders
Alondra Diaz can’t get enough of Elmo and Barney, and she adores...
Read MoreWhy A Pennsylvania Insurer’s Collapse Could Whack Californians In the Wallet
Health insurers across the country are on the hook for hundreds of...
Read MoreMcCain Votes No, Derails ‘Skinny Repeal’ In Marathon Session
WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who interrupted brain cancer treatment to...
Read MoreSenate Parliamentarian Upends GOP Hopes For Health Bill
The official rules keeper in the Senate Friday tossed a bucket of...
Read MoreAnalysis: Senate’s Latest Health Blueprint Cuts Costs At The Expense Of Chronically Ill
The latest Senate health proposal reins in costs by effectively splitting the...
Read MoreThe Union That Roars: Nurses Aren’t Giving Up On California’s Single-Payer Push
To some, the California Nurses Association’s political tactics in pushing for a...
Read MoreAs Seniors Get Sicker, They're More Likely To Drop Medicare Advantage Plans
When Sol Shipotow enrolled in a new Medicare Advantage health plan earlier...
Read MoreAdvocacy Alert: US Senate Contacts
As you know, the Senate currently is working to try to pass...
Read MoreAdvocacy Alert: US Senate Contacts
As you know, the Senate currently is working to try to pass...
Read MoreLots Of Boos In California For Senate Health Bill
California politicians, medical providers and consumer advocates served up harsh critiques of...
Read More$20 Million On The Way for Clinics That Serve California’s Poor
California State Treasurer John Chiang plans today to announce grants totaling $20...
Read MoreCalifornia Nixes Plan To Offer Full Medicaid Benefits To Undocumented Young Adults
As they scrambled to finalize next year’s state budget, California lawmakers this...
Read MoreSB 538 (Monning) – OPPOSE
Dear Senator Lara: The District Hospital Leadership Forum (DHLF), on behalf of...
Read MoreAdvocacy Trip to Washington D.C.
A group of DHLF members traveled to Washington, D.C. the week of...
Read MoreAdvocacy Trip to Washington D.C.
A group of DHLF members traveled to Washington, D.C. the week of...
Read MoreCalifornia Could Become First State To Extend Medi-Cal To Undocumented Young Adults
California could become the first state to extend full Medicaid benefits to...
Read MoreRepublicans Race The Clock On Health Care — But The Calendar Is Not Helping
Back in January, Republicans boasted they would deliver a “repeal and replace”...
Read MoreCalifornia Governor Urges State Budget Restraint Amid Obamacare Repeal Effort
At the unveiling of his revised $183 billion budget proposal on Thursday,...
Read MoreBill Aims To Loosen Drugmaker-Doctor Ties By Limiting Perks For Promoting Meds
A new California bill aims to reduce the pharmaceutical industry’s influence in...
Read MoreRunning Short On Time, Covered California And Insurers Seek Obamacare Answers From GOP
With a deadline looming, California’s health exchange and a major insurer pressed...
Read MoreNegotiating Drug Prices: Should State Agencies Band Together?
Citing budget-busting drug costs, a California lawmaker wants state health programs to...
Read MoreGrasping For The Middle Ground On Obamacare
Joel Hay, a professor at the University of Southern California, describes his...
Read MoreCalifornia Lawmakers Consider Giving State Regulators More Grounds To Reject Health Insurance Mergers
State lawmakers are considering a proposal to give state regulators a broader...
Read MoreThe Next Obamacare Battleground: Subsidies For Out-Of-Pocket Costs
When Republicans pulled their Affordable Care Act replacement bill last Friday, Lauren...
Read MoreHouse Leaders ‘Came Up Short’ In Effort To Kill Obamacare
Despite days of intense negotiations and last-minute concessions to win over wavering...
Read MoreFive Ways The GOP Health Bill Would Reverse Course From The ACA
After literally years of promises, House Republicans finally have a bill they...
Read MoreAca and Medicaid update
It is expected that an ACA repeal-replace bill will be considered the...
Read MoreSupport For Health Law Grows, Leaving Republicans In A Bind
Republican members of Congress are at home this week, with many of...
Read MoreSingle-Payer Health Care Bill Introduced In California Senate
Legislation introduced in the state Senate Friday would set California on a path...
Read MoreRest Of The U.S. Could Learn ‘A Great Deal’ From Covered California, Study Says
A five-state study of Obamacare health insurance exchanges finds California’s to be...
Read MoreLetter to California Congressional Delegation
Attached is a letter the DHLF sent on February 1 to the...
Read MoreHoping To Control Health Costs, California Lawmaker Targets Prescription Drug Coupons
A California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would ban drugmakers from...
Read MoreMedicare’s Coverage Of Therapy Services Again Is In Center Of Court Dispute
Four years after Medicare officials agreed in a landmark court settlement that...
Read MoreDrug Prices, Opioids, And Obamacare: A Conversation With Assemblyman Jim Wood
California policymakers are facing a busy year, as a Republican-controlled Congress inches...
Read MoreCrucial California HIV Program In Disarray After Contract Switch
A change in contractors for a state-run AIDS program has resulted in...
Read MoreGovernor released 2017-18 proposed state budget.
Amid uncertainty about changes in state revenue and policies in Washington, California...
Read MoreShoppers On California Exchange Sidestep Soaring Premiums But Pass Up Subsidies
Californians tend to avoid the worst of premium hikes on the state...
Read MoreThousands Of Covered California Enrollees Could Lose Subsidies In January
An error by Covered California has left about 24,000 policy holders at...
Read MoreAmid Sign-Up Surge, Covered California Extends Enrollment Deadline
Californians are signing up in higher numbers than they did last year...
Read MoreIn House Majority Leader’s Calif. District, Many Depend On Health Law He Wants To Scrap
U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy wants to repeal the Affordable Care...
Read MorePrice’s Appointment Boosts GOP Plans To Overhaul Medicare And Medicaid
President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Rep. Tom Price to head the Department...
Read MoreBlue Shield, California’s Biggest Obamacare Insurer, Vows It’s Not ‘Running For The Hills’
The chief executive of Blue Shield of California, the largest insurer on...
Read MoreCalifornia Voters Divided On Drug Price Ballot Measure But Support Other Health Initiatives
Less than a week before the election, California voters’ support for Proposition...
Read MoreBlue Shield Again Owes Californians Millions In Health Care Rebates
About 240,000 Californians with job-based health coverage may have been surprised by...
Read MoreReport: States Increase Cost Controls To Manage Medicaid Growth
With a record 73 million people enrolled in Medicaid, most states next...
Read MoreDistrict/municipal supplemental funding update (managed care IGTs)
14-15 QAF managed care funds DHCS and California hospitals are still awaiting...
Read MoreNew California Law Allows Organizations to Buy EpiPens For Emergencies, But Will They?
Justine Saffir, director at the Sunnymont-Westside nursery school in San Jose, keeps...
Read MoreDrug Price Transparency Bill Clears Key Hurdle in California Legislature
Controversial California legislation requiring drug companies to justify treatment costs and price...
Read MoreCalifornia’s Public Hospitals Face New Medi-Cal Mandate
Public hospitals in California will be required to contract with at least...
Read MoreObamacare Expansion A Bumpy Ride For Rural Health Clinics
A network of clinics that serves low-income patients in rural Northern California...
Read MoreTwo Insurance Giants Planning To Jump Into California’s Medicaid Market
Two of the nation’s largest insurers are reaching out to doctors as...
Read MoreA Chat With The Head Of California’s Doctor Lobby
The California Medical Association, which represents about 41,000 doctors, has been at...
Read MoreFeds Urge State Medicaid Programs To Boost Use Of Long-Acting Contraceptives
The federal government, which spends billions of dollars each year covering unintended pregnancies,...
Read MoreHospital Workers Union Pulls California Ballot Measure On Hospital Exec Pay
A powerful hospital workers union has been forced to withdraw a proposed...
Read MoreHOPD Letter
Attached is a letter from the California District Hospital Leadership Forum on...
Read MoreJune 30, 2016 DHLF Update
PRIME On June 17, DHCS reported that ALL PRIME applications had been...
Read MoreRevamp Of State Program For Medically Fragile Kids Moves Forward In Legislature
California lawmakers on Tuesday pushed forward compromise legislation that would transform how...
Read MoreCalifornia Budget: Small Health Gains, Advocates Look To Nov. Ballot For Big-Ticket Items
The $122.5 billion state budget approved this week by California lawmakers will...
Read MoreDHLF PRIME Update
A few important/timely updates about PRIME: Good news – all PRIME applications...
Read MoreState Legislators Push Bill To Inform Patients Of Drug Company Discount Programs
California lawmakers are lining up in support of a bill that would...
Read MoreHike In Minimum Wage Will Push Some Workers Out Of Medi-Cal
California’s decision to raise its hourly minimum wage to $15 by 2022...
Read MoreUnitedHealth To Exit California’s Obamacare Market
UnitedHealth Group Inc. is leaving California’s insurance exchange at the end of...
Read MoreMedicare’s Drug-Pricing Experiment Stirs Opposition
Aiming to keep costs in check, Medicare is proposing to test different...
Read MoreCovered California Says It’s Moving Fast To Fix Involuntary Switches Into Medi-Cal
Under fire from federal lawmakers and consumer advocates, Covered California is speeding...
Read MoreCalifornia’s Medical Board Declares Neutrality On Proposed Doctor Disclosure Law
The 15-member board that monitors physicians in California Friday declared its neutrality...
Read MoreMedi-Cal’s Doctor Sign-Up System Finally Going Online
Medi-Cal’s enrollment system for doctors and other health care providers, long criticized...
Read MoreWaiver Legislation / CMS Final Rule on Medicaid Managed Care / Hospital outpatient site neutral activities
Waiver Legislation Many thanks DHLF members who wrote letters to the Senate...
Read MoreWill Covered California Sell Health Coverage To The Undocumented?
California legislators are attempting to clear the way for undocumented immigrants to...
Read MoreGonorrhea Rate Has Shot Up In California
Rates of gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease, are rising sharply in California,...
Read MoreMore Customers Dumped From Covered California Without Notice
Lynn Kersey has some advice for pregnant women who bought health insurance...
Read MoreMarch 2016 DC Advocacy Trip
Several members of the DHLF traveled to Washington, D.C. for advocacy on...
Read MoreMarch 2016 DC Advocacy Trip
Several members of the DHLF traveled to Washington, D.C. for advocacy on...
Read MoreCovered California Imposes New Quality, Cost Conditions On Plans
Moving into a realm usually reserved for health care regulators, Covered California...
Read MoreExperts Say Health Care Companies Are Tantalizing Targets For Cyberattackers
A recent cyberattack against hospital chain MedStar was just the latest in...
Read MoreBattle Heating Up Over ‘Surprise’ Medical Bills
Have you ever gone in for a medical procedure you knew was...
Read More$6.8 Billion Health Insurance Merger Clears First State Hurdle
The California Department of Managed Health Care gave a green light Tuesday...
Read MoreCalif., N.H. Seek To Help Consumers Get Details On Health Care Prices
California and New Hampshire are revealing some of the biggest secrets of...
Read MoreState Finalizing Plans To Close Centers For The Severely Disabled
The final countdown has begun for the last of three large state-run...
Read MoreState Legislature Passes New MCO Tax, Rescues Over $1 Billion for Medi-Cal
The California legislature Monday approved a new health care tax, capping a...
Read MoreSenate/Assembly pass managed care tax legislation, including elimination of DP/NF clawback
Both the Assembly and Senate passed the managed care organization (MCO) financing...
Read MoreKaweah Delta asks legislators to vote 'yes' on managed care bill
The Kaweah Delta Health Care District is calling on local legislators to...
Read MoreFight Looms Over Medi-Cal For Adult Immigrants Without Papers
A plan to offer full state-sponsored health benefits for adult immigrants without...
Read MoreCovered California Takes Aim At System Gamers
It may soon become harder to enroll in Covered California health plans...
Read MoreCalifornia Legislature poised to pass replacement tax on health care plans
SACRAMENTO — After months of uncertainty, the Legislature appears poised to approve...
Read MoreState Legislative Day-2016
At the conclusion of our May 17, 2016 DHLF Board meeting, members...
Read MoreFederal Advocacy Days, Spring 2016
We are planning a spring DHLF DC Advocacy Trip in March. The...
Read MoreState’s Medi-Cal Bill For Undocumented Kids Could Rise
The cost of providing full Medi-Cal benefits to undocumented immigrant children in...
Read MoreLicking Wounds, Insurers Accelerate Moves To Limit Health-Law Enrollment
Stung by losses under the federal health law, major insurers are seeking...
Read MoreDHLF Update-February 1, 2016
Waiver Webinar DHCS conducted a webinar last week on Medi-Cal 2020, the...
Read MoreState Seeks to Calm Fears Over Change in Autism Care
Today the state will begin a transition in the health coverage of...
Read MorePotential Outcomes of the ACA's Third Enrollment Period and Their Implications
Officials are hoping for strong enrollment during President Obama’s last year at...
Read MoreBrown Touts Calif.'s Embrace of ACA, Cautions About Health Costs
In his State of the State address on Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown...
Read MorePRIME Update–January 21, 2016
On January 21, 2016, DHLF staff met with DHCS regarding the PRIME...
Read More4.7M Calif. Medical Records Affected by Data Breaches Last Year
Last year, more than 4.7 million medical records were affected by data...
Read MoreInfections From Duodenoscopes Higher Than Previously Estimated
The number of potentially deadly infections linked to contaminated duodenoscopes in California...
Read MoreLet the Budget Plan Pushback Begin
On Monday, the Legislature reconvenes its extraordinary session on health care and...
Read More2016-17 State Budget–January 7, 2016
Earlier today, Governor Brown presented the 2016-17 proposed state budget. The proposed...
Read MoreBrown's Budget Proposal To Address Health Care Issues in California
Gov. Jerry Brown’s (D) fiscal year 2016-2017 budget proposal — set to...
Read MoreFeds OK California's $6.2 Billion Waiver
CMS last week officially approved a five-year, $6.2 billion federal 1115 waiver for...
Read MoreMedical-Cal 1115 Waiver Approved–December 31, 2015
The DHLF is pleased to share the below Department of Health Care...
Read MoreCovered California Officials Report Recent Surge in Enrollment
On Wednesday, Covered California officials announced that more than 197,000 consumers had...
Read MoreDHLF Representatives Traveled to Washington DC–November 2015
In early November, a contingent of DHLF members traveled to Washington D.C....
Read MoreCalif., Other States Scrutinize Regulatory Boards After Ruling
California and other states are more closely scrutinizing regulatory boards and commissions,...
Read MoreMore Than 20 Calif. Facilities Among Leapfrog's 'Top Hospitals' Lists
More than 20 California facilities were included in the Leapfrog Group’s annual...
Read MoreResearchers, Health Officials Trying to Solve Dual Eligibles' Opt-Out Puzzle
On Monday, health policy researchers at UCLA announced the launch of a...
Read MoreSpike in Medi-Cal Enrollment Adds Pressure to 'Doctor Deserts'
A spike in Medi-Cal enrollment after California expanded the program under the...
Read MoreUnitedHealth's Threat To Leave Exchanges Not Expected To Mean Much in California
UnitedHealth Group’s announcement this week that it may pull out of Affordable...
Read MoreWhy Maryland — Not California — Pulled Off the 'Boldest Proposal' in Health Care
For a year, a dozen of California’s most powerful health care leaders...
Read MoreCalifornia Aging Population Likely To Increase Health Care Costs
California’s growing aging population likely will pose several challenges, including new costs...
Read MoreWhat Paul Ryan's Election to House Speaker Means for the Affordable Care Act
In a recent interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” newly elected House...
Read MoreLong-Range Outlook for Long-Term Care
It was a good year for long-term care policy issues in the...
Read MoreStudy: Hospitals Need Better Efficiency
Hospital inpatient care is highly inefficient, according to a study released this...
Read MoreWaiver Approval a Strong Start, Now Time for Long-Term Vision, Expert Says
The agreement between California and CMS officials on a federal waiver for...
Read More$6 Billion Waiver Gets Federal Approval
CMS officials on Saturday agreed in principle to a five-year, $6.2 billion...
Read MoreObama Administration Unveils HealthCare.gov Upgrades
The Obama administration on Sunday unveiled a faster, more user-friendly version of...
Read MoreExchange Survey Sets Table for Upcoming Open Enrollment Period
Many Californians don’t know they qualify for coverage help in the form...
Read MoreState Scales Back Medicaid Waiver Request From $17 Billion to $7 Billion
On Tuesday, a policy analyst from the state Legislative Analyst’s Office said...
Read MoreHospitals Urged To Avoid Serving Meat From Livestock Raised on Antibiotics
Raising animals on a diet of antibiotics produces healthier and larger livestock...
Read MoreScope of Practice Legislation To Fight Another Day
Amid the deluge of health care bills signed and vetoed by the...
Read MoreBrown Vetoes Medi-Cal Bills, Citing Expected $1.1B Budget Deficit
Citing the state Legislature’s failure to rework the expiring managed care organization...
Read MoreAid for Police in Handling Mentally Ill
Police officers need to handle mentally ill people a little differently than...
Read MoreGAO Slams CMS' Oversight of Medicare Advantage Provider Networks
CMS must do more to ensure that Medicare Advantage plans have adequate...
Read MoreNational Drug Take-Back Day Saturday
Roughly 350 drop-off sites in California will take consumers’ unwanted or unused...
Read MoreNew Oversight for Outpatient Surgery
Outpatient surgery centers in California face new regulations and oversight under a...
Read MoreAdvocates Say Balance Billing of Medi-Cal Patients on the Rise
Advocates say that health care providers increasingly are balance billing Medi-Cal beneficiaries...
Read MoreManaged Care Tax Left Hanging
The California Legislature, now adjourned until Jan. 4, passed a flurry of...
Read MoreCalifornia Assembly Approves Physician-Assisted Death Bill
On Wednesday, the Assembly voted 43-34 to pass a bill (ABX2-15) that...
Read MoreApples and Oranges: How Should We Look at Republican, Democratic Health Care Plans?
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton supports the Affordable Care Act but...
Read MoreState Begins To Collect Back Payments From Pharmacies Over Medi-Cal Cuts
State officials last week started to collect the so-called “clawback” money from...
Read MorePerceptions of Mental Health Care Improving; Access Issues Remain
A majority of U.S. residents believe that while mental health care is...
Read MoreHealth Plan To Return to Local Control?
Tuesday is a big day for the Alameda Alliance for Health. On...
Read More2014-16 Hospital Quality Assurance Fee/Estimated Funding for District/Muni Hospitals
This is an update on the 2014-16 hospital quality assurance fee (HQAF). ...
Read MoreWhat's Behind the Committee Door?
Playing politics is like breathing air in Sacramento, so it’s no surprise...
Read MoreUninsured Numbers Drop Substantially
More than two-thirds of all Californians who were uninsured before Affordable Care...
Read MoreLawmakers Voice Concerns Over Covered Calif.'s Data Mining Plan
On Monday, four U.S. lawmakers from California sent a letter to Covered...
Read MoreAuditor's Report Shows 'Symbiotic Relationship' in Medi-Cal Managed Care
The seeming reluctance by state officials to closely monitor Medi-Cal managed care...
Read MoreGovernor Calls for Special Legislative Session To Address Health Spending
Gov. Jerry Brown (D) last week issued a proclamation to convene a special...
Read MoreCalifornia Legislature Nears Deal Ahead of Budget Plan Deadline
During a joint budget committee meeting on Tuesday, California Senate and Assembly...
Read MoreLawmakers Nearing Deal On California Budget
Democratic leaders in the Senate and the Assembly are nailing down a...
Read MoreProtest Rises Over Medi-Cal Rates
The Capitol lawn is going to be a little livelier on Tuesday,...
Read MoreGAO: CMS Too Reliant on Doctors When Setting Medicare Pay Rates
CMS is too reliant on the American Medical Association when setting provider...
Read MoreLegislation and state budget activities addressing AB 97 cuts
SB 243 and AB 366, Medi-Cal Rates On May 28, the Legislature...
Read MoreCalifornia Democrats Release Competing Budget Proposals
On Tuesday, Democrats in the California Senate and Assembly released separate budget...
Read More2015-16 State Budget May Revise
The governor released his “May Revise” of the state budget proposal for...
Read MoreBrown Unveils Revised Budget Plan; Health Advocates React
On Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) released the revised version of his...
Read MoreLegislature's Turn To Consider Open Data
Last month, California HHS embraced the open data movement in health care...
Read MoreBill Extends, Expands Benefits Review
Who doesn’t like Ch-Burp? The much-beloved acronym CHBRP, belonging to the California...
Read MoreState Submits $17B Waiver Plan; Advocates Urge Medi-Cal Rate Review
California health officials submitted a Medicaid waiver request to federal regulators calling for...
Read MoreState releases draft 2015 Waiver (Medi-Cal 2020) application
In mid-March, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released a draft...
Read MoreState releases draft 2015 Waiver (Medi-Cal 2020) application
Earlier this week, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released a...
Read MoreFive Years of California Health Reform: 'A Tremendous Designed Experiment'
Nadereh Pourat, director of research at the UCLA Center for Health Policy...
Read MoreCHA Official: California's Safety-Net Hospitals Are 'at Risk'
California’s safety-net hospitals often do not have enough patients with private health...
Read MoreCBO Lowers Cost Projection for ACA Over Next 10 Years by 11%
The federal government will spend 11% less on the Affordable Care Act...
Read MoreAnother California Superbug Outbreak Linked to Endoscopes
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles has confirmed several cases of infections...
Read MorePressure Rising To Restore Medi-Cal Cuts
A protest Wednesday at the Capitol Building will highlight proposed legislation to...
Read MoreFlurry of Bills Before Legislative Deadline
The deadline is Friday for introducing bills in the California Legislature. Several...
Read MoreSuperbug Outbreak Highlights Hospital Infection Concerns Across U.S.
An outbreak of a potentially deadly bacterial infection at UCLA’s Ronald Reagan...
Read MoreLAO Report: State Could Lose $1 Billion
California stands to lose about $1 billion in federal health care funding...
Read MoreDPH Fines 10 California Hospitals $700K for Adverse Events
On Wednesday, the California Department of Public Health announced that it has...
Read MorePatient Satisfaction Among Low-Income Patients on the Rise, Survey Says
More than half of Medi-Cal and other low-income patients rated their care...
Read MoreFebruary 10, 2015 Update
Mental Health Services Act: Please see the attached memo from the DHLF...
Read More2016 DHLF Tracked Legislation
District Hospital Leadership Forum – Legislative Status Report February 6, 2016. Feb 6,...
Read MoreAnalyst's Office Cites 'Shortcomings' in Mental Health Hospitals' Administration
The Legislative Analyst’s Office found a number of budgeting inefficiencies and question...
Read MoreDHLF State Budget Update
State Budget: Today the Governor released his proposed 2015-16 state budget. An...
Read MoreMay Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has...
Read MoreApril Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has...
Read MoreMarch Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has...
Read MoreFebruary Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has...
Read MoreJanuary Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has...
Read MoreOctober/November Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
Read MoreSeptember Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
Read MoreAugust Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
Read MoreJuly Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
Read MoreMay/June Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
Read More2013-2014 Budget Recap
2013-14 State Budget News Affecting District/Municipal Hospitals: On June 27, the governor...
Read MoreApril Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
Read MoreMarch Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
Read MoreFebruary/Early March Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
Read MoreJanuary 2013 Recap of DHLF Activities
Happy New Year! Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF...
Read MoreNovember Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
Read MoreElection Analysis and 2013 California Issues
The coming 2013-14 legislative session will present several new opportunities and a...
Read MoreOctober Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
Read MoreSeptember Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
Read MoreAugust 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
Read MoreJuly & Early August 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
Read MoreJune 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Governor Brown signed the 2012-13 state budget on June 27. The 2012-13...
Read MoreMay 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
The Governor released the 2012-13 state budget “May Revise” on May 14....
Read MoreApril 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
Read MoreMarch Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
Read MoreFebruary 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
The DHLF Board met February 15 and then members participated in the...
Read MoreType Four
Governor Vetoes AB 2098
News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 28, 2024 Governor Vetoes AB 2098 Earlier today, Gov. Newsom vetoed #AB2098 which would...
Read MoreDHCS – CALHEALTHCARES AWARDS $69.4 MILLION TO 293 PROVIDERS TO HELP EXPAND MEDI-CAL ACCESS
News Release August 5, 2021 SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced today a new commitment...
Read MoreLetter to Secretary Becerra regarding “Provider Relief Funds”
Letter to Becerra re PRF Funds Attached is a letter signed by the below members (40) of the California Congressional...
Read MoreCalifornia hospitals suffer massive losses from fewer patients, major COVID-19 expenses
With the June 15th budget deadline looming, the Legislature has presented a united front in rejecting many of the provisions set...
Read MoreGovernor’s 2020-21 May Revise
The Governor released the May revision to the proposed 20-21 state budget today. As has been recently reported, California has...
Read MoreGovernor’s 2020-21 May Revise
The Governor released the May revision to the proposed 20-21 state budget today. As has been recently reported, California has...
Read MoreHHS Awards Nearly $165 Million to Combat COVID-19 in Rural Communities
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded nearly...
Read MoreGovernor’s 2020-21 Budget Proposal
Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan proposes $107.4 billion in total funds for DHCS programs and services. It includes significant funding for...
Read MoreNewsom’s first rodeo: In year one, the governor bucks both Trump and Brown
Californians will soon be allowed to eat roadkill but be prohibited from buying fur coats. Abortion pills will become available...
Read MoreAs Hospitals Post Price Lists, Consumers Are Asked To Check Up On Them
With much fanfare, federal officials required hospitals nationwide this year to post their “list” prices online. But it’s not yet...
Read MoreDHLF Lobbying Dues Disclosure for Cost Reports
October 8, 2018 TO: Members, District Hospital Leadership Forum FROM: Sherreta Lane, DHLF Senior Vice President, Finance Policy SUBJECT: Medicare...
Read MoreCA State Budget Proposal: 2019-20
On January 10, 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom released the proposed 2019-20 state budget which includes a $144 billion general fund,...
Read MoreTrump Highlights Health Agenda With Vow To Lower ‘Unfair’ Drug Prices
It was not the centerpiece, but health was a persistent theme in President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address...
Read MorePain From The Government Shutdown Spreads. This Time It’s Food Stamps.
Antoinette Martinez was relieved when she heard she would receive her food stamps for February about two weeks early. Her...
Read MorePublic Charge Letter
December 10, 2018 Samantha Deshommes Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division Office of Policy and Strategy US Citizenship and Immigration Services U.S....
Read MoreCalifornia’s Top Lawyer Cements His Role As Health Care Defender-In-Chief
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Xavier Becerra, the political savvy Democratic attorney general of California, has sued the Trump administration 45 times...
Read MoreCoverage Denied: Medicaid Patients Suffer As Layers Of Private Companies Profit
Marcela Villa isn’t a big name in health care — but she played a crucial role in the lives of...
Read MoreEn Route To Congress, California Democrats Hit Wall On ‘Medicare-For-All’
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Each of the seven California Democrats who flipped Republican congressional seats in the midterm election campaigned for...
Read MoreAfter Bitter Closure, Rural Texas Hospital Defies The Norm And Reopens
Five months ago, the 6,500 residents of Crockett, Texas, witnessed a bit of a resurrection — at least in rural...
Read MoreNewsom Comes Out Swinging On Day One For Single-Payer, Immigrant Coverage
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Within hours of assuming office Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a defiant challenge to the Trump administration...
Read MoreNewsom Diverges Sharply From Washington With Health Care Budget
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday unveiled his first state budget, one that leads California down a very different...
Read MoreMedicare Cuts Payments To Nursing Homes Whose Patients Keep Ending Up In Hospital
The federal government has taken a new step to reduce avoidable hospital readmissions of nursing home patients by lowering a...
Read MoreAfter Terribly Deadly Flu Season, California Aims To Track Deaths More Closely
California’s Department of Public Health says the flu killed 329 people under age 65 in the last flu season, from...
Read MoreBuyers Of Short-Term Health Plans: Wise Or Shortsighted?
Supporters of the nation’s health law condemn them. A few states, including California and New York, have banned them. Other...
Read MoreCalifornia Dreamin’? With Newsom’s Win, Single-Payer Unlikely To Follow Anytime Soon
Californians on Tuesday elected a governor who campaigned for a complete overhaul of how people get their health coverage —...
Read MoreFixing Obamacare’s ‘Family Glitch’ Hinges On Outcome Of November Elections
Last Christmas Eve, Justine Bradford-Trent slipped on ice, slamming to the ground. Her elbow swelled. Was it broken? She couldn’t...
Read MorePoliticians Hop Aboard ‘Medicare-For-All’ Train, Destination Unknown
After decades in the political wilderness, “Medicare-for-all” and single-payer health care are suddenly popular. The words appear in political advertisements...
Read MoreHidden Drugs And Danger Lurk In Over-The-Counter Supplements, Study Finds
Everyone has seen the ads or the products on the shelves. A dietary supplement that promises to make consumers skinny,...
Read MoreUpdate on Supplemental Funds / My Medical Leave
At both the CFO and Board meetings last week, we went over the various supplemental funding programs, which I’m summarizing...
Read MoreDHLF PRIME Legislative Briefing – 9/12/2018
On September 12, the DHLF provided a successful briefing to state legislative staff on district/municipal hospitals’ experience to date with...
Read MoreIn The Battle To Control Drug Costs, Old Patent Laws Get New Life
In the drug pricing battle, progressive lawmakers such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and patients’ rights activists rarely find themselves...
Read More5 Things To Know About Trump’s New ‘Public Charge’ Immigration Proposal
A proposed rule from the White House would make it harder for legal immigrants to get green cards if they...
Read MorePaper Jam: California’s Medicaid Program Hits ‘Print’ When The Feds Need Info
In the shadow of Silicon Valley, the hub of the world’s digital revolution, California officials still submit their records to...
Read MoreCalifornia: A Health Care Laboratory With Mixed Results
California’s expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act enabled many low-income HIV patients to get health insurance previously denied...
Read MoreMcCain’s Complicated Health Care Legacy: He Hated the ACA. He Also Saved It.
There are many lawmakers who made their names in health care, seeking to usher through historic changes to a broken...
Read MoreBreathing ‘A Chore’: California Wildfires Threaten The Health Of Young And Old
Debbie Dobrosky noticed a peculiar hue in the sky on Monday — “a very ugly yellow casting” — as she peeked...
Read MoreMedicaid Expansion Making Diabetes Meds More Accessible To Poor, Study Shows
Low-income people with diabetes are better able to afford their medications and manage their disease in states that expanded Medicaid...
Read MoreMedicare Reconsiders Paying For Seniors’ Spine Operations At Surgery Centers
Medicare is reviewing whether seniors should undergo spine surgeries at same-day surgery centers, the government-run health program announced Wednesday, five...
Read MoreCommunity Frets As Buyer For Cherished Rural Hospital Slips From View
Confusion is growing in the remote Surprise Valley region of northeastern California as locals wonder whether a Denver entrepreneur will...
Read MoreInsurers Fall Short In Catching And Reporting Medicaid Fraud, Inspectors Find
Despite receiving billions of dollars in taxpayer money, Medicaid insurers are lax in ferreting out fraud and neglect to tell...
Read MoreDoctors And Dentists Welcome Pay Hike For Treating Low-Income Patients
For the second year in a row, California is boosting pay for doctors and dentists who treat the state’s poorest...
Read MorePodcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Justice Kennedy Retires. Now What?
The retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy has triggered a political earthquake in Washington, as Republicans see a chance...
Read MoreNew Hospital Leader Fights Price Controls Despite Reputation As A Reformer
In Maryland, Carmela Coyle is known as a reformer. During her tenure as president of the Maryland Hospital Association, she...
Read MoreCalifornia’s Attorney General Vows National Fight To Defend The ACA
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra pledged Friday to redouble his efforts as the Affordable Care Act’s leading defender, saying attacks...
Read MoreHealth Care Looms Large In Race For California’s Top Cop
Attorney General Xavier Becerra uses a well-worn refrain to describe his role as the state’s chief law enforcement officer: to...
Read MoreL.A. County Unlawfully Terminated Thousands Of Medi-Cal Recipients, Court Rules
Los Angeles County unlawfully dropped an estimated 22,000 people from California’s Medicaid program, including low-income seniors and disabled residents who...
Read MoreLongtime ‘Fighter’ Lands Top Spot In Powerful Nurses Union
Bonnie Castillo’s first experience with organized labor dates to the mid-1960s, when she was just 5. Her father was a...
Read MoreTax-Funded Mental Health Programs Not Always Easy To Find
Back in 2008, Mary Hogden was homeless, living on the streets of Berkeley. “I got beat up really badly out...
Read MoreStudy: Nearly Three-Quarters Of Commonly Used Medical Scopes Tainted By Bacteria
In an ominous sign for patient safety, 71 percent of reusable medical scopes deemed ready for use on patients tested...
Read MoreFormer California State Contractor Sued Over Breach Of HIV Patient Privacy
A security breach by a private company that contracted with California’s public health department inadvertently allowed unauthorized access to the...
Read MoreCalifornia Takes On Health Giant Over High Costs
California’s attorney general sued Sutter Health, accusing the hospital giant of illegally quashing competition and for years overcharging consumers and...
Read MoreThousands Mistakenly Enrolled During State’s Medicaid Expansion, Feds Find
California signed up an estimated 450,000 people under Medicaid expansion who may not have been eligible for coverage, according to...
Read MoreEverything You Need To Know About The New Medicare Cards (But Beware Of Scams)
In April, the government will start sending out new Medicare cards, launching a massive, yearlong effort to alter how 59...
Read MoreA Health Plan ‘Down Payment’ Is One Way States Try Retooling Individual Mandate
As President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans tirelessly try to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, a number of states are...
Read MoreState Pay Cut For Dental Hygienists Who Serve The Poor Was Illegal, Court Finds
California officials illegally slashed payments to dental hygienists who treat some of the state’s most fragile residents, including the elderly...
Read MoreNew UC-Irvine Center To Study The Highs And Lows of Pot
Jody Jacobson Wedret rolled her eyes after listening to scientists, policy wonks and marijuana advocates expound on pot’s potential to...
Read MoreHospitals Want To Cut Back On Free Care. Critics Say No Way.
Five years after Fresno-based attorney Joy Dockter started fighting for patients saddled with medical debt, hospitals continue to go after...
Read MoreCommunity Health Centers Caught In ‘Washington’s Political Dysfunction’
With lawmakers facing another deadline this week for legislation to keep the federal government open, one of the outstanding issues...
Read MoreCalifornians Scramble To Beat Midnight Enrollment Deadline
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Blanca Espinoza walked out of a second-story office overlooking one of the city’s busiest intersections Wednesday afternoon,...
Read MoreCHIP Renewed For Six Years As Congress Votes To Reopen Federal Government
A brief, partial shutdown of the federal government ended Monday, as the Senate and House approved legislation that would keep...
Read MoreTrump’s Work-For-Medicaid Rule Puts Work On States’ Shoulders
The Trump administration’s watershed decision Thursday to allow states to test a work requirement for adult Medicaid enrollees sparked widespread...
Read MoreTrump Administration Rule Paves Way For Association Health Plans
The Department of Labor on Thursday released proposed new rules that proponents say will make it easier for businesses to...
Read MoreState Gives Medi-Cal Enrollees Something To Smile About
Susan Inglett’s dental coverage changed just after she got a root canal on one of her top teeth. It was...
Read MoreSen. Collins’ Strategy To Stabilize Insurance Market Raises Doubts Among Analysts
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), whose vote was pivotal in pushing the GOP tax bill forward last week, thought she had...
Read MoreWhistleblower: Medicaid Managed-Care Firm Improperly Denied Care To Thousands
In early October, an executive at one of the nation’s largest physician-practice management firms handed her bosses the equivalent of...
Read MorePRIME/Waiver Update
Dear CEOs and CFOs of district/municipal hospitals: We wanted to take this opportunity to let you all know of the...
Read MoreEnriched By The Poor: California Health Insurers Make Billions Through Medicaid
Medicaid is rarely associated with getting rich. The patients are poor, the budgets tight and payments to doctors often paltry....
Read MoreHouse Tax Bill Would Scrap Deduction For Medical Expenses
The tax bill unveiled by Republicans in the House on Thursday would not, as had been rumored, eliminate the tax...
Read MoreGovernor Inks Support for Some Key Health Bills, Nixes Others
Wielding his pen, Gov. Jerry Brown has reinforced the Affordable Care Act, stood up to pharmaceutical companies and boosted testing...
Read MoreNew Law Challenges ‘Evils’ Of Pharma Profits, California Governor Claims
California Gov. Jerry Brown defied the drug industry Monday by signing a sweeping drug price transparency bill that will force...
Read MoreImagining A Single-Payer Health System In California
With the crumbling of the latest GOP plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, many Americans seem more...
Read MoreA Tale Of Two States: California, Texas And The Latest ACA Repeal Bid
The GOP’s latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act wobbled on Friday as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said he...
Read MoreFederal ACA Activities 9/20/17
We wanted to provide you with an update on federal activities around the repeal of the ACA. As you have...
Read MoreCalifornia, Other States To Extend Obamacare Sign-Up Beyond Federal Limit
California and several other states will exempt themselves this year from a new Trump administration rule that cuts in half...
Read MoreFor Millions Of Insured Californians, State Health Laws Don’t Apply
True or false? If you’re a Californian with private health insurance, you have the right to an appointment within a...
Read MoreFor Covered California, Uncertainty Is The New Certainty
SACRAMENTO — Covered California’s board made several multimillion-dollar decisions Thursday, all addressing one unsettling theme: uncertainty. Over and over, board members...
Read MoreMedi-Cal Sued For Pushing Patients Into Managed Care Despite Judges’ Orders
Alondra Diaz can’t get enough of Elmo and Barney, and she adores picture books. The 14-year-old, who will enter high...
Read MoreWhy A Pennsylvania Insurer’s Collapse Could Whack Californians In the Wallet
Health insurers across the country are on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars in losses stemming from the...
Read MoreMcCain Votes No, Derails ‘Skinny Repeal’ In Marathon Session
WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who interrupted brain cancer treatment to return to Capitol Hill and advance the health...
Read MoreSenate Parliamentarian Upends GOP Hopes For Health Bill
The official rules keeper in the Senate Friday tossed a bucket of cold water on the Senate Republican health bill...
Read MoreAnalysis: Senate’s Latest Health Blueprint Cuts Costs At The Expense Of Chronically Ill
The latest Senate health proposal reins in costs by effectively splitting the individual insurance market, with healthy people diverted into...
Read MoreThe Union That Roars: Nurses Aren’t Giving Up On California’s Single-Payer Push
To some, the California Nurses Association’s political tactics in pushing for a single-payer health system seemed a bit, well, extreme....
Read MoreAs Seniors Get Sicker, They're More Likely To Drop Medicare Advantage Plans
When Sol Shipotow enrolled in a new Medicare Advantage health plan earlier this year, he expected to keep the doctor...
Read MoreAdvocacy Alert: US Senate Contacts
As you know, the Senate currently is working to try to pass a ACA repeal bill with the vote likely...
Read MoreAdvocacy Alert: US Senate Contacts
As you know, the Senate currently is working to try to pass a ACA repeal bill with the vote likely...
Read MoreLots Of Boos In California For Senate Health Bill
California politicians, medical providers and consumer advocates served up harsh critiques of the newly unveiled Senate health care bill Thursday,...
Read More$20 Million On The Way for Clinics That Serve California’s Poor
California State Treasurer John Chiang plans today to announce grants totaling $20 million for community clinics that serve low-income and...
Read MoreCalifornia Nixes Plan To Offer Full Medicaid Benefits To Undocumented Young Adults
As they scrambled to finalize next year’s state budget, California lawmakers this week abruptly dropped a plan to offer full...
Read MoreSB 538 (Monning) – OPPOSE
Dear Senator Lara: The District Hospital Leadership Forum (DHLF), on behalf of California’s district and municipal public hospitals (DMPHs), is...
Read MoreAdvocacy Trip to Washington D.C.
A group of DHLF members traveled to Washington, D.C. the week of 5/22/17 to advocate on issues related to the...
Read MoreAdvocacy Trip to Washington D.C.
A group of DHLF members traveled to Washington, D.C. the week of 5/22/17 to advocate on issues related to the...
Read MoreCalifornia Could Become First State To Extend Medi-Cal To Undocumented Young Adults
California could become the first state to extend full Medicaid benefits to undocumented immigrants up to age 26 after two...
Read MoreRepublicans Race The Clock On Health Care — But The Calendar Is Not Helping
Back in January, Republicans boasted they would deliver a “repeal and replace” bill for the Affordable Care Act to President...
Read MoreCalifornia Governor Urges State Budget Restraint Amid Obamacare Repeal Effort
At the unveiling of his revised $183 billion budget proposal on Thursday, California Gov. Jerry Brown pointed to a chart...
Read MoreBill Aims To Loosen Drugmaker-Doctor Ties By Limiting Perks For Promoting Meds
A new California bill aims to reduce the pharmaceutical industry’s influence in medical decision-making by restricting payments and gifts from...
Read MoreRunning Short On Time, Covered California And Insurers Seek Obamacare Answers From GOP
With a deadline looming, California’s health exchange and a major insurer pressed Republican leaders in Washington to clear up confusion...
Read MoreNegotiating Drug Prices: Should State Agencies Band Together?
Citing budget-busting drug costs, a California lawmaker wants state health programs to band together to negotiate better prices with drug...
Read MoreGrasping For The Middle Ground On Obamacare
Joel Hay, a professor at the University of Southern California, describes his political views as “conservative, free market.” But in...
Read MoreCalifornia Lawmakers Consider Giving State Regulators More Grounds To Reject Health Insurance Mergers
State lawmakers are considering a proposal to give state regulators a broader mandate when evaluating whether insurance company mergers would...
Read MoreThe Next Obamacare Battleground: Subsidies For Out-Of-Pocket Costs
When Republicans pulled their Affordable Care Act replacement bill last Friday, Lauren Lake’s primary reaction was relief. But like a...
Read MoreHouse Leaders ‘Came Up Short’ In Effort To Kill Obamacare
Despite days of intense negotiations and last-minute concessions to win over wavering GOP conservatives and moderates, House Republican leaders Friday...
Read MoreFive Ways The GOP Health Bill Would Reverse Course From The ACA
After literally years of promises, House Republicans finally have a bill they say will “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care...
Read MoreAca and Medicaid update
It is expected that an ACA repeal-replace bill will be considered the week of March 6 in the House Energy...
Read MoreSupport For Health Law Grows, Leaving Republicans In A Bind
Republican members of Congress are at home this week, with many of them getting an earful from anxious constituents about...
Read MoreSingle-Payer Health Care Bill Introduced In California Senate
Legislation introduced in the state Senate Friday would set California on a path toward the possible creation of a single-payer health...
Read MoreRest Of The U.S. Could Learn ‘A Great Deal’ From Covered California, Study Says
A five-state study of Obamacare health insurance exchanges finds California’s to be the “most successful” of the group. Researchers say...
Read MoreLetter to California Congressional Delegation
Attached is a letter the DHLF sent on February 1 to the California Congressional Delegation outlining California’s district and municipal...
Read MoreHoping To Control Health Costs, California Lawmaker Targets Prescription Drug Coupons
A California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would ban drugmakers from issuing coupons that lower patients’ prescription copayments for...
Read MoreMedicare’s Coverage Of Therapy Services Again Is In Center Of Court Dispute
Four years after Medicare officials agreed in a landmark court settlement that seniors cannot be denied coverage for physical therapy...
Read MoreDrug Prices, Opioids, And Obamacare: A Conversation With Assemblyman Jim Wood
California policymakers are facing a busy year, as a Republican-controlled Congress inches closer to rolling back key provisions of the...
Read MoreCrucial California HIV Program In Disarray After Contract Switch
A change in contractors for a state-run AIDS program has resulted in enrollment delays and left some patients unable to...
Read MoreGovernor released 2017-18 proposed state budget.
Amid uncertainty about changes in state revenue and policies in Washington, California Gov. Jerry Brown presented the $177.1 billion 17-18...
Read MoreShoppers On California Exchange Sidestep Soaring Premiums But Pass Up Subsidies
Californians tend to avoid the worst of premium hikes on the state exchange by choosing lower-cost plans, but many also...
Read MoreThousands Of Covered California Enrollees Could Lose Subsidies In January
An error by Covered California has left about 24,000 policy holders at risk of losing their federal tax credits in...
Read MoreAmid Sign-Up Surge, Covered California Extends Enrollment Deadline
Californians are signing up in higher numbers than they did last year for health plans sold on the state’s health...
Read MoreIn House Majority Leader’s Calif. District, Many Depend On Health Law He Wants To Scrap
U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act first and replace it sometime later. That...
Read MorePrice’s Appointment Boosts GOP Plans To Overhaul Medicare And Medicaid
President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Rep. Tom Price to head the Department of Health and Human Services signals that the...
Read MoreBlue Shield, California’s Biggest Obamacare Insurer, Vows It’s Not ‘Running For The Hills’
The chief executive of Blue Shield of California, the largest insurer on the state-run marketplace, says he’s committed to selling...
Read MoreCalifornia Voters Divided On Drug Price Ballot Measure But Support Other Health Initiatives
Less than a week before the election, California voters’ support for Proposition 61 appears to have eroded, and they are...
Read MoreBlue Shield Again Owes Californians Millions In Health Care Rebates
About 240,000 Californians with job-based health coverage may have been surprised by a recent letter from Blue Shield of California...
Read MoreReport: States Increase Cost Controls To Manage Medicaid Growth
With a record 73 million people enrolled in Medicaid, most states next year will tighten controls on spending to battle...
Read MoreDistrict/municipal supplemental funding update (managed care IGTs)
14-15 QAF managed care funds DHCS and California hospitals are still awaiting CMS approval on the first component of rates...
Read MoreNew California Law Allows Organizations to Buy EpiPens For Emergencies, But Will They?
Justine Saffir, director at the Sunnymont-Westside nursery school in San Jose, keeps in her classroom a spare EpiPen to treat...
Read MoreDrug Price Transparency Bill Clears Key Hurdle in California Legislature
Controversial California legislation requiring drug companies to justify treatment costs and price hikes jumped one more hurdle Thursday, just a...
Read MoreCalifornia’s Public Hospitals Face New Medi-Cal Mandate
Public hospitals in California will be required to contract with at least one Medi-Cal managed care plan starting in 2018...
Read MoreObamacare Expansion A Bumpy Ride For Rural Health Clinics
A network of clinics that serves low-income patients in rural Northern California is finally finding balance after being deluged with...
Read MoreTwo Insurance Giants Planning To Jump Into California’s Medicaid Market
Two of the nation’s largest insurers are reaching out to doctors as they prepare to offer health coverage to low-income...
Read MoreA Chat With The Head Of California’s Doctor Lobby
The California Medical Association, which represents about 41,000 doctors, has been at the heart of health care deliberations in Sacramento...
Read MoreFeds Urge State Medicaid Programs To Boost Use Of Long-Acting Contraceptives
The federal government, which spends billions of dollars each year covering unintended pregnancies, is encouraging states to adopt policies that help...
Read MoreHospital Workers Union Pulls California Ballot Measure On Hospital Exec Pay
A powerful hospital workers union has been forced to withdraw a proposed measure that would have capped the pay of...
Read MoreHOPD Letter
Attached is a letter from the California District Hospital Leadership Forum on the hospital outpatient department pending proposed rule being...
Read MoreJune 30, 2016 DHLF Update
PRIME On June 17, DHCS reported that ALL PRIME applications had been approved! Therefore, attention turns to the IGTs/federal match...
Read MoreRevamp Of State Program For Medically Fragile Kids Moves Forward In Legislature
California lawmakers on Tuesday pushed forward compromise legislation that would transform how the state’s most medically fragile kids receive care....
Read MoreCalifornia Budget: Small Health Gains, Advocates Look To Nov. Ballot For Big-Ticket Items
The $122.5 billion state budget approved this week by California lawmakers will fund a variety of health-related efforts, including training...
Read MoreDHLF PRIME Update
A few important/timely updates about PRIME: Good news – all PRIME applications with the exception of one (which remains a...
Read MoreState Legislators Push Bill To Inform Patients Of Drug Company Discount Programs
California lawmakers are lining up in support of a bill that would require health plans to provide information about patient-assistance...
Read MoreHike In Minimum Wage Will Push Some Workers Out Of Medi-Cal
California’s decision to raise its hourly minimum wage to $15 by 2022 could have unintended consequences for thousands of workers...
Read MoreUnitedHealth To Exit California’s Obamacare Market
UnitedHealth Group Inc. is leaving California’s insurance exchange at the end of this year, state officials confirmed Tuesday. The nation’s...
Read MoreMedicare’s Drug-Pricing Experiment Stirs Opposition
Aiming to keep costs in check, Medicare is proposing to test different ways to pay for drugs — one of...
Read MoreCovered California Says It’s Moving Fast To Fix Involuntary Switches Into Medi-Cal
Under fire from federal lawmakers and consumer advocates, Covered California is speeding up its response to a systemic problem that...
Read MoreCalifornia’s Medical Board Declares Neutrality On Proposed Doctor Disclosure Law
The 15-member board that monitors physicians in California Friday declared its neutrality on pending state legislation that would require doctors...
Read MoreMedi-Cal’s Doctor Sign-Up System Finally Going Online
Medi-Cal’s enrollment system for doctors and other health care providers, long criticized in the medical community for being complicated and...
Read MoreWaiver Legislation / CMS Final Rule on Medicaid Managed Care / Hospital outpatient site neutral activities
Waiver Legislation Many thanks DHLF members who wrote letters to the Senate and Assembly Health Committees in support of the...
Read MoreWill Covered California Sell Health Coverage To The Undocumented?
California legislators are attempting to clear the way for undocumented immigrants to buy health insurance through the state’s insurance exchange...
Read MoreGonorrhea Rate Has Shot Up In California
Rates of gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease, are rising sharply in California, especially among gay and bisexual men, according to...
Read MoreMore Customers Dumped From Covered California Without Notice
Lynn Kersey has some advice for pregnant women who bought health insurance policies from Covered California and want to keep...
Read MoreMarch 2016 DC Advocacy Trip
Several members of the DHLF traveled to Washington, D.C. for advocacy on federal issues of importance to California’s district/municipal hospitals...
Read MoreMarch 2016 DC Advocacy Trip
Several members of the DHLF traveled to Washington, D.C. for advocacy on federal issues of importance to California’s district/municipal hospitals...
Read MoreCovered California Imposes New Quality, Cost Conditions On Plans
Moving into a realm usually reserved for health care regulators, Covered California Thursday unveiled sweeping reforms to its contracts with...
Read MoreExperts Say Health Care Companies Are Tantalizing Targets For Cyberattackers
A recent cyberattack against hospital chain MedStar was just the latest in a series of strikes against health care companies,...
Read MoreBattle Heating Up Over ‘Surprise’ Medical Bills
Have you ever gone in for a medical procedure you knew was covered by your health plan, only to be...
Read More$6.8 Billion Health Insurance Merger Clears First State Hurdle
The California Department of Managed Health Care gave a green light Tuesday to the $6.8 billion acquisition of Health Net...
Read MoreCalif., N.H. Seek To Help Consumers Get Details On Health Care Prices
California and New Hampshire are revealing some of the biggest secrets of health care by publishing price information to help...
Read MoreState Finalizing Plans To Close Centers For The Severely Disabled
The final countdown has begun for the last of three large state-run institutions that care for the severely disabled: In...
Read MoreState Legislature Passes New MCO Tax, Rescues Over $1 Billion for Medi-Cal
The California legislature Monday approved a new health care tax, capping a months-long quest to safeguard over $1 billion in...
Read MoreSenate/Assembly pass managed care tax legislation, including elimination of DP/NF clawback
Both the Assembly and Senate passed the managed care organization (MCO) financing package on February 29. Of interest to district/municipal...
Read MoreKaweah Delta asks legislators to vote 'yes' on managed care bill
The Kaweah Delta Health Care District is calling on local legislators to vote for the state’s Managed Care Organizations (MCO)...
Read MoreFight Looms Over Medi-Cal For Adult Immigrants Without Papers
A plan to offer full state-sponsored health benefits for adult immigrants without papers is likely to spark one of the...
Read MoreCovered California Takes Aim At System Gamers
It may soon become harder to enroll in Covered California health plans outside the regular open-enrollment period. Covered California, the...
Read MoreCalifornia Legislature poised to pass replacement tax on health care plans
SACRAMENTO — After months of uncertainty, the Legislature appears poised to approve a tax on health care plans that would...
Read MoreState Legislative Day-2016
At the conclusion of our May 17, 2016 DHLF Board meeting, members will adjourn to the state Capitol to meet...
Read MoreFederal Advocacy Days, Spring 2016
We are planning a spring DHLF DC Advocacy Trip in March. The plan is to travel on Monday, March 21...
Read MoreState’s Medi-Cal Bill For Undocumented Kids Could Rise
The cost of providing full Medi-Cal benefits to undocumented immigrant children in California could be significantly more than the state’s...
Read MoreLicking Wounds, Insurers Accelerate Moves To Limit Health-Law Enrollment
Stung by losses under the federal health law, major insurers are seeking to sharply limit how policies are sold to...
Read MoreDHLF Update-February 1, 2016
Waiver Webinar DHCS conducted a webinar last week on Medi-Cal 2020, the recently-negotiated 1115 waiver. The webinar slides, which include...
Read MoreState Seeks to Calm Fears Over Change in Autism Care
Today the state will begin a transition in the health coverage of 9,000 children who are treated for autism under...
Read MorePotential Outcomes of the ACA's Third Enrollment Period and Their Implications
Officials are hoping for strong enrollment during President Obama’s last year at the helm of his signature health law, but...
Read MoreBrown Touts Calif.'s Embrace of ACA, Cautions About Health Costs
In his State of the State address on Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) touted California’s embrace of the Affordable Care...
Read MorePRIME Update–January 21, 2016
On January 21, 2016, DHLF staff met with DHCS regarding the PRIME program. Below are a few updates. The protocols...
Read More4.7M Calif. Medical Records Affected by Data Breaches Last Year
Last year, more than 4.7 million medical records were affected by data breaches in California, according to federal data, the...
Read MoreInfections From Duodenoscopes Higher Than Previously Estimated
The number of potentially deadly infections linked to contaminated duodenoscopes in California and other states is greater than federal investigators...
Read MoreLet the Budget Plan Pushback Begin
On Monday, the Legislature reconvenes its extraordinary session on health care and officially embarks on the long public debate over...
Read More2016-17 State Budget–January 7, 2016
Earlier today, Governor Brown presented the 2016-17 proposed state budget. The proposed budget increases spending for education, health care and...
Read MoreBrown's Budget Proposal To Address Health Care Issues in California
Gov. Jerry Brown’s (D) fiscal year 2016-2017 budget proposal — set to be released Thursday — likely will address funding...
Read MoreFeds OK California's $6.2 Billion Waiver
CMS last week officially approved a five-year, $6.2 billion federal 1115 waiver for California, also known as Medi-Cal 2020. The waiver...
Read MoreMedical-Cal 1115 Waiver Approved–December 31, 2015
The DHLF is pleased to share the below Department of Health Care Services notice about the approval of the Medi-Cal...
Read MoreCovered California Officials Report Recent Surge in Enrollment
On Wednesday, Covered California officials announced that more than 197,000 consumers had signed up for coverage as of Tuesday evening,...
Read MoreDHLF Representatives Traveled to Washington DC–November 2015
In early November, a contingent of DHLF members traveled to Washington D.C. to advocate on behalf of the Forum specifically...
Read MoreCalif., Other States Scrutinize Regulatory Boards After Ruling
California and other states are more closely scrutinizing regulatory boards and commissions, including those related to various health care trades,...
Read MoreMore Than 20 Calif. Facilities Among Leapfrog's 'Top Hospitals' Lists
More than 20 California facilities were included in the Leapfrog Group’s annual “Top Hospitals” lists released Wednesday, Healthcare DIVE reports...
Read MoreResearchers, Health Officials Trying to Solve Dual Eligibles' Opt-Out Puzzle
On Monday, health policy researchers at UCLA announced the launch of a project to better understand why such a high...
Read MoreSpike in Medi-Cal Enrollment Adds Pressure to 'Doctor Deserts'
A spike in Medi-Cal enrollment after California expanded the program under the Affordable Care Act has exacerbated problems with health...
Read MoreUnitedHealth's Threat To Leave Exchanges Not Expected To Mean Much in California
UnitedHealth Group’s announcement this week that it may pull out of Affordable Care Act exchanges is not expected to have...
Read MoreWhy Maryland — Not California — Pulled Off the 'Boldest Proposal' in Health Care
For a year, a dozen of California’s most powerful health care leaders had been privately meeting to talk a revolution....
Read MoreCalifornia Aging Population Likely To Increase Health Care Costs
California’s growing aging population likely will pose several challenges, including new costs on taxpayers for health care services, the Sacramento...
Read MoreWhat Paul Ryan's Election to House Speaker Means for the Affordable Care Act
In a recent interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” newly elected House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) signaled a need for...
Read MoreLong-Range Outlook for Long-Term Care
It was a good year for long-term care policy issues in the Capitol, and there will be a full slate...
Read MoreStudy: Hospitals Need Better Efficiency
Hospital inpatient care is highly inefficient, according to a study released this week by a health care consulting firm. Axene...
Read MoreWaiver Approval a Strong Start, Now Time for Long-Term Vision, Expert Says
The agreement between California and CMS officials on a federal waiver for California’s Medicaid program means $6.2 billion worth of...
Read More$6 Billion Waiver Gets Federal Approval
CMS officials on Saturday agreed in principle to a five-year, $6.2 billion waiver for California’s Medicaid program. That was good...
Read MoreObama Administration Unveils HealthCare.gov Upgrades
The Obama administration on Sunday unveiled a faster, more user-friendly version of HealthCare.gov, the Washington Times reports. Officials launched the...
Read MoreExchange Survey Sets Table for Upcoming Open Enrollment Period
Many Californians don’t know they qualify for coverage help in the form of federal subsidies, according to a survey released...
Read MoreState Scales Back Medicaid Waiver Request From $17 Billion to $7 Billion
On Tuesday, a policy analyst from the state Legislative Analyst’s Office said the state has revised its 1115 Medicaid waiver...
Read MoreHospitals Urged To Avoid Serving Meat From Livestock Raised on Antibiotics
Raising animals on a diet of antibiotics produces healthier and larger livestock but it’s also contributing to increased incidences of...
Read MoreScope of Practice Legislation To Fight Another Day
Amid the deluge of health care bills signed and vetoed by the governor in recent days, absent were several bills...
Read MoreBrown Vetoes Medi-Cal Bills, Citing Expected $1.1B Budget Deficit
Citing the state Legislature’s failure to rework the expiring managed care organization tax and the resulting budget deficit, Gov. Jerry...
Read MoreAid for Police in Handling Mentally Ill
Police officers need to handle mentally ill people a little differently than others, and many of them just don’t understand...
Read MoreGAO Slams CMS' Oversight of Medicare Advantage Provider Networks
CMS must do more to ensure that Medicare Advantage plans have adequate networks, according to a Government Accountability Office report...
Read MoreNational Drug Take-Back Day Saturday
Roughly 350 drop-off sites in California will take consumers’ unwanted or unused medications on Saturday and properly dispose of them....
Read MoreNew Oversight for Outpatient Surgery
Outpatient surgery centers in California face new regulations and oversight under a brand-new law. After much discussion and several amendments,...
Read MoreAdvocates 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...
Read MoreManaged Care Tax Left Hanging
The California Legislature, now adjourned until Jan. 4, passed a flurry of bills in the last days of session, but...
Read MoreCalifornia 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...
Read MoreApples 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....
Read MoreState 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...
Read MorePerceptions 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...
Read MoreHealth 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...
Read More2014-16 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...
Read MoreWhat'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...
Read MoreUninsured Numbers Drop Substantially
More than two-thirds of all Californians who were uninsured before Affordable Care Act implementation now have coverage, according to a study...
Read MoreLawmakers Voice Concerns Over Covered Calif.'s Data Mining Plan
On Monday, four U.S. lawmakers from California sent a letter to Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee raising privacy concerns...
Read MoreAuditor's Report Shows 'Symbiotic Relationship' in Medi-Cal Managed Care
The seeming reluctance by state officials to closely monitor Medi-Cal managed care plans is troubling, said Gerald Kominski, director of...
Read MoreGovernor Calls for Special Legislative Session To Address Health Spending
Gov. Jerry Brown (D) last week issued a proclamation to convene a special legislative session on health care spending on the...
Read MoreCalifornia Legislature Nears Deal Ahead of Budget Plan Deadline
During a joint budget committee meeting on Tuesday, California Senate and Assembly Democrats neared a deal on a final budget...
Read MoreLawmakers Nearing Deal On California Budget
Democratic leaders in the Senate and the Assembly are nailing down a final deal on the state budget, sources in...
Read MoreProtest Rises Over Medi-Cal Rates
The Capitol lawn is going to be a little livelier on Tuesday, as hundreds of protesters from across the state...
Read MoreGAO: CMS Too Reliant on Doctors When Setting Medicare Pay Rates
CMS is too reliant on the American Medical Association when setting provider reimbursement rates, according to a recent Government Accountability...
Read MoreLegislation and state budget activities addressing AB 97 cuts
SB 243 and AB 366, Medi-Cal Rates On May 28, the Legislature considered the bills that were on the Appropriations...
Read MoreCalifornia Democrats Release Competing Budget Proposals
On Tuesday, Democrats in the California Senate and Assembly released separate budget plans that differ on various key spending proposals,...
Read More2015-16 State Budget May Revise
The governor released his “May Revise” of the state budget proposal for 2015-16 on May 14, 2015. The May Revise...
Read MoreBrown Unveils Revised Budget Plan; Health Advocates React
On Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) released the revised version of his fiscal year 2015-2016 budget plan, which includes several...
Read MoreLegislature's Turn To Consider Open Data
Last month, California HHS embraced the open data movement in health care with a decision to make more data available...
Read MoreBill Extends, Expands Benefits Review
Who doesn’t like Ch-Burp? The much-beloved acronym CHBRP, belonging to the California Health Benefits Review Program, will get a longer...
Read MoreState Submits $17B Waiver Plan; Advocates Urge Medi-Cal Rate Review
California health officials submitted a Medicaid waiver request to federal regulators calling for $17 billion in health care reform projects in...
Read MoreState releases draft 2015 Waiver (Medi-Cal 2020) application
In mid-March, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released a draft of the 2015 Section 1115 Waiver Renewal application,...
Read MoreState releases draft 2015 Waiver (Medi-Cal 2020) application
Earlier this week, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released a draft of the 2015 Section 1115 Waiver Renewal...
Read MoreFive Years of California Health Reform: 'A Tremendous Designed Experiment'
Nadereh Pourat, director of research at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, gives an involuntary gasp when she’s asked...
Read MoreCHA Official: California's Safety-Net Hospitals Are 'at Risk'
California’s safety-net hospitals often do not have enough patients with private health coverage to offset the cost of treating a...
Read MoreCBO Lowers Cost Projection for ACA Over Next 10 Years by 11%
The federal government will spend 11% less on the Affordable Care Act over the next decade than previously anticipated, according...
Read MoreAnother California Superbug Outbreak Linked to Endoscopes
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles has confirmed several cases of infections linked to the same type of medical endoscopes...
Read MorePressure Rising To Restore Medi-Cal Cuts
A protest Wednesday at the Capitol Building will highlight proposed legislation to reverse cuts to Medi-Cal provider rates. In 2011...
Read MoreFlurry of Bills Before Legislative Deadline
The deadline is Friday for introducing bills in the California Legislature. Several health-related bills have gotten in under the wire in Sacramento,...
Read MoreSuperbug Outbreak Highlights Hospital Infection Concerns Across U.S.
An outbreak of a potentially deadly bacterial infection at UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center that was linked to medical endoscopes...
Read MoreLAO Report: State Could Lose $1 Billion
California stands to lose about $1 billion in federal health care funding through potential elimination of the current managed care...
Read MoreDPH Fines 10 California Hospitals $700K for Adverse Events
On Wednesday, the California Department of Public Health announced that it has fined 10 hospitals hundreds of thousands of dollars...
Read MorePatient Satisfaction Among Low-Income Patients on the Rise, Survey Says
More than half of Medi-Cal and other low-income patients rated their care as very good or excellent, a gain of...
Read MoreFebruary 10, 2015 Update
Mental Health Services Act: Please see the attached memo from the DHLF federal advocate, Charity Bracy, regarding funding availability via...
Read More2016 DHLF Tracked Legislation
District Hospital Leadership Forum – Legislative Status Report February 6, 2016. Feb 6, 2016 report ...
Read MoreAnalyst's Office Cites 'Shortcomings' in Mental Health Hospitals' Administration
The Legislative Analyst’s Office found a number of budgeting inefficiencies and question marks about policies and procedures in its evaluation...
Read MoreDHLF State Budget Update
State Budget: Today the Governor released his proposed 2015-16 state budget. An overall summary follows this update, but unlike prior...
Read MoreMay Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
Read MoreApril Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
Read MoreMarch Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
Read MoreFebruary Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
Read MoreJanuary Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
Read MoreOctober/November Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As we...
Read MoreSeptember Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of...
Read MoreAugust Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of...
Read MoreJuly Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of...
Read MoreMay/June Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsletter,...
Read More2013-2014 Budget Recap
2013-14 State Budget News Affecting District/Municipal Hospitals: On June 27, the governor signed the 2013-14 state budget. There are two...
Read MoreApril Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsletter,...
Read MoreMarch Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsletter,...
Read MoreFebruary/Early March Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
Read MoreJanuary 2013 Recap of DHLF Activities
Happy New Year! Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly...
Read MoreNovember Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
Read MoreElection Analysis and 2013 California Issues
The coming 2013-14 legislative session will present several new opportunities and a few new challenges. It is first worth considering...
Read MoreOctober Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
Read MoreSeptember Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
Read MoreAugust 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last recap in early August....
Read MoreJuly & Early August 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last recap in early July....
Read MoreJune 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Governor Brown signed the 2012-13 state budget on June 27. The 2012-13 budget is reliant upon a package of ballot...
Read MoreMay 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
The Governor released the 2012-13 state budget “May Revise” on May 14. The “May Revise” revises the January budget proposal...
Read MoreApril 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on in April. Your feedback on all communications...
Read MoreMarch Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on in April. Your feedback on all communications...
Read MoreFebruary 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
The DHLF Board met February 15 and then members participated in the first DHLF Legislative Day in the State Capitol....
Read MoreType Five
Governor Vetoes AB 2098
News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 28, 2024 Governor Vetoes AB 2098 Earlier today, Gov. Newsom vetoed #AB2098 which would...
Read MoreDHCS – CALHEALTHCARES AWARDS $69.4 MILLION TO 293 PROVIDERS TO HELP EXPAND MEDI-CAL ACCESS
News Release August 5, 2021 SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced today a new commitment...
Read MoreLetter to Secretary Becerra regarding “Provider Relief Funds”
Letter to Becerra re PRF Funds Attached is a letter signed by the below members (40) of the California Congressional...
Read MoreCalifornia hospitals suffer massive losses from fewer patients, major COVID-19 expenses
With the June 15th budget deadline looming, the Legislature has presented a united front in rejecting many of the provisions set...
Read MoreGovernor’s 2020-21 May Revise
The Governor released the May revision to the proposed 20-21 state budget today. As has been recently reported, California has...
Read MoreGovernor’s 2020-21 May Revise
The Governor released the May revision to the proposed 20-21 state budget today. As has been recently reported, California has...
Read MoreHHS Awards Nearly $165 Million to Combat COVID-19 in Rural Communities
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded nearly...
Read MoreGovernor’s 2020-21 Budget Proposal
Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan proposes $107.4 billion in total funds for DHCS programs and services. It includes significant funding for...
Read MoreNewsom’s first rodeo: In year one, the governor bucks both Trump and Brown
Californians will soon be allowed to eat roadkill but be prohibited from buying fur coats. Abortion pills will become available...
Read MoreAs Hospitals Post Price Lists, Consumers Are Asked To Check Up On Them
With much fanfare, federal officials required hospitals nationwide this year to post their “list” prices online. But it’s not yet...
Read MoreDHLF Lobbying Dues Disclosure for Cost Reports
October 8, 2018 TO: Members, District Hospital Leadership Forum FROM: Sherreta Lane, DHLF Senior Vice President, Finance Policy SUBJECT: Medicare...
Read MoreCA State Budget Proposal: 2019-20
On January 10, 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom released the proposed 2019-20 state budget which includes a $144 billion general fund,...
Read MoreTrump Highlights Health Agenda With Vow To Lower ‘Unfair’ Drug Prices
It was not the centerpiece, but health was a persistent theme in President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address...
Read MorePain From The Government Shutdown Spreads. This Time It’s Food Stamps.
Antoinette Martinez was relieved when she heard she would receive her food stamps for February about two weeks early. Her...
Read MorePublic Charge Letter
December 10, 2018 Samantha Deshommes Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division Office of Policy and Strategy US Citizenship and Immigration Services U.S....
Read MoreCalifornia’s Top Lawyer Cements His Role As Health Care Defender-In-Chief
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Xavier Becerra, the political savvy Democratic attorney general of California, has sued the Trump administration 45 times...
Read MoreCoverage Denied: Medicaid Patients Suffer As Layers Of Private Companies Profit
Marcela Villa isn’t a big name in health care — but she played a crucial role in the lives of...
Read MoreEn Route To Congress, California Democrats Hit Wall On ‘Medicare-For-All’
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Each of the seven California Democrats who flipped Republican congressional seats in the midterm election campaigned for...
Read MoreAfter Bitter Closure, Rural Texas Hospital Defies The Norm And Reopens
Five months ago, the 6,500 residents of Crockett, Texas, witnessed a bit of a resurrection — at least in rural...
Read MoreNewsom Comes Out Swinging On Day One For Single-Payer, Immigrant Coverage
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Within hours of assuming office Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a defiant challenge to the Trump administration...
Read MoreNewsom Diverges Sharply From Washington With Health Care Budget
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday unveiled his first state budget, one that leads California down a very different...
Read MoreMedicare Cuts Payments To Nursing Homes Whose Patients Keep Ending Up In Hospital
The federal government has taken a new step to reduce avoidable hospital readmissions of nursing home patients by lowering a...
Read MoreAfter Terribly Deadly Flu Season, California Aims To Track Deaths More Closely
California’s Department of Public Health says the flu killed 329 people under age 65 in the last flu season, from...
Read MoreBuyers Of Short-Term Health Plans: Wise Or Shortsighted?
Supporters of the nation’s health law condemn them. A few states, including California and New York, have banned them. Other...
Read MoreCalifornia Dreamin’? With Newsom’s Win, Single-Payer Unlikely To Follow Anytime Soon
Californians on Tuesday elected a governor who campaigned for a complete overhaul of how people get their health coverage —...
Read MoreFixing Obamacare’s ‘Family Glitch’ Hinges On Outcome Of November Elections
Last Christmas Eve, Justine Bradford-Trent slipped on ice, slamming to the ground. Her elbow swelled. Was it broken? She couldn’t...
Read MorePoliticians Hop Aboard ‘Medicare-For-All’ Train, Destination Unknown
After decades in the political wilderness, “Medicare-for-all” and single-payer health care are suddenly popular. The words appear in political advertisements...
Read MoreHidden Drugs And Danger Lurk In Over-The-Counter Supplements, Study Finds
Everyone has seen the ads or the products on the shelves. A dietary supplement that promises to make consumers skinny,...
Read MoreUpdate on Supplemental Funds / My Medical Leave
At both the CFO and Board meetings last week, we went over the various supplemental funding programs, which I’m summarizing...
Read MoreDHLF PRIME Legislative Briefing – 9/12/2018
On September 12, the DHLF provided a successful briefing to state legislative staff on district/municipal hospitals’ experience to date with...
Read MoreIn The Battle To Control Drug Costs, Old Patent Laws Get New Life
In the drug pricing battle, progressive lawmakers such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and patients’ rights activists rarely find themselves...
Read More5 Things To Know About Trump’s New ‘Public Charge’ Immigration Proposal
A proposed rule from the White House would make it harder for legal immigrants to get green cards if they...
Read MorePaper Jam: California’s Medicaid Program Hits ‘Print’ When The Feds Need Info
In the shadow of Silicon Valley, the hub of the world’s digital revolution, California officials still submit their records to...
Read MoreCalifornia: A Health Care Laboratory With Mixed Results
California’s expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act enabled many low-income HIV patients to get health insurance previously denied...
Read MoreMcCain’s Complicated Health Care Legacy: He Hated the ACA. He Also Saved It.
There are many lawmakers who made their names in health care, seeking to usher through historic changes to a broken...
Read MoreBreathing ‘A Chore’: California Wildfires Threaten The Health Of Young And Old
Debbie Dobrosky noticed a peculiar hue in the sky on Monday — “a very ugly yellow casting” — as she peeked...
Read MoreMedicaid Expansion Making Diabetes Meds More Accessible To Poor, Study Shows
Low-income people with diabetes are better able to afford their medications and manage their disease in states that expanded Medicaid...
Read MoreMedicare Reconsiders Paying For Seniors’ Spine Operations At Surgery Centers
Medicare is reviewing whether seniors should undergo spine surgeries at same-day surgery centers, the government-run health program announced Wednesday, five...
Read MoreCommunity Frets As Buyer For Cherished Rural Hospital Slips From View
Confusion is growing in the remote Surprise Valley region of northeastern California as locals wonder whether a Denver entrepreneur will...
Read MoreInsurers Fall Short In Catching And Reporting Medicaid Fraud, Inspectors Find
Despite receiving billions of dollars in taxpayer money, Medicaid insurers are lax in ferreting out fraud and neglect to tell...
Read MoreDoctors And Dentists Welcome Pay Hike For Treating Low-Income Patients
For the second year in a row, California is boosting pay for doctors and dentists who treat the state’s poorest...
Read MorePodcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Justice Kennedy Retires. Now What?
The retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy has triggered a political earthquake in Washington, as Republicans see a chance...
Read MoreNew Hospital Leader Fights Price Controls Despite Reputation As A Reformer
In Maryland, Carmela Coyle is known as a reformer. During her tenure as president of the Maryland Hospital Association, she...
Read MoreCalifornia’s Attorney General Vows National Fight To Defend The ACA
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra pledged Friday to redouble his efforts as the Affordable Care Act’s leading defender, saying attacks...
Read MoreHealth Care Looms Large In Race For California’s Top Cop
Attorney General Xavier Becerra uses a well-worn refrain to describe his role as the state’s chief law enforcement officer: to...
Read MoreL.A. County Unlawfully Terminated Thousands Of Medi-Cal Recipients, Court Rules
Los Angeles County unlawfully dropped an estimated 22,000 people from California’s Medicaid program, including low-income seniors and disabled residents who...
Read MoreLongtime ‘Fighter’ Lands Top Spot In Powerful Nurses Union
Bonnie Castillo’s first experience with organized labor dates to the mid-1960s, when she was just 5. Her father was a...
Read MoreTax-Funded Mental Health Programs Not Always Easy To Find
Back in 2008, Mary Hogden was homeless, living on the streets of Berkeley. “I got beat up really badly out...
Read MoreStudy: Nearly Three-Quarters Of Commonly Used Medical Scopes Tainted By Bacteria
In an ominous sign for patient safety, 71 percent of reusable medical scopes deemed ready for use on patients tested...
Read MoreFormer California State Contractor Sued Over Breach Of HIV Patient Privacy
A security breach by a private company that contracted with California’s public health department inadvertently allowed unauthorized access to the...
Read MoreCalifornia Takes On Health Giant Over High Costs
California’s attorney general sued Sutter Health, accusing the hospital giant of illegally quashing competition and for years overcharging consumers and...
Read MoreThousands Mistakenly Enrolled During State’s Medicaid Expansion, Feds Find
California signed up an estimated 450,000 people under Medicaid expansion who may not have been eligible for coverage, according to...
Read MoreEverything You Need To Know About The New Medicare Cards (But Beware Of Scams)
In April, the government will start sending out new Medicare cards, launching a massive, yearlong effort to alter how 59...
Read MoreA Health Plan ‘Down Payment’ Is One Way States Try Retooling Individual Mandate
As President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans tirelessly try to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, a number of states are...
Read MoreState Pay Cut For Dental Hygienists Who Serve The Poor Was Illegal, Court Finds
California officials illegally slashed payments to dental hygienists who treat some of the state’s most fragile residents, including the elderly...
Read MoreNew UC-Irvine Center To Study The Highs And Lows of Pot
Jody Jacobson Wedret rolled her eyes after listening to scientists, policy wonks and marijuana advocates expound on pot’s potential to...
Read MoreHospitals Want To Cut Back On Free Care. Critics Say No Way.
Five years after Fresno-based attorney Joy Dockter started fighting for patients saddled with medical debt, hospitals continue to go after...
Read MoreCommunity Health Centers Caught In ‘Washington’s Political Dysfunction’
With lawmakers facing another deadline this week for legislation to keep the federal government open, one of the outstanding issues...
Read MoreCalifornians Scramble To Beat Midnight Enrollment Deadline
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Blanca Espinoza walked out of a second-story office overlooking one of the city’s busiest intersections Wednesday afternoon,...
Read MoreCHIP Renewed For Six Years As Congress Votes To Reopen Federal Government
A brief, partial shutdown of the federal government ended Monday, as the Senate and House approved legislation that would keep...
Read MoreTrump’s Work-For-Medicaid Rule Puts Work On States’ Shoulders
The Trump administration’s watershed decision Thursday to allow states to test a work requirement for adult Medicaid enrollees sparked widespread...
Read MoreTrump Administration Rule Paves Way For Association Health Plans
The Department of Labor on Thursday released proposed new rules that proponents say will make it easier for businesses to...
Read MoreState Gives Medi-Cal Enrollees Something To Smile About
Susan Inglett’s dental coverage changed just after she got a root canal on one of her top teeth. It was...
Read MoreSen. Collins’ Strategy To Stabilize Insurance Market Raises Doubts Among Analysts
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), whose vote was pivotal in pushing the GOP tax bill forward last week, thought she had...
Read MoreWhistleblower: Medicaid Managed-Care Firm Improperly Denied Care To Thousands
In early October, an executive at one of the nation’s largest physician-practice management firms handed her bosses the equivalent of...
Read MorePRIME/Waiver Update
Dear CEOs and CFOs of district/municipal hospitals: We wanted to take this opportunity to let you all know of the...
Read MoreEnriched By The Poor: California Health Insurers Make Billions Through Medicaid
Medicaid is rarely associated with getting rich. The patients are poor, the budgets tight and payments to doctors often paltry....
Read MoreHouse Tax Bill Would Scrap Deduction For Medical Expenses
The tax bill unveiled by Republicans in the House on Thursday would not, as had been rumored, eliminate the tax...
Read MoreGovernor Inks Support for Some Key Health Bills, Nixes Others
Wielding his pen, Gov. Jerry Brown has reinforced the Affordable Care Act, stood up to pharmaceutical companies and boosted testing...
Read MoreNew Law Challenges ‘Evils’ Of Pharma Profits, California Governor Claims
California Gov. Jerry Brown defied the drug industry Monday by signing a sweeping drug price transparency bill that will force...
Read MoreImagining A Single-Payer Health System In California
With the crumbling of the latest GOP plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, many Americans seem more...
Read MoreA Tale Of Two States: California, Texas And The Latest ACA Repeal Bid
The GOP’s latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act wobbled on Friday as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said he...
Read MoreFederal ACA Activities 9/20/17
We wanted to provide you with an update on federal activities around the repeal of the ACA. As you have...
Read MoreCalifornia, Other States To Extend Obamacare Sign-Up Beyond Federal Limit
California and several other states will exempt themselves this year from a new Trump administration rule that cuts in half...
Read MoreFor Millions Of Insured Californians, State Health Laws Don’t Apply
True or false? If you’re a Californian with private health insurance, you have the right to an appointment within a...
Read MoreFor Covered California, Uncertainty Is The New Certainty
SACRAMENTO — Covered California’s board made several multimillion-dollar decisions Thursday, all addressing one unsettling theme: uncertainty. Over and over, board members...
Read MoreMedi-Cal Sued For Pushing Patients Into Managed Care Despite Judges’ Orders
Alondra Diaz can’t get enough of Elmo and Barney, and she adores picture books. The 14-year-old, who will enter high...
Read MoreWhy A Pennsylvania Insurer’s Collapse Could Whack Californians In the Wallet
Health insurers across the country are on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars in losses stemming from the...
Read MoreMcCain Votes No, Derails ‘Skinny Repeal’ In Marathon Session
WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who interrupted brain cancer treatment to return to Capitol Hill and advance the health...
Read MoreSenate Parliamentarian Upends GOP Hopes For Health Bill
The official rules keeper in the Senate Friday tossed a bucket of cold water on the Senate Republican health bill...
Read MoreAnalysis: Senate’s Latest Health Blueprint Cuts Costs At The Expense Of Chronically Ill
The latest Senate health proposal reins in costs by effectively splitting the individual insurance market, with healthy people diverted into...
Read MoreThe Union That Roars: Nurses Aren’t Giving Up On California’s Single-Payer Push
To some, the California Nurses Association’s political tactics in pushing for a single-payer health system seemed a bit, well, extreme....
Read MoreAs Seniors Get Sicker, They're More Likely To Drop Medicare Advantage Plans
When Sol Shipotow enrolled in a new Medicare Advantage health plan earlier this year, he expected to keep the doctor...
Read MoreAdvocacy Alert: US Senate Contacts
As you know, the Senate currently is working to try to pass a ACA repeal bill with the vote likely...
Read MoreAdvocacy Alert: US Senate Contacts
As you know, the Senate currently is working to try to pass a ACA repeal bill with the vote likely...
Read MoreLots Of Boos In California For Senate Health Bill
California politicians, medical providers and consumer advocates served up harsh critiques of the newly unveiled Senate health care bill Thursday,...
Read More$20 Million On The Way for Clinics That Serve California’s Poor
California State Treasurer John Chiang plans today to announce grants totaling $20 million for community clinics that serve low-income and...
Read MoreCalifornia Nixes Plan To Offer Full Medicaid Benefits To Undocumented Young Adults
As they scrambled to finalize next year’s state budget, California lawmakers this week abruptly dropped a plan to offer full...
Read MoreSB 538 (Monning) – OPPOSE
Dear Senator Lara: The District Hospital Leadership Forum (DHLF), on behalf of California’s district and municipal public hospitals (DMPHs), is...
Read MoreAdvocacy Trip to Washington D.C.
A group of DHLF members traveled to Washington, D.C. the week of 5/22/17 to advocate on issues related to the...
Read MoreAdvocacy Trip to Washington D.C.
A group of DHLF members traveled to Washington, D.C. the week of 5/22/17 to advocate on issues related to the...
Read MoreCalifornia Could Become First State To Extend Medi-Cal To Undocumented Young Adults
California could become the first state to extend full Medicaid benefits to undocumented immigrants up to age 26 after two...
Read MoreRepublicans Race The Clock On Health Care — But The Calendar Is Not Helping
Back in January, Republicans boasted they would deliver a “repeal and replace” bill for the Affordable Care Act to President...
Read MoreCalifornia Governor Urges State Budget Restraint Amid Obamacare Repeal Effort
At the unveiling of his revised $183 billion budget proposal on Thursday, California Gov. Jerry Brown pointed to a chart...
Read MoreBill Aims To Loosen Drugmaker-Doctor Ties By Limiting Perks For Promoting Meds
A new California bill aims to reduce the pharmaceutical industry’s influence in medical decision-making by restricting payments and gifts from...
Read MoreRunning Short On Time, Covered California And Insurers Seek Obamacare Answers From GOP
With a deadline looming, California’s health exchange and a major insurer pressed Republican leaders in Washington to clear up confusion...
Read MoreNegotiating Drug Prices: Should State Agencies Band Together?
Citing budget-busting drug costs, a California lawmaker wants state health programs to band together to negotiate better prices with drug...
Read MoreGrasping For The Middle Ground On Obamacare
Joel Hay, a professor at the University of Southern California, describes his political views as “conservative, free market.” But in...
Read MoreCalifornia Lawmakers Consider Giving State Regulators More Grounds To Reject Health Insurance Mergers
State lawmakers are considering a proposal to give state regulators a broader mandate when evaluating whether insurance company mergers would...
Read MoreThe Next Obamacare Battleground: Subsidies For Out-Of-Pocket Costs
When Republicans pulled their Affordable Care Act replacement bill last Friday, Lauren Lake’s primary reaction was relief. But like a...
Read MoreHouse Leaders ‘Came Up Short’ In Effort To Kill Obamacare
Despite days of intense negotiations and last-minute concessions to win over wavering GOP conservatives and moderates, House Republican leaders Friday...
Read MoreFive Ways The GOP Health Bill Would Reverse Course From The ACA
After literally years of promises, House Republicans finally have a bill they say will “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care...
Read MoreAca and Medicaid update
It is expected that an ACA repeal-replace bill will be considered the week of March 6 in the House Energy...
Read MoreSupport For Health Law Grows, Leaving Republicans In A Bind
Republican members of Congress are at home this week, with many of them getting an earful from anxious constituents about...
Read MoreSingle-Payer Health Care Bill Introduced In California Senate
Legislation introduced in the state Senate Friday would set California on a path toward the possible creation of a single-payer health...
Read MoreRest Of The U.S. Could Learn ‘A Great Deal’ From Covered California, Study Says
A five-state study of Obamacare health insurance exchanges finds California’s to be the “most successful” of the group. Researchers say...
Read MoreLetter to California Congressional Delegation
Attached is a letter the DHLF sent on February 1 to the California Congressional Delegation outlining California’s district and municipal...
Read MoreHoping To Control Health Costs, California Lawmaker Targets Prescription Drug Coupons
A California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would ban drugmakers from issuing coupons that lower patients’ prescription copayments for...
Read MoreMedicare’s Coverage Of Therapy Services Again Is In Center Of Court Dispute
Four years after Medicare officials agreed in a landmark court settlement that seniors cannot be denied coverage for physical therapy...
Read MoreDrug Prices, Opioids, And Obamacare: A Conversation With Assemblyman Jim Wood
California policymakers are facing a busy year, as a Republican-controlled Congress inches closer to rolling back key provisions of the...
Read MoreCrucial California HIV Program In Disarray After Contract Switch
A change in contractors for a state-run AIDS program has resulted in enrollment delays and left some patients unable to...
Read MoreGovernor released 2017-18 proposed state budget.
Amid uncertainty about changes in state revenue and policies in Washington, California Gov. Jerry Brown presented the $177.1 billion 17-18...
Read MoreShoppers On California Exchange Sidestep Soaring Premiums But Pass Up Subsidies
Californians tend to avoid the worst of premium hikes on the state exchange by choosing lower-cost plans, but many also...
Read MoreThousands Of Covered California Enrollees Could Lose Subsidies In January
An error by Covered California has left about 24,000 policy holders at risk of losing their federal tax credits in...
Read MoreAmid Sign-Up Surge, Covered California Extends Enrollment Deadline
Californians are signing up in higher numbers than they did last year for health plans sold on the state’s health...
Read MoreIn House Majority Leader’s Calif. District, Many Depend On Health Law He Wants To Scrap
U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act first and replace it sometime later. That...
Read MorePrice’s Appointment Boosts GOP Plans To Overhaul Medicare And Medicaid
President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Rep. Tom Price to head the Department of Health and Human Services signals that the...
Read MoreBlue Shield, California’s Biggest Obamacare Insurer, Vows It’s Not ‘Running For The Hills’
The chief executive of Blue Shield of California, the largest insurer on the state-run marketplace, says he’s committed to selling...
Read MoreCalifornia Voters Divided On Drug Price Ballot Measure But Support Other Health Initiatives
Less than a week before the election, California voters’ support for Proposition 61 appears to have eroded, and they are...
Read MoreBlue Shield Again Owes Californians Millions In Health Care Rebates
About 240,000 Californians with job-based health coverage may have been surprised by a recent letter from Blue Shield of California...
Read MoreReport: States Increase Cost Controls To Manage Medicaid Growth
With a record 73 million people enrolled in Medicaid, most states next year will tighten controls on spending to battle...
Read MoreDistrict/municipal supplemental funding update (managed care IGTs)
14-15 QAF managed care funds DHCS and California hospitals are still awaiting CMS approval on the first component of rates...
Read MoreNew California Law Allows Organizations to Buy EpiPens For Emergencies, But Will They?
Justine Saffir, director at the Sunnymont-Westside nursery school in San Jose, keeps in her classroom a spare EpiPen to treat...
Read MoreDrug Price Transparency Bill Clears Key Hurdle in California Legislature
Controversial California legislation requiring drug companies to justify treatment costs and price hikes jumped one more hurdle Thursday, just a...
Read MoreCalifornia’s Public Hospitals Face New Medi-Cal Mandate
Public hospitals in California will be required to contract with at least one Medi-Cal managed care plan starting in 2018...
Read MoreObamacare Expansion A Bumpy Ride For Rural Health Clinics
A network of clinics that serves low-income patients in rural Northern California is finally finding balance after being deluged with...
Read MoreTwo Insurance Giants Planning To Jump Into California’s Medicaid Market
Two of the nation’s largest insurers are reaching out to doctors as they prepare to offer health coverage to low-income...
Read MoreA Chat With The Head Of California’s Doctor Lobby
The California Medical Association, which represents about 41,000 doctors, has been at the heart of health care deliberations in Sacramento...
Read MoreFeds Urge State Medicaid Programs To Boost Use Of Long-Acting Contraceptives
The federal government, which spends billions of dollars each year covering unintended pregnancies, is encouraging states to adopt policies that help...
Read MoreHospital Workers Union Pulls California Ballot Measure On Hospital Exec Pay
A powerful hospital workers union has been forced to withdraw a proposed measure that would have capped the pay of...
Read MoreHOPD Letter
Attached is a letter from the California District Hospital Leadership Forum on the hospital outpatient department pending proposed rule being...
Read MoreJune 30, 2016 DHLF Update
PRIME On June 17, DHCS reported that ALL PRIME applications had been approved! Therefore, attention turns to the IGTs/federal match...
Read MoreRevamp Of State Program For Medically Fragile Kids Moves Forward In Legislature
California lawmakers on Tuesday pushed forward compromise legislation that would transform how the state’s most medically fragile kids receive care....
Read MoreCalifornia Budget: Small Health Gains, Advocates Look To Nov. Ballot For Big-Ticket Items
The $122.5 billion state budget approved this week by California lawmakers will fund a variety of health-related efforts, including training...
Read MoreDHLF PRIME Update
A few important/timely updates about PRIME: Good news – all PRIME applications with the exception of one (which remains a...
Read MoreState Legislators Push Bill To Inform Patients Of Drug Company Discount Programs
California lawmakers are lining up in support of a bill that would require health plans to provide information about patient-assistance...
Read MoreHike In Minimum Wage Will Push Some Workers Out Of Medi-Cal
California’s decision to raise its hourly minimum wage to $15 by 2022 could have unintended consequences for thousands of workers...
Read MoreUnitedHealth To Exit California’s Obamacare Market
UnitedHealth Group Inc. is leaving California’s insurance exchange at the end of this year, state officials confirmed Tuesday. The nation’s...
Read MoreMedicare’s Drug-Pricing Experiment Stirs Opposition
Aiming to keep costs in check, Medicare is proposing to test different ways to pay for drugs — one of...
Read MoreCovered California Says It’s Moving Fast To Fix Involuntary Switches Into Medi-Cal
Under fire from federal lawmakers and consumer advocates, Covered California is speeding up its response to a systemic problem that...
Read MoreCalifornia’s Medical Board Declares Neutrality On Proposed Doctor Disclosure Law
The 15-member board that monitors physicians in California Friday declared its neutrality on pending state legislation that would require doctors...
Read MoreMedi-Cal’s Doctor Sign-Up System Finally Going Online
Medi-Cal’s enrollment system for doctors and other health care providers, long criticized in the medical community for being complicated and...
Read MoreWaiver Legislation / CMS Final Rule on Medicaid Managed Care / Hospital outpatient site neutral activities
Waiver Legislation Many thanks DHLF members who wrote letters to the Senate and Assembly Health Committees in support of the...
Read MoreWill Covered California Sell Health Coverage To The Undocumented?
California legislators are attempting to clear the way for undocumented immigrants to buy health insurance through the state’s insurance exchange...
Read MoreGonorrhea Rate Has Shot Up In California
Rates of gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease, are rising sharply in California, especially among gay and bisexual men, according to...
Read MoreMore Customers Dumped From Covered California Without Notice
Lynn Kersey has some advice for pregnant women who bought health insurance policies from Covered California and want to keep...
Read MoreMarch 2016 DC Advocacy Trip
Several members of the DHLF traveled to Washington, D.C. for advocacy on federal issues of importance to California’s district/municipal hospitals...
Read MoreMarch 2016 DC Advocacy Trip
Several members of the DHLF traveled to Washington, D.C. for advocacy on federal issues of importance to California’s district/municipal hospitals...
Read MoreCovered California Imposes New Quality, Cost Conditions On Plans
Moving into a realm usually reserved for health care regulators, Covered California Thursday unveiled sweeping reforms to its contracts with...
Read MoreExperts Say Health Care Companies Are Tantalizing Targets For Cyberattackers
A recent cyberattack against hospital chain MedStar was just the latest in a series of strikes against health care companies,...
Read MoreBattle Heating Up Over ‘Surprise’ Medical Bills
Have you ever gone in for a medical procedure you knew was covered by your health plan, only to be...
Read More$6.8 Billion Health Insurance Merger Clears First State Hurdle
The California Department of Managed Health Care gave a green light Tuesday to the $6.8 billion acquisition of Health Net...
Read MoreCalif., N.H. Seek To Help Consumers Get Details On Health Care Prices
California and New Hampshire are revealing some of the biggest secrets of health care by publishing price information to help...
Read MoreState Finalizing Plans To Close Centers For The Severely Disabled
The final countdown has begun for the last of three large state-run institutions that care for the severely disabled: In...
Read MoreState Legislature Passes New MCO Tax, Rescues Over $1 Billion for Medi-Cal
The California legislature Monday approved a new health care tax, capping a months-long quest to safeguard over $1 billion in...
Read MoreSenate/Assembly pass managed care tax legislation, including elimination of DP/NF clawback
Both the Assembly and Senate passed the managed care organization (MCO) financing package on February 29. Of interest to district/municipal...
Read MoreKaweah Delta asks legislators to vote 'yes' on managed care bill
The Kaweah Delta Health Care District is calling on local legislators to vote for the state’s Managed Care Organizations (MCO)...
Read MoreFight Looms Over Medi-Cal For Adult Immigrants Without Papers
A plan to offer full state-sponsored health benefits for adult immigrants without papers is likely to spark one of the...
Read MoreCovered California Takes Aim At System Gamers
It may soon become harder to enroll in Covered California health plans outside the regular open-enrollment period. Covered California, the...
Read MoreCalifornia Legislature poised to pass replacement tax on health care plans
SACRAMENTO — After months of uncertainty, the Legislature appears poised to approve a tax on health care plans that would...
Read MoreState Legislative Day-2016
At the conclusion of our May 17, 2016 DHLF Board meeting, members will adjourn to the state Capitol to meet...
Read MoreFederal Advocacy Days, Spring 2016
We are planning a spring DHLF DC Advocacy Trip in March. The plan is to travel on Monday, March 21...
Read MoreState’s Medi-Cal Bill For Undocumented Kids Could Rise
The cost of providing full Medi-Cal benefits to undocumented immigrant children in California could be significantly more than the state’s...
Read MoreLicking Wounds, Insurers Accelerate Moves To Limit Health-Law Enrollment
Stung by losses under the federal health law, major insurers are seeking to sharply limit how policies are sold to...
Read MoreDHLF Update-February 1, 2016
Waiver Webinar DHCS conducted a webinar last week on Medi-Cal 2020, the recently-negotiated 1115 waiver. The webinar slides, which include...
Read MoreState Seeks to Calm Fears Over Change in Autism Care
Today the state will begin a transition in the health coverage of 9,000 children who are treated for autism under...
Read MorePotential Outcomes of the ACA's Third Enrollment Period and Their Implications
Officials are hoping for strong enrollment during President Obama’s last year at the helm of his signature health law, but...
Read MoreBrown Touts Calif.'s Embrace of ACA, Cautions About Health Costs
In his State of the State address on Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) touted California’s embrace of the Affordable Care...
Read MorePRIME Update–January 21, 2016
On January 21, 2016, DHLF staff met with DHCS regarding the PRIME program. Below are a few updates. The protocols...
Read More4.7M Calif. Medical Records Affected by Data Breaches Last Year
Last year, more than 4.7 million medical records were affected by data breaches in California, according to federal data, the...
Read MoreInfections From Duodenoscopes Higher Than Previously Estimated
The number of potentially deadly infections linked to contaminated duodenoscopes in California and other states is greater than federal investigators...
Read MoreLet the Budget Plan Pushback Begin
On Monday, the Legislature reconvenes its extraordinary session on health care and officially embarks on the long public debate over...
Read More2016-17 State Budget–January 7, 2016
Earlier today, Governor Brown presented the 2016-17 proposed state budget. The proposed budget increases spending for education, health care and...
Read MoreBrown's Budget Proposal To Address Health Care Issues in California
Gov. Jerry Brown’s (D) fiscal year 2016-2017 budget proposal — set to be released Thursday — likely will address funding...
Read MoreFeds OK California's $6.2 Billion Waiver
CMS last week officially approved a five-year, $6.2 billion federal 1115 waiver for California, also known as Medi-Cal 2020. The waiver...
Read MoreMedical-Cal 1115 Waiver Approved–December 31, 2015
The DHLF is pleased to share the below Department of Health Care Services notice about the approval of the Medi-Cal...
Read MoreCovered California Officials Report Recent Surge in Enrollment
On Wednesday, Covered California officials announced that more than 197,000 consumers had signed up for coverage as of Tuesday evening,...
Read MoreDHLF Representatives Traveled to Washington DC–November 2015
In early November, a contingent of DHLF members traveled to Washington D.C. to advocate on behalf of the Forum specifically...
Read MoreCalif., Other States Scrutinize Regulatory Boards After Ruling
California and other states are more closely scrutinizing regulatory boards and commissions, including those related to various health care trades,...
Read MoreMore Than 20 Calif. Facilities Among Leapfrog's 'Top Hospitals' Lists
More than 20 California facilities were included in the Leapfrog Group’s annual “Top Hospitals” lists released Wednesday, Healthcare DIVE reports...
Read MoreResearchers, Health Officials Trying to Solve Dual Eligibles' Opt-Out Puzzle
On Monday, health policy researchers at UCLA announced the launch of a project to better understand why such a high...
Read MoreSpike in Medi-Cal Enrollment Adds Pressure to 'Doctor Deserts'
A spike in Medi-Cal enrollment after California expanded the program under the Affordable Care Act has exacerbated problems with health...
Read MoreUnitedHealth's Threat To Leave Exchanges Not Expected To Mean Much in California
UnitedHealth Group’s announcement this week that it may pull out of Affordable Care Act exchanges is not expected to have...
Read MoreWhy Maryland — Not California — Pulled Off the 'Boldest Proposal' in Health Care
For a year, a dozen of California’s most powerful health care leaders had been privately meeting to talk a revolution....
Read MoreCalifornia Aging Population Likely To Increase Health Care Costs
California’s growing aging population likely will pose several challenges, including new costs on taxpayers for health care services, the Sacramento...
Read MoreWhat Paul Ryan's Election to House Speaker Means for the Affordable Care Act
In a recent interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” newly elected House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) signaled a need for...
Read MoreLong-Range Outlook for Long-Term Care
It was a good year for long-term care policy issues in the Capitol, and there will be a full slate...
Read MoreStudy: Hospitals Need Better Efficiency
Hospital inpatient care is highly inefficient, according to a study released this week by a health care consulting firm. Axene...
Read MoreWaiver Approval a Strong Start, Now Time for Long-Term Vision, Expert Says
The agreement between California and CMS officials on a federal waiver for California’s Medicaid program means $6.2 billion worth of...
Read More$6 Billion Waiver Gets Federal Approval
CMS officials on Saturday agreed in principle to a five-year, $6.2 billion waiver for California’s Medicaid program. That was good...
Read MoreObama Administration Unveils HealthCare.gov Upgrades
The Obama administration on Sunday unveiled a faster, more user-friendly version of HealthCare.gov, the Washington Times reports. Officials launched the...
Read MoreExchange Survey Sets Table for Upcoming Open Enrollment Period
Many Californians don’t know they qualify for coverage help in the form of federal subsidies, according to a survey released...
Read MoreState Scales Back Medicaid Waiver Request From $17 Billion to $7 Billion
On Tuesday, a policy analyst from the state Legislative Analyst’s Office said the state has revised its 1115 Medicaid waiver...
Read MoreHospitals Urged To Avoid Serving Meat From Livestock Raised on Antibiotics
Raising animals on a diet of antibiotics produces healthier and larger livestock but it’s also contributing to increased incidences of...
Read MoreScope of Practice Legislation To Fight Another Day
Amid the deluge of health care bills signed and vetoed by the governor in recent days, absent were several bills...
Read MoreBrown Vetoes Medi-Cal Bills, Citing Expected $1.1B Budget Deficit
Citing the state Legislature’s failure to rework the expiring managed care organization tax and the resulting budget deficit, Gov. Jerry...
Read MoreAid for Police in Handling Mentally Ill
Police officers need to handle mentally ill people a little differently than others, and many of them just don’t understand...
Read MoreGAO Slams CMS' Oversight of Medicare Advantage Provider Networks
CMS must do more to ensure that Medicare Advantage plans have adequate networks, according to a Government Accountability Office report...
Read MoreNational Drug Take-Back Day Saturday
Roughly 350 drop-off sites in California will take consumers’ unwanted or unused medications on Saturday and properly dispose of them....
Read MoreNew Oversight for Outpatient Surgery
Outpatient surgery centers in California face new regulations and oversight under a brand-new law. After much discussion and several amendments,...
Read MoreAdvocates 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...
Read MoreManaged Care Tax Left Hanging
The California Legislature, now adjourned until Jan. 4, passed a flurry of bills in the last days of session, but...
Read MoreCalifornia 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...
Read MoreApples 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....
Read MoreState 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...
Read MorePerceptions 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...
Read MoreHealth 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...
Read More2014-16 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...
Read MoreWhat'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...
Read MoreUninsured Numbers Drop Substantially
More than two-thirds of all Californians who were uninsured before Affordable Care Act implementation now have coverage, according to a study...
Read MoreLawmakers Voice Concerns Over Covered Calif.'s Data Mining Plan
On Monday, four U.S. lawmakers from California sent a letter to Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee raising privacy concerns...
Read MoreAuditor's Report Shows 'Symbiotic Relationship' in Medi-Cal Managed Care
The seeming reluctance by state officials to closely monitor Medi-Cal managed care plans is troubling, said Gerald Kominski, director of...
Read MoreGovernor Calls for Special Legislative Session To Address Health Spending
Gov. Jerry Brown (D) last week issued a proclamation to convene a special legislative session on health care spending on the...
Read MoreCalifornia Legislature Nears Deal Ahead of Budget Plan Deadline
During a joint budget committee meeting on Tuesday, California Senate and Assembly Democrats neared a deal on a final budget...
Read MoreLawmakers Nearing Deal On California Budget
Democratic leaders in the Senate and the Assembly are nailing down a final deal on the state budget, sources in...
Read MoreProtest Rises Over Medi-Cal Rates
The Capitol lawn is going to be a little livelier on Tuesday, as hundreds of protesters from across the state...
Read MoreGAO: CMS Too Reliant on Doctors When Setting Medicare Pay Rates
CMS is too reliant on the American Medical Association when setting provider reimbursement rates, according to a recent Government Accountability...
Read MoreLegislation and state budget activities addressing AB 97 cuts
SB 243 and AB 366, Medi-Cal Rates On May 28, the Legislature considered the bills that were on the Appropriations...
Read MoreCalifornia Democrats Release Competing Budget Proposals
On Tuesday, Democrats in the California Senate and Assembly released separate budget plans that differ on various key spending proposals,...
Read More2015-16 State Budget May Revise
The governor released his “May Revise” of the state budget proposal for 2015-16 on May 14, 2015. The May Revise...
Read MoreBrown Unveils Revised Budget Plan; Health Advocates React
On Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) released the revised version of his fiscal year 2015-2016 budget plan, which includes several...
Read MoreLegislature's Turn To Consider Open Data
Last month, California HHS embraced the open data movement in health care with a decision to make more data available...
Read MoreBill Extends, Expands Benefits Review
Who doesn’t like Ch-Burp? The much-beloved acronym CHBRP, belonging to the California Health Benefits Review Program, will get a longer...
Read MoreState Submits $17B Waiver Plan; Advocates Urge Medi-Cal Rate Review
California health officials submitted a Medicaid waiver request to federal regulators calling for $17 billion in health care reform projects in...
Read MoreState releases draft 2015 Waiver (Medi-Cal 2020) application
In mid-March, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released a draft of the 2015 Section 1115 Waiver Renewal application,...
Read MoreState releases draft 2015 Waiver (Medi-Cal 2020) application
Earlier this week, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released a draft of the 2015 Section 1115 Waiver Renewal...
Read MoreFive Years of California Health Reform: 'A Tremendous Designed Experiment'
Nadereh Pourat, director of research at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, gives an involuntary gasp when she’s asked...
Read MoreCHA Official: California's Safety-Net Hospitals Are 'at Risk'
California’s safety-net hospitals often do not have enough patients with private health coverage to offset the cost of treating a...
Read MoreCBO Lowers Cost Projection for ACA Over Next 10 Years by 11%
The federal government will spend 11% less on the Affordable Care Act over the next decade than previously anticipated, according...
Read MoreAnother California Superbug Outbreak Linked to Endoscopes
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles has confirmed several cases of infections linked to the same type of medical endoscopes...
Read MorePressure Rising To Restore Medi-Cal Cuts
A protest Wednesday at the Capitol Building will highlight proposed legislation to reverse cuts to Medi-Cal provider rates. In 2011...
Read MoreFlurry of Bills Before Legislative Deadline
The deadline is Friday for introducing bills in the California Legislature. Several health-related bills have gotten in under the wire in Sacramento,...
Read MoreSuperbug Outbreak Highlights Hospital Infection Concerns Across U.S.
An outbreak of a potentially deadly bacterial infection at UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center that was linked to medical endoscopes...
Read MoreLAO Report: State Could Lose $1 Billion
California stands to lose about $1 billion in federal health care funding through potential elimination of the current managed care...
Read MoreDPH Fines 10 California Hospitals $700K for Adverse Events
On Wednesday, the California Department of Public Health announced that it has fined 10 hospitals hundreds of thousands of dollars...
Read MorePatient Satisfaction Among Low-Income Patients on the Rise, Survey Says
More than half of Medi-Cal and other low-income patients rated their care as very good or excellent, a gain of...
Read MoreFebruary 10, 2015 Update
Mental Health Services Act: Please see the attached memo from the DHLF federal advocate, Charity Bracy, regarding funding availability via...
Read More2016 DHLF Tracked Legislation
District Hospital Leadership Forum – Legislative Status Report February 6, 2016. Feb 6, 2016 report ...
Read MoreAnalyst's Office Cites 'Shortcomings' in Mental Health Hospitals' Administration
The Legislative Analyst’s Office found a number of budgeting inefficiencies and question marks about policies and procedures in its evaluation...
Read MoreDHLF State Budget Update
State Budget: Today the Governor released his proposed 2015-16 state budget. An overall summary follows this update, but unlike prior...
Read MoreMay Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
Read MoreApril Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
Read MoreMarch Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
Read MoreFebruary Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
Read MoreJanuary Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
Read MoreOctober/November Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As we...
Read MoreSeptember Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of...
Read MoreAugust Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of...
Read MoreJuly Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of...
Read MoreMay/June Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsletter,...
Read More2013-2014 Budget Recap
2013-14 State Budget News Affecting District/Municipal Hospitals: On June 27, the governor signed the 2013-14 state budget. There are two...
Read MoreApril Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsletter,...
Read MoreMarch Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsletter,...
Read MoreFebruary/Early March Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
Read MoreJanuary 2013 Recap of DHLF Activities
Happy New Year! Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly...
Read MoreNovember Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
Read MoreElection Analysis and 2013 California Issues
The coming 2013-14 legislative session will present several new opportunities and a few new challenges. It is first worth considering...
Read MoreOctober Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
Read MoreSeptember Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
Read MoreAugust 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last recap in early August....
Read MoreJuly & Early August 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last recap in early July....
Read MoreJune 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Governor Brown signed the 2012-13 state budget on June 27. The 2012-13 budget is reliant upon a package of ballot...
Read MoreMay 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
The Governor released the 2012-13 state budget “May Revise” on May 14. The “May Revise” revises the January budget proposal...
Read MoreApril 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on in April. Your feedback on all communications...
Read MoreMarch Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on in April. Your feedback on all communications...
Read MoreFebruary 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
The DHLF Board met February 15 and then members participated in the first DHLF Legislative Day in the State Capitol....
Read MoreType Six
Governor Vetoes AB 2098
News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 28, 2024 Governor Vetoes AB 2098 Earlier today, Gov. Newsom vetoed #AB2098 which would...
Read MoreDHCS – CALHEALTHCARES AWARDS $69.4 MILLION TO 293 PROVIDERS TO HELP EXPAND MEDI-CAL ACCESS
News Release August 5, 2021 SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced today a new commitment...
Read MoreLetter to Secretary Becerra regarding “Provider Relief Funds”
Letter to Becerra re PRF Funds Attached is a letter signed by the below members (40) of the California Congressional...
Read MoreCalifornia hospitals suffer massive losses from fewer patients, major COVID-19 expenses
With the June 15th budget deadline looming, the Legislature has presented a united front in rejecting many of the provisions set...
Read MoreGovernor’s 2020-21 May Revise
The Governor released the May revision to the proposed 20-21 state budget today. As has been recently reported, California has...
Read MoreGovernor’s 2020-21 May Revise
The Governor released the May revision to the proposed 20-21 state budget today. As has been recently reported, California has...
Read MoreHHS Awards Nearly $165 Million to Combat COVID-19 in Rural Communities
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded nearly...
Read MoreGovernor’s 2020-21 Budget Proposal
Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan proposes $107.4 billion in total funds for DHCS programs and services. It includes significant funding for...
Read MoreNewsom’s first rodeo: In year one, the governor bucks both Trump and Brown
Californians will soon be allowed to eat roadkill but be prohibited from buying fur coats. Abortion pills will become available...
Read MoreAs Hospitals Post Price Lists, Consumers Are Asked To Check Up On Them
With much fanfare, federal officials required hospitals nationwide this year to post their “list” prices online. But it’s not yet...
Read MoreDHLF Lobbying Dues Disclosure for Cost Reports
October 8, 2018 TO: Members, District Hospital Leadership Forum FROM: Sherreta Lane, DHLF Senior Vice President, Finance Policy SUBJECT: Medicare...
Read MoreCA State Budget Proposal: 2019-20
On January 10, 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom released the proposed 2019-20 state budget which includes a $144 billion general fund,...
Read MoreTrump Highlights Health Agenda With Vow To Lower ‘Unfair’ Drug Prices
It was not the centerpiece, but health was a persistent theme in President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address...
Read MorePain From The Government Shutdown Spreads. This Time It’s Food Stamps.
Antoinette Martinez was relieved when she heard she would receive her food stamps for February about two weeks early. Her...
Read MorePublic Charge Letter
December 10, 2018 Samantha Deshommes Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division Office of Policy and Strategy US Citizenship and Immigration Services U.S....
Read MoreCalifornia’s Top Lawyer Cements His Role As Health Care Defender-In-Chief
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Xavier Becerra, the political savvy Democratic attorney general of California, has sued the Trump administration 45 times...
Read MoreCoverage Denied: Medicaid Patients Suffer As Layers Of Private Companies Profit
Marcela Villa isn’t a big name in health care — but she played a crucial role in the lives of...
Read MoreEn Route To Congress, California Democrats Hit Wall On ‘Medicare-For-All’
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Each of the seven California Democrats who flipped Republican congressional seats in the midterm election campaigned for...
Read MoreAfter Bitter Closure, Rural Texas Hospital Defies The Norm And Reopens
Five months ago, the 6,500 residents of Crockett, Texas, witnessed a bit of a resurrection — at least in rural...
Read MoreNewsom Comes Out Swinging On Day One For Single-Payer, Immigrant Coverage
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Within hours of assuming office Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a defiant challenge to the Trump administration...
Read MoreNewsom Diverges Sharply From Washington With Health Care Budget
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday unveiled his first state budget, one that leads California down a very different...
Read MoreMedicare Cuts Payments To Nursing Homes Whose Patients Keep Ending Up In Hospital
The federal government has taken a new step to reduce avoidable hospital readmissions of nursing home patients by lowering a...
Read MoreAfter Terribly Deadly Flu Season, California Aims To Track Deaths More Closely
California’s Department of Public Health says the flu killed 329 people under age 65 in the last flu season, from...
Read MoreBuyers Of Short-Term Health Plans: Wise Or Shortsighted?
Supporters of the nation’s health law condemn them. A few states, including California and New York, have banned them. Other...
Read MoreCalifornia Dreamin’? With Newsom’s Win, Single-Payer Unlikely To Follow Anytime Soon
Californians on Tuesday elected a governor who campaigned for a complete overhaul of how people get their health coverage —...
Read MoreFixing Obamacare’s ‘Family Glitch’ Hinges On Outcome Of November Elections
Last Christmas Eve, Justine Bradford-Trent slipped on ice, slamming to the ground. Her elbow swelled. Was it broken? She couldn’t...
Read MorePoliticians Hop Aboard ‘Medicare-For-All’ Train, Destination Unknown
After decades in the political wilderness, “Medicare-for-all” and single-payer health care are suddenly popular. The words appear in political advertisements...
Read MoreHidden Drugs And Danger Lurk In Over-The-Counter Supplements, Study Finds
Everyone has seen the ads or the products on the shelves. A dietary supplement that promises to make consumers skinny,...
Read MoreUpdate on Supplemental Funds / My Medical Leave
At both the CFO and Board meetings last week, we went over the various supplemental funding programs, which I’m summarizing...
Read MoreDHLF PRIME Legislative Briefing – 9/12/2018
On September 12, the DHLF provided a successful briefing to state legislative staff on district/municipal hospitals’ experience to date with...
Read MoreIn The Battle To Control Drug Costs, Old Patent Laws Get New Life
In the drug pricing battle, progressive lawmakers such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and patients’ rights activists rarely find themselves...
Read More5 Things To Know About Trump’s New ‘Public Charge’ Immigration Proposal
A proposed rule from the White House would make it harder for legal immigrants to get green cards if they...
Read MorePaper Jam: California’s Medicaid Program Hits ‘Print’ When The Feds Need Info
In the shadow of Silicon Valley, the hub of the world’s digital revolution, California officials still submit their records to...
Read MoreCalifornia: A Health Care Laboratory With Mixed Results
California’s expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act enabled many low-income HIV patients to get health insurance previously denied...
Read MoreMcCain’s Complicated Health Care Legacy: He Hated the ACA. He Also Saved It.
There are many lawmakers who made their names in health care, seeking to usher through historic changes to a broken...
Read MoreBreathing ‘A Chore’: California Wildfires Threaten The Health Of Young And Old
Debbie Dobrosky noticed a peculiar hue in the sky on Monday — “a very ugly yellow casting” — as she peeked...
Read MoreMedicaid Expansion Making Diabetes Meds More Accessible To Poor, Study Shows
Low-income people with diabetes are better able to afford their medications and manage their disease in states that expanded Medicaid...
Read MoreMedicare Reconsiders Paying For Seniors’ Spine Operations At Surgery Centers
Medicare is reviewing whether seniors should undergo spine surgeries at same-day surgery centers, the government-run health program announced Wednesday, five...
Read MoreCommunity Frets As Buyer For Cherished Rural Hospital Slips From View
Confusion is growing in the remote Surprise Valley region of northeastern California as locals wonder whether a Denver entrepreneur will...
Read MoreInsurers Fall Short In Catching And Reporting Medicaid Fraud, Inspectors Find
Despite receiving billions of dollars in taxpayer money, Medicaid insurers are lax in ferreting out fraud and neglect to tell...
Read MoreDoctors And Dentists Welcome Pay Hike For Treating Low-Income Patients
For the second year in a row, California is boosting pay for doctors and dentists who treat the state’s poorest...
Read MorePodcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Justice Kennedy Retires. Now What?
The retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy has triggered a political earthquake in Washington, as Republicans see a chance...
Read MoreNew Hospital Leader Fights Price Controls Despite Reputation As A Reformer
In Maryland, Carmela Coyle is known as a reformer. During her tenure as president of the Maryland Hospital Association, she...
Read MoreCalifornia’s Attorney General Vows National Fight To Defend The ACA
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra pledged Friday to redouble his efforts as the Affordable Care Act’s leading defender, saying attacks...
Read MoreHealth Care Looms Large In Race For California’s Top Cop
Attorney General Xavier Becerra uses a well-worn refrain to describe his role as the state’s chief law enforcement officer: to...
Read MoreL.A. County Unlawfully Terminated Thousands Of Medi-Cal Recipients, Court Rules
Los Angeles County unlawfully dropped an estimated 22,000 people from California’s Medicaid program, including low-income seniors and disabled residents who...
Read MoreLongtime ‘Fighter’ Lands Top Spot In Powerful Nurses Union
Bonnie Castillo’s first experience with organized labor dates to the mid-1960s, when she was just 5. Her father was a...
Read MoreTax-Funded Mental Health Programs Not Always Easy To Find
Back in 2008, Mary Hogden was homeless, living on the streets of Berkeley. “I got beat up really badly out...
Read MoreStudy: Nearly Three-Quarters Of Commonly Used Medical Scopes Tainted By Bacteria
In an ominous sign for patient safety, 71 percent of reusable medical scopes deemed ready for use on patients tested...
Read MoreFormer California State Contractor Sued Over Breach Of HIV Patient Privacy
A security breach by a private company that contracted with California’s public health department inadvertently allowed unauthorized access to the...
Read MoreCalifornia Takes On Health Giant Over High Costs
California’s attorney general sued Sutter Health, accusing the hospital giant of illegally quashing competition and for years overcharging consumers and...
Read MoreThousands Mistakenly Enrolled During State’s Medicaid Expansion, Feds Find
California signed up an estimated 450,000 people under Medicaid expansion who may not have been eligible for coverage, according to...
Read MoreEverything You Need To Know About The New Medicare Cards (But Beware Of Scams)
In April, the government will start sending out new Medicare cards, launching a massive, yearlong effort to alter how 59...
Read MoreA Health Plan ‘Down Payment’ Is One Way States Try Retooling Individual Mandate
As President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans tirelessly try to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, a number of states are...
Read MoreState Pay Cut For Dental Hygienists Who Serve The Poor Was Illegal, Court Finds
California officials illegally slashed payments to dental hygienists who treat some of the state’s most fragile residents, including the elderly...
Read MoreNew UC-Irvine Center To Study The Highs And Lows of Pot
Jody Jacobson Wedret rolled her eyes after listening to scientists, policy wonks and marijuana advocates expound on pot’s potential to...
Read MoreHospitals Want To Cut Back On Free Care. Critics Say No Way.
Five years after Fresno-based attorney Joy Dockter started fighting for patients saddled with medical debt, hospitals continue to go after...
Read MoreCommunity Health Centers Caught In ‘Washington’s Political Dysfunction’
With lawmakers facing another deadline this week for legislation to keep the federal government open, one of the outstanding issues...
Read MoreCalifornians Scramble To Beat Midnight Enrollment Deadline
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Blanca Espinoza walked out of a second-story office overlooking one of the city’s busiest intersections Wednesday afternoon,...
Read MoreCHIP Renewed For Six Years As Congress Votes To Reopen Federal Government
A brief, partial shutdown of the federal government ended Monday, as the Senate and House approved legislation that would keep...
Read MoreTrump’s Work-For-Medicaid Rule Puts Work On States’ Shoulders
The Trump administration’s watershed decision Thursday to allow states to test a work requirement for adult Medicaid enrollees sparked widespread...
Read MoreTrump Administration Rule Paves Way For Association Health Plans
The Department of Labor on Thursday released proposed new rules that proponents say will make it easier for businesses to...
Read MoreState Gives Medi-Cal Enrollees Something To Smile About
Susan Inglett’s dental coverage changed just after she got a root canal on one of her top teeth. It was...
Read MoreSen. Collins’ Strategy To Stabilize Insurance Market Raises Doubts Among Analysts
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), whose vote was pivotal in pushing the GOP tax bill forward last week, thought she had...
Read MoreWhistleblower: Medicaid Managed-Care Firm Improperly Denied Care To Thousands
In early October, an executive at one of the nation’s largest physician-practice management firms handed her bosses the equivalent of...
Read MorePRIME/Waiver Update
Dear CEOs and CFOs of district/municipal hospitals: We wanted to take this opportunity to let you all know of the...
Read MoreEnriched By The Poor: California Health Insurers Make Billions Through Medicaid
Medicaid is rarely associated with getting rich. The patients are poor, the budgets tight and payments to doctors often paltry....
Read MoreHouse Tax Bill Would Scrap Deduction For Medical Expenses
The tax bill unveiled by Republicans in the House on Thursday would not, as had been rumored, eliminate the tax...
Read MoreGovernor Inks Support for Some Key Health Bills, Nixes Others
Wielding his pen, Gov. Jerry Brown has reinforced the Affordable Care Act, stood up to pharmaceutical companies and boosted testing...
Read MoreNew Law Challenges ‘Evils’ Of Pharma Profits, California Governor Claims
California Gov. Jerry Brown defied the drug industry Monday by signing a sweeping drug price transparency bill that will force...
Read MoreImagining A Single-Payer Health System In California
With the crumbling of the latest GOP plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, many Americans seem more...
Read MoreA Tale Of Two States: California, Texas And The Latest ACA Repeal Bid
The GOP’s latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act wobbled on Friday as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said he...
Read MoreFederal ACA Activities 9/20/17
We wanted to provide you with an update on federal activities around the repeal of the ACA. As you have...
Read MoreCalifornia, Other States To Extend Obamacare Sign-Up Beyond Federal Limit
California and several other states will exempt themselves this year from a new Trump administration rule that cuts in half...
Read MoreFor Millions Of Insured Californians, State Health Laws Don’t Apply
True or false? If you’re a Californian with private health insurance, you have the right to an appointment within a...
Read MoreFor Covered California, Uncertainty Is The New Certainty
SACRAMENTO — Covered California’s board made several multimillion-dollar decisions Thursday, all addressing one unsettling theme: uncertainty. Over and over, board members...
Read MoreMedi-Cal Sued For Pushing Patients Into Managed Care Despite Judges’ Orders
Alondra Diaz can’t get enough of Elmo and Barney, and she adores picture books. The 14-year-old, who will enter high...
Read MoreWhy A Pennsylvania Insurer’s Collapse Could Whack Californians In the Wallet
Health insurers across the country are on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars in losses stemming from the...
Read MoreMcCain Votes No, Derails ‘Skinny Repeal’ In Marathon Session
WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who interrupted brain cancer treatment to return to Capitol Hill and advance the health...
Read MoreSenate Parliamentarian Upends GOP Hopes For Health Bill
The official rules keeper in the Senate Friday tossed a bucket of cold water on the Senate Republican health bill...
Read MoreAnalysis: Senate’s Latest Health Blueprint Cuts Costs At The Expense Of Chronically Ill
The latest Senate health proposal reins in costs by effectively splitting the individual insurance market, with healthy people diverted into...
Read MoreThe Union That Roars: Nurses Aren’t Giving Up On California’s Single-Payer Push
To some, the California Nurses Association’s political tactics in pushing for a single-payer health system seemed a bit, well, extreme....
Read MoreAs Seniors Get Sicker, They're More Likely To Drop Medicare Advantage Plans
When Sol Shipotow enrolled in a new Medicare Advantage health plan earlier this year, he expected to keep the doctor...
Read MoreAdvocacy Alert: US Senate Contacts
As you know, the Senate currently is working to try to pass a ACA repeal bill with the vote likely...
Read MoreAdvocacy Alert: US Senate Contacts
As you know, the Senate currently is working to try to pass a ACA repeal bill with the vote likely...
Read MoreLots Of Boos In California For Senate Health Bill
California politicians, medical providers and consumer advocates served up harsh critiques of the newly unveiled Senate health care bill Thursday,...
Read More$20 Million On The Way for Clinics That Serve California’s Poor
California State Treasurer John Chiang plans today to announce grants totaling $20 million for community clinics that serve low-income and...
Read MoreCalifornia Nixes Plan To Offer Full Medicaid Benefits To Undocumented Young Adults
As they scrambled to finalize next year’s state budget, California lawmakers this week abruptly dropped a plan to offer full...
Read MoreSB 538 (Monning) – OPPOSE
Dear Senator Lara: The District Hospital Leadership Forum (DHLF), on behalf of California’s district and municipal public hospitals (DMPHs), is...
Read MoreAdvocacy Trip to Washington D.C.
A group of DHLF members traveled to Washington, D.C. the week of 5/22/17 to advocate on issues related to the...
Read MoreAdvocacy Trip to Washington D.C.
A group of DHLF members traveled to Washington, D.C. the week of 5/22/17 to advocate on issues related to the...
Read MoreCalifornia Could Become First State To Extend Medi-Cal To Undocumented Young Adults
California could become the first state to extend full Medicaid benefits to undocumented immigrants up to age 26 after two...
Read MoreRepublicans Race The Clock On Health Care — But The Calendar Is Not Helping
Back in January, Republicans boasted they would deliver a “repeal and replace” bill for the Affordable Care Act to President...
Read MoreCalifornia Governor Urges State Budget Restraint Amid Obamacare Repeal Effort
At the unveiling of his revised $183 billion budget proposal on Thursday, California Gov. Jerry Brown pointed to a chart...
Read MoreBill Aims To Loosen Drugmaker-Doctor Ties By Limiting Perks For Promoting Meds
A new California bill aims to reduce the pharmaceutical industry’s influence in medical decision-making by restricting payments and gifts from...
Read MoreRunning Short On Time, Covered California And Insurers Seek Obamacare Answers From GOP
With a deadline looming, California’s health exchange and a major insurer pressed Republican leaders in Washington to clear up confusion...
Read MoreNegotiating Drug Prices: Should State Agencies Band Together?
Citing budget-busting drug costs, a California lawmaker wants state health programs to band together to negotiate better prices with drug...
Read MoreGrasping For The Middle Ground On Obamacare
Joel Hay, a professor at the University of Southern California, describes his political views as “conservative, free market.” But in...
Read MoreCalifornia Lawmakers Consider Giving State Regulators More Grounds To Reject Health Insurance Mergers
State lawmakers are considering a proposal to give state regulators a broader mandate when evaluating whether insurance company mergers would...
Read MoreThe Next Obamacare Battleground: Subsidies For Out-Of-Pocket Costs
When Republicans pulled their Affordable Care Act replacement bill last Friday, Lauren Lake’s primary reaction was relief. But like a...
Read MoreHouse Leaders ‘Came Up Short’ In Effort To Kill Obamacare
Despite days of intense negotiations and last-minute concessions to win over wavering GOP conservatives and moderates, House Republican leaders Friday...
Read MoreFive Ways The GOP Health Bill Would Reverse Course From The ACA
After literally years of promises, House Republicans finally have a bill they say will “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care...
Read MoreAca and Medicaid update
It is expected that an ACA repeal-replace bill will be considered the week of March 6 in the House Energy...
Read MoreSupport For Health Law Grows, Leaving Republicans In A Bind
Republican members of Congress are at home this week, with many of them getting an earful from anxious constituents about...
Read MoreSingle-Payer Health Care Bill Introduced In California Senate
Legislation introduced in the state Senate Friday would set California on a path toward the possible creation of a single-payer health...
Read MoreRest Of The U.S. Could Learn ‘A Great Deal’ From Covered California, Study Says
A five-state study of Obamacare health insurance exchanges finds California’s to be the “most successful” of the group. Researchers say...
Read MoreLetter to California Congressional Delegation
Attached is a letter the DHLF sent on February 1 to the California Congressional Delegation outlining California’s district and municipal...
Read MoreHoping To Control Health Costs, California Lawmaker Targets Prescription Drug Coupons
A California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would ban drugmakers from issuing coupons that lower patients’ prescription copayments for...
Read MoreMedicare’s Coverage Of Therapy Services Again Is In Center Of Court Dispute
Four years after Medicare officials agreed in a landmark court settlement that seniors cannot be denied coverage for physical therapy...
Read MoreDrug Prices, Opioids, And Obamacare: A Conversation With Assemblyman Jim Wood
California policymakers are facing a busy year, as a Republican-controlled Congress inches closer to rolling back key provisions of the...
Read MoreCrucial California HIV Program In Disarray After Contract Switch
A change in contractors for a state-run AIDS program has resulted in enrollment delays and left some patients unable to...
Read MoreGovernor released 2017-18 proposed state budget.
Amid uncertainty about changes in state revenue and policies in Washington, California Gov. Jerry Brown presented the $177.1 billion 17-18...
Read MoreShoppers On California Exchange Sidestep Soaring Premiums But Pass Up Subsidies
Californians tend to avoid the worst of premium hikes on the state exchange by choosing lower-cost plans, but many also...
Read MoreThousands Of Covered California Enrollees Could Lose Subsidies In January
An error by Covered California has left about 24,000 policy holders at risk of losing their federal tax credits in...
Read MoreAmid Sign-Up Surge, Covered California Extends Enrollment Deadline
Californians are signing up in higher numbers than they did last year for health plans sold on the state’s health...
Read MoreIn House Majority Leader’s Calif. District, Many Depend On Health Law He Wants To Scrap
U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act first and replace it sometime later. That...
Read MorePrice’s Appointment Boosts GOP Plans To Overhaul Medicare And Medicaid
President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Rep. Tom Price to head the Department of Health and Human Services signals that the...
Read MoreBlue Shield, California’s Biggest Obamacare Insurer, Vows It’s Not ‘Running For The Hills’
The chief executive of Blue Shield of California, the largest insurer on the state-run marketplace, says he’s committed to selling...
Read MoreCalifornia Voters Divided On Drug Price Ballot Measure But Support Other Health Initiatives
Less than a week before the election, California voters’ support for Proposition 61 appears to have eroded, and they are...
Read MoreBlue Shield Again Owes Californians Millions In Health Care Rebates
About 240,000 Californians with job-based health coverage may have been surprised by a recent letter from Blue Shield of California...
Read MoreReport: States Increase Cost Controls To Manage Medicaid Growth
With a record 73 million people enrolled in Medicaid, most states next year will tighten controls on spending to battle...
Read MoreDistrict/municipal supplemental funding update (managed care IGTs)
14-15 QAF managed care funds DHCS and California hospitals are still awaiting CMS approval on the first component of rates...
Read MoreNew California Law Allows Organizations to Buy EpiPens For Emergencies, But Will They?
Justine Saffir, director at the Sunnymont-Westside nursery school in San Jose, keeps in her classroom a spare EpiPen to treat...
Read MoreDrug Price Transparency Bill Clears Key Hurdle in California Legislature
Controversial California legislation requiring drug companies to justify treatment costs and price hikes jumped one more hurdle Thursday, just a...
Read MoreCalifornia’s Public Hospitals Face New Medi-Cal Mandate
Public hospitals in California will be required to contract with at least one Medi-Cal managed care plan starting in 2018...
Read MoreObamacare Expansion A Bumpy Ride For Rural Health Clinics
A network of clinics that serves low-income patients in rural Northern California is finally finding balance after being deluged with...
Read MoreTwo Insurance Giants Planning To Jump Into California’s Medicaid Market
Two of the nation’s largest insurers are reaching out to doctors as they prepare to offer health coverage to low-income...
Read MoreA Chat With The Head Of California’s Doctor Lobby
The California Medical Association, which represents about 41,000 doctors, has been at the heart of health care deliberations in Sacramento...
Read MoreFeds Urge State Medicaid Programs To Boost Use Of Long-Acting Contraceptives
The federal government, which spends billions of dollars each year covering unintended pregnancies, is encouraging states to adopt policies that help...
Read MoreHospital Workers Union Pulls California Ballot Measure On Hospital Exec Pay
A powerful hospital workers union has been forced to withdraw a proposed measure that would have capped the pay of...
Read MoreHOPD Letter
Attached is a letter from the California District Hospital Leadership Forum on the hospital outpatient department pending proposed rule being...
Read MoreJune 30, 2016 DHLF Update
PRIME On June 17, DHCS reported that ALL PRIME applications had been approved! Therefore, attention turns to the IGTs/federal match...
Read MoreRevamp Of State Program For Medically Fragile Kids Moves Forward In Legislature
California lawmakers on Tuesday pushed forward compromise legislation that would transform how the state’s most medically fragile kids receive care....
Read MoreCalifornia Budget: Small Health Gains, Advocates Look To Nov. Ballot For Big-Ticket Items
The $122.5 billion state budget approved this week by California lawmakers will fund a variety of health-related efforts, including training...
Read MoreDHLF PRIME Update
A few important/timely updates about PRIME: Good news – all PRIME applications with the exception of one (which remains a...
Read MoreState Legislators Push Bill To Inform Patients Of Drug Company Discount Programs
California lawmakers are lining up in support of a bill that would require health plans to provide information about patient-assistance...
Read MoreHike In Minimum Wage Will Push Some Workers Out Of Medi-Cal
California’s decision to raise its hourly minimum wage to $15 by 2022 could have unintended consequences for thousands of workers...
Read MoreUnitedHealth To Exit California’s Obamacare Market
UnitedHealth Group Inc. is leaving California’s insurance exchange at the end of this year, state officials confirmed Tuesday. The nation’s...
Read MoreMedicare’s Drug-Pricing Experiment Stirs Opposition
Aiming to keep costs in check, Medicare is proposing to test different ways to pay for drugs — one of...
Read MoreCovered California Says It’s Moving Fast To Fix Involuntary Switches Into Medi-Cal
Under fire from federal lawmakers and consumer advocates, Covered California is speeding up its response to a systemic problem that...
Read MoreCalifornia’s Medical Board Declares Neutrality On Proposed Doctor Disclosure Law
The 15-member board that monitors physicians in California Friday declared its neutrality on pending state legislation that would require doctors...
Read MoreMedi-Cal’s Doctor Sign-Up System Finally Going Online
Medi-Cal’s enrollment system for doctors and other health care providers, long criticized in the medical community for being complicated and...
Read MoreWaiver Legislation / CMS Final Rule on Medicaid Managed Care / Hospital outpatient site neutral activities
Waiver Legislation Many thanks DHLF members who wrote letters to the Senate and Assembly Health Committees in support of the...
Read MoreWill Covered California Sell Health Coverage To The Undocumented?
California legislators are attempting to clear the way for undocumented immigrants to buy health insurance through the state’s insurance exchange...
Read MoreGonorrhea Rate Has Shot Up In California
Rates of gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease, are rising sharply in California, especially among gay and bisexual men, according to...
Read MoreMore Customers Dumped From Covered California Without Notice
Lynn Kersey has some advice for pregnant women who bought health insurance policies from Covered California and want to keep...
Read MoreMarch 2016 DC Advocacy Trip
Several members of the DHLF traveled to Washington, D.C. for advocacy on federal issues of importance to California’s district/municipal hospitals...
Read MoreMarch 2016 DC Advocacy Trip
Several members of the DHLF traveled to Washington, D.C. for advocacy on federal issues of importance to California’s district/municipal hospitals...
Read MoreCovered California Imposes New Quality, Cost Conditions On Plans
Moving into a realm usually reserved for health care regulators, Covered California Thursday unveiled sweeping reforms to its contracts with...
Read MoreExperts Say Health Care Companies Are Tantalizing Targets For Cyberattackers
A recent cyberattack against hospital chain MedStar was just the latest in a series of strikes against health care companies,...
Read MoreBattle Heating Up Over ‘Surprise’ Medical Bills
Have you ever gone in for a medical procedure you knew was covered by your health plan, only to be...
Read More$6.8 Billion Health Insurance Merger Clears First State Hurdle
The California Department of Managed Health Care gave a green light Tuesday to the $6.8 billion acquisition of Health Net...
Read MoreCalif., N.H. Seek To Help Consumers Get Details On Health Care Prices
California and New Hampshire are revealing some of the biggest secrets of health care by publishing price information to help...
Read MoreState Finalizing Plans To Close Centers For The Severely Disabled
The final countdown has begun for the last of three large state-run institutions that care for the severely disabled: In...
Read MoreState Legislature Passes New MCO Tax, Rescues Over $1 Billion for Medi-Cal
The California legislature Monday approved a new health care tax, capping a months-long quest to safeguard over $1 billion in...
Read MoreSenate/Assembly pass managed care tax legislation, including elimination of DP/NF clawback
Both the Assembly and Senate passed the managed care organization (MCO) financing package on February 29. Of interest to district/municipal...
Read MoreKaweah Delta asks legislators to vote 'yes' on managed care bill
The Kaweah Delta Health Care District is calling on local legislators to vote for the state’s Managed Care Organizations (MCO)...
Read MoreFight Looms Over Medi-Cal For Adult Immigrants Without Papers
A plan to offer full state-sponsored health benefits for adult immigrants without papers is likely to spark one of the...
Read MoreCovered California Takes Aim At System Gamers
It may soon become harder to enroll in Covered California health plans outside the regular open-enrollment period. Covered California, the...
Read MoreCalifornia Legislature poised to pass replacement tax on health care plans
SACRAMENTO — After months of uncertainty, the Legislature appears poised to approve a tax on health care plans that would...
Read MoreState Legislative Day-2016
At the conclusion of our May 17, 2016 DHLF Board meeting, members will adjourn to the state Capitol to meet...
Read MoreFederal Advocacy Days, Spring 2016
We are planning a spring DHLF DC Advocacy Trip in March. The plan is to travel on Monday, March 21...
Read MoreState’s Medi-Cal Bill For Undocumented Kids Could Rise
The cost of providing full Medi-Cal benefits to undocumented immigrant children in California could be significantly more than the state’s...
Read MoreLicking Wounds, Insurers Accelerate Moves To Limit Health-Law Enrollment
Stung by losses under the federal health law, major insurers are seeking to sharply limit how policies are sold to...
Read MoreDHLF Update-February 1, 2016
Waiver Webinar DHCS conducted a webinar last week on Medi-Cal 2020, the recently-negotiated 1115 waiver. The webinar slides, which include...
Read MoreState Seeks to Calm Fears Over Change in Autism Care
Today the state will begin a transition in the health coverage of 9,000 children who are treated for autism under...
Read MorePotential Outcomes of the ACA's Third Enrollment Period and Their Implications
Officials are hoping for strong enrollment during President Obama’s last year at the helm of his signature health law, but...
Read MoreBrown Touts Calif.'s Embrace of ACA, Cautions About Health Costs
In his State of the State address on Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) touted California’s embrace of the Affordable Care...
Read MorePRIME Update–January 21, 2016
On January 21, 2016, DHLF staff met with DHCS regarding the PRIME program. Below are a few updates. The protocols...
Read More4.7M Calif. Medical Records Affected by Data Breaches Last Year
Last year, more than 4.7 million medical records were affected by data breaches in California, according to federal data, the...
Read MoreInfections From Duodenoscopes Higher Than Previously Estimated
The number of potentially deadly infections linked to contaminated duodenoscopes in California and other states is greater than federal investigators...
Read MoreLet the Budget Plan Pushback Begin
On Monday, the Legislature reconvenes its extraordinary session on health care and officially embarks on the long public debate over...
Read More2016-17 State Budget–January 7, 2016
Earlier today, Governor Brown presented the 2016-17 proposed state budget. The proposed budget increases spending for education, health care and...
Read MoreBrown's Budget Proposal To Address Health Care Issues in California
Gov. Jerry Brown’s (D) fiscal year 2016-2017 budget proposal — set to be released Thursday — likely will address funding...
Read MoreFeds OK California's $6.2 Billion Waiver
CMS last week officially approved a five-year, $6.2 billion federal 1115 waiver for California, also known as Medi-Cal 2020. The waiver...
Read MoreMedical-Cal 1115 Waiver Approved–December 31, 2015
The DHLF is pleased to share the below Department of Health Care Services notice about the approval of the Medi-Cal...
Read MoreCovered California Officials Report Recent Surge in Enrollment
On Wednesday, Covered California officials announced that more than 197,000 consumers had signed up for coverage as of Tuesday evening,...
Read MoreDHLF Representatives Traveled to Washington DC–November 2015
In early November, a contingent of DHLF members traveled to Washington D.C. to advocate on behalf of the Forum specifically...
Read MoreCalif., Other States Scrutinize Regulatory Boards After Ruling
California and other states are more closely scrutinizing regulatory boards and commissions, including those related to various health care trades,...
Read MoreMore Than 20 Calif. Facilities Among Leapfrog's 'Top Hospitals' Lists
More than 20 California facilities were included in the Leapfrog Group’s annual “Top Hospitals” lists released Wednesday, Healthcare DIVE reports...
Read MoreResearchers, Health Officials Trying to Solve Dual Eligibles' Opt-Out Puzzle
On Monday, health policy researchers at UCLA announced the launch of a project to better understand why such a high...
Read MoreSpike in Medi-Cal Enrollment Adds Pressure to 'Doctor Deserts'
A spike in Medi-Cal enrollment after California expanded the program under the Affordable Care Act has exacerbated problems with health...
Read MoreUnitedHealth's Threat To Leave Exchanges Not Expected To Mean Much in California
UnitedHealth Group’s announcement this week that it may pull out of Affordable Care Act exchanges is not expected to have...
Read MoreWhy Maryland — Not California — Pulled Off the 'Boldest Proposal' in Health Care
For a year, a dozen of California’s most powerful health care leaders had been privately meeting to talk a revolution....
Read MoreCalifornia Aging Population Likely To Increase Health Care Costs
California’s growing aging population likely will pose several challenges, including new costs on taxpayers for health care services, the Sacramento...
Read MoreWhat Paul Ryan's Election to House Speaker Means for the Affordable Care Act
In a recent interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” newly elected House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) signaled a need for...
Read MoreLong-Range Outlook for Long-Term Care
It was a good year for long-term care policy issues in the Capitol, and there will be a full slate...
Read MoreStudy: Hospitals Need Better Efficiency
Hospital inpatient care is highly inefficient, according to a study released this week by a health care consulting firm. Axene...
Read MoreWaiver Approval a Strong Start, Now Time for Long-Term Vision, Expert Says
The agreement between California and CMS officials on a federal waiver for California’s Medicaid program means $6.2 billion worth of...
Read More$6 Billion Waiver Gets Federal Approval
CMS officials on Saturday agreed in principle to a five-year, $6.2 billion waiver for California’s Medicaid program. That was good...
Read MoreObama Administration Unveils HealthCare.gov Upgrades
The Obama administration on Sunday unveiled a faster, more user-friendly version of HealthCare.gov, the Washington Times reports. Officials launched the...
Read MoreExchange Survey Sets Table for Upcoming Open Enrollment Period
Many Californians don’t know they qualify for coverage help in the form of federal subsidies, according to a survey released...
Read MoreState Scales Back Medicaid Waiver Request From $17 Billion to $7 Billion
On Tuesday, a policy analyst from the state Legislative Analyst’s Office said the state has revised its 1115 Medicaid waiver...
Read MoreHospitals Urged To Avoid Serving Meat From Livestock Raised on Antibiotics
Raising animals on a diet of antibiotics produces healthier and larger livestock but it’s also contributing to increased incidences of...
Read MoreScope of Practice Legislation To Fight Another Day
Amid the deluge of health care bills signed and vetoed by the governor in recent days, absent were several bills...
Read MoreBrown Vetoes Medi-Cal Bills, Citing Expected $1.1B Budget Deficit
Citing the state Legislature’s failure to rework the expiring managed care organization tax and the resulting budget deficit, Gov. Jerry...
Read MoreAid for Police in Handling Mentally Ill
Police officers need to handle mentally ill people a little differently than others, and many of them just don’t understand...
Read MoreGAO Slams CMS' Oversight of Medicare Advantage Provider Networks
CMS must do more to ensure that Medicare Advantage plans have adequate networks, according to a Government Accountability Office report...
Read MoreNational Drug Take-Back Day Saturday
Roughly 350 drop-off sites in California will take consumers’ unwanted or unused medications on Saturday and properly dispose of them....
Read MoreNew Oversight for Outpatient Surgery
Outpatient surgery centers in California face new regulations and oversight under a brand-new law. After much discussion and several amendments,...
Read MoreAdvocates 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...
Read MoreManaged Care Tax Left Hanging
The California Legislature, now adjourned until Jan. 4, passed a flurry of bills in the last days of session, but...
Read MoreCalifornia 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...
Read MoreApples 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....
Read MoreState 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...
Read MorePerceptions 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...
Read MoreHealth 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...
Read More2014-16 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...
Read MoreWhat'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...
Read MoreUninsured Numbers Drop Substantially
More than two-thirds of all Californians who were uninsured before Affordable Care Act implementation now have coverage, according to a study...
Read MoreLawmakers Voice Concerns Over Covered Calif.'s Data Mining Plan
On Monday, four U.S. lawmakers from California sent a letter to Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee raising privacy concerns...
Read MoreAuditor's Report Shows 'Symbiotic Relationship' in Medi-Cal Managed Care
The seeming reluctance by state officials to closely monitor Medi-Cal managed care plans is troubling, said Gerald Kominski, director of...
Read MoreGovernor Calls for Special Legislative Session To Address Health Spending
Gov. Jerry Brown (D) last week issued a proclamation to convene a special legislative session on health care spending on the...
Read MoreCalifornia Legislature Nears Deal Ahead of Budget Plan Deadline
During a joint budget committee meeting on Tuesday, California Senate and Assembly Democrats neared a deal on a final budget...
Read MoreLawmakers Nearing Deal On California Budget
Democratic leaders in the Senate and the Assembly are nailing down a final deal on the state budget, sources in...
Read MoreProtest Rises Over Medi-Cal Rates
The Capitol lawn is going to be a little livelier on Tuesday, as hundreds of protesters from across the state...
Read MoreGAO: CMS Too Reliant on Doctors When Setting Medicare Pay Rates
CMS is too reliant on the American Medical Association when setting provider reimbursement rates, according to a recent Government Accountability...
Read MoreLegislation and state budget activities addressing AB 97 cuts
SB 243 and AB 366, Medi-Cal Rates On May 28, the Legislature considered the bills that were on the Appropriations...
Read MoreCalifornia Democrats Release Competing Budget Proposals
On Tuesday, Democrats in the California Senate and Assembly released separate budget plans that differ on various key spending proposals,...
Read More2015-16 State Budget May Revise
The governor released his “May Revise” of the state budget proposal for 2015-16 on May 14, 2015. The May Revise...
Read MoreBrown Unveils Revised Budget Plan; Health Advocates React
On Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) released the revised version of his fiscal year 2015-2016 budget plan, which includes several...
Read MoreLegislature's Turn To Consider Open Data
Last month, California HHS embraced the open data movement in health care with a decision to make more data available...
Read MoreBill Extends, Expands Benefits Review
Who doesn’t like Ch-Burp? The much-beloved acronym CHBRP, belonging to the California Health Benefits Review Program, will get a longer...
Read MoreState Submits $17B Waiver Plan; Advocates Urge Medi-Cal Rate Review
California health officials submitted a Medicaid waiver request to federal regulators calling for $17 billion in health care reform projects in...
Read MoreState releases draft 2015 Waiver (Medi-Cal 2020) application
In mid-March, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released a draft of the 2015 Section 1115 Waiver Renewal application,...
Read MoreState releases draft 2015 Waiver (Medi-Cal 2020) application
Earlier this week, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released a draft of the 2015 Section 1115 Waiver Renewal...
Read MoreFive Years of California Health Reform: 'A Tremendous Designed Experiment'
Nadereh Pourat, director of research at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, gives an involuntary gasp when she’s asked...
Read MoreCHA Official: California's Safety-Net Hospitals Are 'at Risk'
California’s safety-net hospitals often do not have enough patients with private health coverage to offset the cost of treating a...
Read MoreCBO Lowers Cost Projection for ACA Over Next 10 Years by 11%
The federal government will spend 11% less on the Affordable Care Act over the next decade than previously anticipated, according...
Read MoreAnother California Superbug Outbreak Linked to Endoscopes
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles has confirmed several cases of infections linked to the same type of medical endoscopes...
Read MorePressure Rising To Restore Medi-Cal Cuts
A protest Wednesday at the Capitol Building will highlight proposed legislation to reverse cuts to Medi-Cal provider rates. In 2011...
Read MoreFlurry of Bills Before Legislative Deadline
The deadline is Friday for introducing bills in the California Legislature. Several health-related bills have gotten in under the wire in Sacramento,...
Read MoreSuperbug Outbreak Highlights Hospital Infection Concerns Across U.S.
An outbreak of a potentially deadly bacterial infection at UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center that was linked to medical endoscopes...
Read MoreLAO Report: State Could Lose $1 Billion
California stands to lose about $1 billion in federal health care funding through potential elimination of the current managed care...
Read MoreDPH Fines 10 California Hospitals $700K for Adverse Events
On Wednesday, the California Department of Public Health announced that it has fined 10 hospitals hundreds of thousands of dollars...
Read MorePatient Satisfaction Among Low-Income Patients on the Rise, Survey Says
More than half of Medi-Cal and other low-income patients rated their care as very good or excellent, a gain of...
Read MoreFebruary 10, 2015 Update
Mental Health Services Act: Please see the attached memo from the DHLF federal advocate, Charity Bracy, regarding funding availability via...
Read More2016 DHLF Tracked Legislation
District Hospital Leadership Forum – Legislative Status Report February 6, 2016. Feb 6, 2016 report ...
Read MoreAnalyst's Office Cites 'Shortcomings' in Mental Health Hospitals' Administration
The Legislative Analyst’s Office found a number of budgeting inefficiencies and question marks about policies and procedures in its evaluation...
Read MoreDHLF State Budget Update
State Budget: Today the Governor released his proposed 2015-16 state budget. An overall summary follows this update, but unlike prior...
Read MoreMay Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
Read MoreApril Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
Read MoreMarch Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
Read MoreFebruary Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
Read MoreJanuary Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
Read MoreOctober/November Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As we...
Read MoreSeptember Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of...
Read MoreAugust Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of...
Read MoreJuly Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of...
Read MoreMay/June Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsletter,...
Read More2013-2014 Budget Recap
2013-14 State Budget News Affecting District/Municipal Hospitals: On June 27, the governor signed the 2013-14 state budget. There are two...
Read MoreApril Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsletter,...
Read MoreMarch Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsletter,...
Read MoreFebruary/Early March Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
Read MoreJanuary 2013 Recap of DHLF Activities
Happy New Year! Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly...
Read MoreNovember Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
Read MoreElection Analysis and 2013 California Issues
The coming 2013-14 legislative session will present several new opportunities and a few new challenges. It is first worth considering...
Read MoreOctober Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
Read MoreSeptember Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
Read MoreAugust 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last recap in early August....
Read MoreJuly & Early August 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last recap in early July....
Read MoreJune 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Governor Brown signed the 2012-13 state budget on June 27. The 2012-13 budget is reliant upon a package of ballot...
Read MoreMay 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
The Governor released the 2012-13 state budget “May Revise” on May 14. The “May Revise” revises the January budget proposal...
Read MoreApril 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on in April. Your feedback on all communications...
Read MoreMarch Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on in April. Your feedback on all communications...
Read MoreFebruary 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
The DHLF Board met February 15 and then members participated in the first DHLF Legislative Day in the State Capitol....
Read MoreType Seven
News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 28, 2024 Governor Vetoes AB 2098 Earlier today, Gov. Newsom vetoed #AB2098 which would...
News Release August 5, 2021 SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced today a new commitment...
Letter to Becerra re PRF Funds Attached is a letter signed by the below members (40) of the California Congressional...
With the June 15th budget deadline looming, the Legislature has presented a united front in rejecting many of the provisions set...
The Governor released the May revision to the proposed 20-21 state budget today. As has been recently reported, California has...
The Governor released the May revision to the proposed 20-21 state budget today. As has been recently reported, California has...
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded nearly...
Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan proposes $107.4 billion in total funds for DHCS programs and services. It includes significant funding for...
Californians will soon be allowed to eat roadkill but be prohibited from buying fur coats. Abortion pills will become available...
With much fanfare, federal officials required hospitals nationwide this year to post their “list” prices online. But it’s not yet...
October 8, 2018 TO: Members, District Hospital Leadership Forum FROM: Sherreta Lane, DHLF Senior Vice President, Finance Policy SUBJECT: Medicare...
On January 10, 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom released the proposed 2019-20 state budget which includes a $144 billion general fund,...
It was not the centerpiece, but health was a persistent theme in President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address...
Antoinette Martinez was relieved when she heard she would receive her food stamps for February about two weeks early. Her...
December 10, 2018 Samantha Deshommes Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division Office of Policy and Strategy US Citizenship and Immigration Services U.S....
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Xavier Becerra, the political savvy Democratic attorney general of California, has sued the Trump administration 45 times...
Marcela Villa isn’t a big name in health care — but she played a crucial role in the lives of...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Each of the seven California Democrats who flipped Republican congressional seats in the midterm election campaigned for...
Five months ago, the 6,500 residents of Crockett, Texas, witnessed a bit of a resurrection — at least in rural...
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Within hours of assuming office Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a defiant challenge to the Trump administration...
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday unveiled his first state budget, one that leads California down a very different...
The federal government has taken a new step to reduce avoidable hospital readmissions of nursing home patients by lowering a...
California’s Department of Public Health says the flu killed 329 people under age 65 in the last flu season, from...
Supporters of the nation’s health law condemn them. A few states, including California and New York, have banned them. Other...
Californians on Tuesday elected a governor who campaigned for a complete overhaul of how people get their health coverage —...
Last Christmas Eve, Justine Bradford-Trent slipped on ice, slamming to the ground. Her elbow swelled. Was it broken? She couldn’t...
After decades in the political wilderness, “Medicare-for-all” and single-payer health care are suddenly popular. The words appear in political advertisements...
Everyone has seen the ads or the products on the shelves. A dietary supplement that promises to make consumers skinny,...
At both the CFO and Board meetings last week, we went over the various supplemental funding programs, which I’m summarizing...
On September 12, the DHLF provided a successful briefing to state legislative staff on district/municipal hospitals’ experience to date with...
In the drug pricing battle, progressive lawmakers such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and patients’ rights activists rarely find themselves...
A proposed rule from the White House would make it harder for legal immigrants to get green cards if they...
In the shadow of Silicon Valley, the hub of the world’s digital revolution, California officials still submit their records to...
California’s expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act enabled many low-income HIV patients to get health insurance previously denied...
There are many lawmakers who made their names in health care, seeking to usher through historic changes to a broken...
Debbie Dobrosky noticed a peculiar hue in the sky on Monday — “a very ugly yellow casting” — as she peeked...
Low-income people with diabetes are better able to afford their medications and manage their disease in states that expanded Medicaid...
Medicare is reviewing whether seniors should undergo spine surgeries at same-day surgery centers, the government-run health program announced Wednesday, five...
Confusion is growing in the remote Surprise Valley region of northeastern California as locals wonder whether a Denver entrepreneur will...
Despite receiving billions of dollars in taxpayer money, Medicaid insurers are lax in ferreting out fraud and neglect to tell...
For the second year in a row, California is boosting pay for doctors and dentists who treat the state’s poorest...
The retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy has triggered a political earthquake in Washington, as Republicans see a chance...
In Maryland, Carmela Coyle is known as a reformer. During her tenure as president of the Maryland Hospital Association, she...
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra pledged Friday to redouble his efforts as the Affordable Care Act’s leading defender, saying attacks...
Attorney General Xavier Becerra uses a well-worn refrain to describe his role as the state’s chief law enforcement officer: to...
Los Angeles County unlawfully dropped an estimated 22,000 people from California’s Medicaid program, including low-income seniors and disabled residents who...
Bonnie Castillo’s first experience with organized labor dates to the mid-1960s, when she was just 5. Her father was a...
Back in 2008, Mary Hogden was homeless, living on the streets of Berkeley. “I got beat up really badly out...
In an ominous sign for patient safety, 71 percent of reusable medical scopes deemed ready for use on patients tested...
A security breach by a private company that contracted with California’s public health department inadvertently allowed unauthorized access to the...
California’s attorney general sued Sutter Health, accusing the hospital giant of illegally quashing competition and for years overcharging consumers and...
California signed up an estimated 450,000 people under Medicaid expansion who may not have been eligible for coverage, according to...
In April, the government will start sending out new Medicare cards, launching a massive, yearlong effort to alter how 59...
As President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans tirelessly try to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, a number of states are...
California officials illegally slashed payments to dental hygienists who treat some of the state’s most fragile residents, including the elderly...
Jody Jacobson Wedret rolled her eyes after listening to scientists, policy wonks and marijuana advocates expound on pot’s potential to...
Five years after Fresno-based attorney Joy Dockter started fighting for patients saddled with medical debt, hospitals continue to go after...
With lawmakers facing another deadline this week for legislation to keep the federal government open, one of the outstanding issues...
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Blanca Espinoza walked out of a second-story office overlooking one of the city’s busiest intersections Wednesday afternoon,...
A brief, partial shutdown of the federal government ended Monday, as the Senate and House approved legislation that would keep...
The Trump administration’s watershed decision Thursday to allow states to test a work requirement for adult Medicaid enrollees sparked widespread...
The Department of Labor on Thursday released proposed new rules that proponents say will make it easier for businesses to...
Susan Inglett’s dental coverage changed just after she got a root canal on one of her top teeth. It was...
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), whose vote was pivotal in pushing the GOP tax bill forward last week, thought she had...
In early October, an executive at one of the nation’s largest physician-practice management firms handed her bosses the equivalent of...
Dear CEOs and CFOs of district/municipal hospitals: We wanted to take this opportunity to let you all know of the...
Medicaid is rarely associated with getting rich. The patients are poor, the budgets tight and payments to doctors often paltry....
The tax bill unveiled by Republicans in the House on Thursday would not, as had been rumored, eliminate the tax...
Wielding his pen, Gov. Jerry Brown has reinforced the Affordable Care Act, stood up to pharmaceutical companies and boosted testing...
California Gov. Jerry Brown defied the drug industry Monday by signing a sweeping drug price transparency bill that will force...
With the crumbling of the latest GOP plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, many Americans seem more...
The GOP’s latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act wobbled on Friday as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said he...
We wanted to provide you with an update on federal activities around the repeal of the ACA. As you have...
California and several other states will exempt themselves this year from a new Trump administration rule that cuts in half...
True or false? If you’re a Californian with private health insurance, you have the right to an appointment within a...
SACRAMENTO — Covered California’s board made several multimillion-dollar decisions Thursday, all addressing one unsettling theme: uncertainty. Over and over, board members...
Alondra Diaz can’t get enough of Elmo and Barney, and she adores picture books. The 14-year-old, who will enter high...
Health insurers across the country are on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars in losses stemming from the...
WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who interrupted brain cancer treatment to return to Capitol Hill and advance the health...
The official rules keeper in the Senate Friday tossed a bucket of cold water on the Senate Republican health bill...
The latest Senate health proposal reins in costs by effectively splitting the individual insurance market, with healthy people diverted into...
To some, the California Nurses Association’s political tactics in pushing for a single-payer health system seemed a bit, well, extreme....
When Sol Shipotow enrolled in a new Medicare Advantage health plan earlier this year, he expected to keep the doctor...
As you know, the Senate currently is working to try to pass a ACA repeal bill with the vote likely...
As you know, the Senate currently is working to try to pass a ACA repeal bill with the vote likely...
California politicians, medical providers and consumer advocates served up harsh critiques of the newly unveiled Senate health care bill Thursday,...
California State Treasurer John Chiang plans today to announce grants totaling $20 million for community clinics that serve low-income and...
As they scrambled to finalize next year’s state budget, California lawmakers this week abruptly dropped a plan to offer full...
Dear Senator Lara: The District Hospital Leadership Forum (DHLF), on behalf of California’s district and municipal public hospitals (DMPHs), is...
A group of DHLF members traveled to Washington, D.C. the week of 5/22/17 to advocate on issues related to the...
A group of DHLF members traveled to Washington, D.C. the week of 5/22/17 to advocate on issues related to the...
California could become the first state to extend full Medicaid benefits to undocumented immigrants up to age 26 after two...
Back in January, Republicans boasted they would deliver a “repeal and replace” bill for the Affordable Care Act to President...
At the unveiling of his revised $183 billion budget proposal on Thursday, California Gov. Jerry Brown pointed to a chart...
A new California bill aims to reduce the pharmaceutical industry’s influence in medical decision-making by restricting payments and gifts from...
With a deadline looming, California’s health exchange and a major insurer pressed Republican leaders in Washington to clear up confusion...
Citing budget-busting drug costs, a California lawmaker wants state health programs to band together to negotiate better prices with drug...
Joel Hay, a professor at the University of Southern California, describes his political views as “conservative, free market.” But in...
State lawmakers are considering a proposal to give state regulators a broader mandate when evaluating whether insurance company mergers would...
When Republicans pulled their Affordable Care Act replacement bill last Friday, Lauren Lake’s primary reaction was relief. But like a...
Despite days of intense negotiations and last-minute concessions to win over wavering GOP conservatives and moderates, House Republican leaders Friday...
After literally years of promises, House Republicans finally have a bill they say will “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care...
It is expected that an ACA repeal-replace bill will be considered the week of March 6 in the House Energy...
Republican members of Congress are at home this week, with many of them getting an earful from anxious constituents about...
Legislation introduced in the state Senate Friday would set California on a path toward the possible creation of a single-payer health...
A five-state study of Obamacare health insurance exchanges finds California’s to be the “most successful” of the group. Researchers say...
Attached is a letter the DHLF sent on February 1 to the California Congressional Delegation outlining California’s district and municipal...
A California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would ban drugmakers from issuing coupons that lower patients’ prescription copayments for...
Four years after Medicare officials agreed in a landmark court settlement that seniors cannot be denied coverage for physical therapy...
California policymakers are facing a busy year, as a Republican-controlled Congress inches closer to rolling back key provisions of the...
A change in contractors for a state-run AIDS program has resulted in enrollment delays and left some patients unable to...
Amid uncertainty about changes in state revenue and policies in Washington, California Gov. Jerry Brown presented the $177.1 billion 17-18...
Californians tend to avoid the worst of premium hikes on the state exchange by choosing lower-cost plans, but many also...
An error by Covered California has left about 24,000 policy holders at risk of losing their federal tax credits in...
Californians are signing up in higher numbers than they did last year for health plans sold on the state’s health...
U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act first and replace it sometime later. That...
President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Rep. Tom Price to head the Department of Health and Human Services signals that the...
The chief executive of Blue Shield of California, the largest insurer on the state-run marketplace, says he’s committed to selling...
Less than a week before the election, California voters’ support for Proposition 61 appears to have eroded, and they are...
About 240,000 Californians with job-based health coverage may have been surprised by a recent letter from Blue Shield of California...
With a record 73 million people enrolled in Medicaid, most states next year will tighten controls on spending to battle...
14-15 QAF managed care funds DHCS and California hospitals are still awaiting CMS approval on the first component of rates...
Justine Saffir, director at the Sunnymont-Westside nursery school in San Jose, keeps in her classroom a spare EpiPen to treat...
Controversial California legislation requiring drug companies to justify treatment costs and price hikes jumped one more hurdle Thursday, just a...
Public hospitals in California will be required to contract with at least one Medi-Cal managed care plan starting in 2018...
A network of clinics that serves low-income patients in rural Northern California is finally finding balance after being deluged with...
Two of the nation’s largest insurers are reaching out to doctors as they prepare to offer health coverage to low-income...
The California Medical Association, which represents about 41,000 doctors, has been at the heart of health care deliberations in Sacramento...
The federal government, which spends billions of dollars each year covering unintended pregnancies, is encouraging states to adopt policies that help...
A powerful hospital workers union has been forced to withdraw a proposed measure that would have capped the pay of...
Attached is a letter from the California District Hospital Leadership Forum on the hospital outpatient department pending proposed rule being...
PRIME On June 17, DHCS reported that ALL PRIME applications had been approved! Therefore, attention turns to the IGTs/federal match...
California lawmakers on Tuesday pushed forward compromise legislation that would transform how the state’s most medically fragile kids receive care....
The $122.5 billion state budget approved this week by California lawmakers will fund a variety of health-related efforts, including training...
A few important/timely updates about PRIME: Good news – all PRIME applications with the exception of one (which remains a...
California lawmakers are lining up in support of a bill that would require health plans to provide information about patient-assistance...
California’s decision to raise its hourly minimum wage to $15 by 2022 could have unintended consequences for thousands of workers...
UnitedHealth Group Inc. is leaving California’s insurance exchange at the end of this year, state officials confirmed Tuesday. The nation’s...
Aiming to keep costs in check, Medicare is proposing to test different ways to pay for drugs — one of...
Under fire from federal lawmakers and consumer advocates, Covered California is speeding up its response to a systemic problem that...
The 15-member board that monitors physicians in California Friday declared its neutrality on pending state legislation that would require doctors...
Medi-Cal’s enrollment system for doctors and other health care providers, long criticized in the medical community for being complicated and...
Waiver Legislation Many thanks DHLF members who wrote letters to the Senate and Assembly Health Committees in support of the...
California legislators are attempting to clear the way for undocumented immigrants to buy health insurance through the state’s insurance exchange...
Rates of gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease, are rising sharply in California, especially among gay and bisexual men, according to...
Lynn Kersey has some advice for pregnant women who bought health insurance policies from Covered California and want to keep...
Several members of the DHLF traveled to Washington, D.C. for advocacy on federal issues of importance to California’s district/municipal hospitals...
Several members of the DHLF traveled to Washington, D.C. for advocacy on federal issues of importance to California’s district/municipal hospitals...
Moving into a realm usually reserved for health care regulators, Covered California Thursday unveiled sweeping reforms to its contracts with...
A recent cyberattack against hospital chain MedStar was just the latest in a series of strikes against health care companies,...
Have you ever gone in for a medical procedure you knew was covered by your health plan, only to be...
The California Department of Managed Health Care gave a green light Tuesday to the $6.8 billion acquisition of Health Net...
California and New Hampshire are revealing some of the biggest secrets of health care by publishing price information to help...
The final countdown has begun for the last of three large state-run institutions that care for the severely disabled: In...
The California legislature Monday approved a new health care tax, capping a months-long quest to safeguard over $1 billion in...
Both the Assembly and Senate passed the managed care organization (MCO) financing package on February 29. Of interest to district/municipal...
The Kaweah Delta Health Care District is calling on local legislators to vote for the state’s Managed Care Organizations (MCO)...
A plan to offer full state-sponsored health benefits for adult immigrants without papers is likely to spark one of the...
It may soon become harder to enroll in Covered California health plans outside the regular open-enrollment period. Covered California, the...
SACRAMENTO — After months of uncertainty, the Legislature appears poised to approve a tax on health care plans that would...
At the conclusion of our May 17, 2016 DHLF Board meeting, members will adjourn to the state Capitol to meet...
We are planning a spring DHLF DC Advocacy Trip in March. The plan is to travel on Monday, March 21...
The cost of providing full Medi-Cal benefits to undocumented immigrant children in California could be significantly more than the state’s...
Stung by losses under the federal health law, major insurers are seeking to sharply limit how policies are sold to...
Waiver Webinar DHCS conducted a webinar last week on Medi-Cal 2020, the recently-negotiated 1115 waiver. The webinar slides, which include...
Today the state will begin a transition in the health coverage of 9,000 children who are treated for autism under...
Officials are hoping for strong enrollment during President Obama’s last year at the helm of his signature health law, but...
In his State of the State address on Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) touted California’s embrace of the Affordable Care...
On January 21, 2016, DHLF staff met with DHCS regarding the PRIME program. Below are a few updates. The protocols...
Last year, more than 4.7 million medical records were affected by data breaches in California, according to federal data, the...
The number of potentially deadly infections linked to contaminated duodenoscopes in California and other states is greater than federal investigators...
On Monday, the Legislature reconvenes its extraordinary session on health care and officially embarks on the long public debate over...
Earlier today, Governor Brown presented the 2016-17 proposed state budget. The proposed budget increases spending for education, health care and...
Gov. Jerry Brown’s (D) fiscal year 2016-2017 budget proposal — set to be released Thursday — likely will address funding...
CMS last week officially approved a five-year, $6.2 billion federal 1115 waiver for California, also known as Medi-Cal 2020. The waiver...
The DHLF is pleased to share the below Department of Health Care Services notice about the approval of the Medi-Cal...
On Wednesday, Covered California officials announced that more than 197,000 consumers had signed up for coverage as of Tuesday evening,...
In early November, a contingent of DHLF members traveled to Washington D.C. to advocate on behalf of the Forum specifically...
California and other states are more closely scrutinizing regulatory boards and commissions, including those related to various health care trades,...
More than 20 California facilities were included in the Leapfrog Group’s annual “Top Hospitals” lists released Wednesday, Healthcare DIVE reports...
On Monday, health policy researchers at UCLA announced the launch of a project to better understand why such a high...
A spike in Medi-Cal enrollment after California expanded the program under the Affordable Care Act has exacerbated problems with health...
UnitedHealth Group’s announcement this week that it may pull out of Affordable Care Act exchanges is not expected to have...
For a year, a dozen of California’s most powerful health care leaders had been privately meeting to talk a revolution....
California’s growing aging population likely will pose several challenges, including new costs on taxpayers for health care services, the Sacramento...
In a recent interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” newly elected House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) signaled a need for...
It was a good year for long-term care policy issues in the Capitol, and there will be a full slate...
Hospital inpatient care is highly inefficient, according to a study released this week by a health care consulting firm. Axene...
The agreement between California and CMS officials on a federal waiver for California’s Medicaid program means $6.2 billion worth of...
CMS officials on Saturday agreed in principle to a five-year, $6.2 billion waiver for California’s Medicaid program. That was good...
The Obama administration on Sunday unveiled a faster, more user-friendly version of HealthCare.gov, the Washington Times reports. Officials launched the...
Many Californians don’t know they qualify for coverage help in the form of federal subsidies, according to a survey released...
On Tuesday, a policy analyst from the state Legislative Analyst’s Office said the state has revised its 1115 Medicaid waiver...
Raising animals on a diet of antibiotics produces healthier and larger livestock but it’s also contributing to increased incidences of...
Amid the deluge of health care bills signed and vetoed by the governor in recent days, absent were several bills...
Citing the state Legislature’s failure to rework the expiring managed care organization tax and the resulting budget deficit, Gov. Jerry...
Police officers need to handle mentally ill people a little differently than others, and many of them just don’t understand...
CMS must do more to ensure that Medicare Advantage plans have adequate networks, according to a Government Accountability Office report...
Roughly 350 drop-off sites in California will take consumers’ unwanted or unused medications on Saturday and properly dispose of them....
Outpatient surgery centers in California face new regulations and oversight under a brand-new law. After much discussion and several amendments,...
Advocates say that health care providers increasingly are balance billing Medi-Cal beneficiaries — a practice that violates state law, the...
The California Legislature, now adjourned until Jan. 4, passed a flurry of bills in the last days of session, but...
On Wednesday, the Assembly voted 43-34 to pass a bill (ABX2-15) that would legalize physician-assisted death in California, the San...
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton supports the Affordable Care Act but says that there is room for improvement. Sen....
State officials last week started to collect the so-called “clawback” money from pharmacies — money the state wants to recoup...
A majority of U.S. residents believe that while mental health care is important, it is often costly and difficult to...
Tuesday is a big day for the Alameda Alliance for Health. On Sept. 1, the not-for-profit local health plan in...
This is an update on the 2014-16 hospital quality assurance fee (HQAF). This fee went into effect January 1, 2014...
Playing politics is like breathing air in Sacramento, so it’s no surprise that some bills, no matter their popularity, suffer...
More than two-thirds of all Californians who were uninsured before Affordable Care Act implementation now have coverage, according to a study...
On Monday, four U.S. lawmakers from California sent a letter to Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee raising privacy concerns...
The seeming reluctance by state officials to closely monitor Medi-Cal managed care plans is troubling, said Gerald Kominski, director of...
Gov. Jerry Brown (D) last week issued a proclamation to convene a special legislative session on health care spending on the...
During a joint budget committee meeting on Tuesday, California Senate and Assembly Democrats neared a deal on a final budget...
Democratic leaders in the Senate and the Assembly are nailing down a final deal on the state budget, sources in...
The Capitol lawn is going to be a little livelier on Tuesday, as hundreds of protesters from across the state...
CMS is too reliant on the American Medical Association when setting provider reimbursement rates, according to a recent Government Accountability...
SB 243 and AB 366, Medi-Cal Rates On May 28, the Legislature considered the bills that were on the Appropriations...
On Tuesday, Democrats in the California Senate and Assembly released separate budget plans that differ on various key spending proposals,...
The governor released his “May Revise” of the state budget proposal for 2015-16 on May 14, 2015. The May Revise...
On Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) released the revised version of his fiscal year 2015-2016 budget plan, which includes several...
Last month, California HHS embraced the open data movement in health care with a decision to make more data available...
Who doesn’t like Ch-Burp? The much-beloved acronym CHBRP, belonging to the California Health Benefits Review Program, will get a longer...
California health officials submitted a Medicaid waiver request to federal regulators calling for $17 billion in health care reform projects in...
In mid-March, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released a draft of the 2015 Section 1115 Waiver Renewal application,...
Earlier this week, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released a draft of the 2015 Section 1115 Waiver Renewal...
Nadereh Pourat, director of research at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, gives an involuntary gasp when she’s asked...
California’s safety-net hospitals often do not have enough patients with private health coverage to offset the cost of treating a...
The federal government will spend 11% less on the Affordable Care Act over the next decade than previously anticipated, according...
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles has confirmed several cases of infections linked to the same type of medical endoscopes...
A protest Wednesday at the Capitol Building will highlight proposed legislation to reverse cuts to Medi-Cal provider rates. In 2011...
The deadline is Friday for introducing bills in the California Legislature. Several health-related bills have gotten in under the wire in Sacramento,...
An outbreak of a potentially deadly bacterial infection at UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center that was linked to medical endoscopes...
California stands to lose about $1 billion in federal health care funding through potential elimination of the current managed care...
On Wednesday, the California Department of Public Health announced that it has fined 10 hospitals hundreds of thousands of dollars...
More than half of Medi-Cal and other low-income patients rated their care as very good or excellent, a gain of...
Mental Health Services Act: Please see the attached memo from the DHLF federal advocate, Charity Bracy, regarding funding availability via...
District Hospital Leadership Forum – Legislative Status Report February 6, 2016. Feb 6, 2016 report ...
The Legislative Analyst’s Office found a number of budgeting inefficiencies and question marks about policies and procedures in its evaluation...
State Budget: Today the Governor released his proposed 2015-16 state budget. An overall summary follows this update, but unlike prior...
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As we...
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of...
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of...
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of...
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsletter,...
2013-14 State Budget News Affecting District/Municipal Hospitals: On June 27, the governor signed the 2013-14 state budget. There are two...
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsletter,...
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsletter,...
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
Happy New Year! Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly...
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
The coming 2013-14 legislative session will present several new opportunities and a few new challenges. It is first worth considering...
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last recap in early August....
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last recap in early July....
Governor Brown signed the 2012-13 state budget on June 27. The 2012-13 budget is reliant upon a package of ballot...
The Governor released the 2012-13 state budget “May Revise” on May 14. The “May Revise” revises the January budget proposal...
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on in April. Your feedback on all communications...
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on in April. Your feedback on all communications...
The DHLF Board met February 15 and then members participated in the first DHLF Legislative Day in the State Capitol....
Type Eight
Governor Vetoes AB 2098
News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 28, 2024 Governor Vetoes AB 2098...
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DHCS – CALHEALTHCARES AWARDS $69.4 MILLION TO 293 PROVIDERS TO HELP EXPAND MEDI-CAL ACCESS
News Release August 5, 2021 SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Health...
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Letter to Secretary Becerra regarding “Provider Relief Funds”
Letter to Becerra re PRF Funds Attached is a letter signed by...
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California hospitals suffer massive losses from fewer patients, major COVID-19 expenses
With the June 15th budget deadline looming, the Legislature has presented a united...
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Governor’s 2020-21 May Revise
The Governor released the May revision to the proposed 20-21 state budget...
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Governor’s 2020-21 May Revise
The Governor released the May revision to the proposed 20-21 state budget...
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HHS Awards Nearly $165 Million to Combat COVID-19 in Rural Communities
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the...
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Governor’s 2020-21 Budget Proposal
Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan proposes $107.4 billion in total funds for DHCS...
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Newsom’s first rodeo: In year one, the governor bucks both Trump and Brown
Californians will soon be allowed to eat roadkill but be prohibited from...
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As Hospitals Post Price Lists, Consumers Are Asked To Check Up On Them
With much fanfare, federal officials required hospitals nationwide this year to post...
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DHLF Lobbying Dues Disclosure for Cost Reports
October 8, 2018 TO: Members, District Hospital Leadership Forum FROM: Sherreta Lane,...
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CA State Budget Proposal: 2019-20
On January 10, 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom released the proposed 2019-20 state...
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Trump Highlights Health Agenda With Vow To Lower ‘Unfair’ Drug Prices
It was not the centerpiece, but health was a persistent theme in...
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Pain From The Government Shutdown Spreads. This Time It’s Food Stamps.
Antoinette Martinez was relieved when she heard she would receive her food...
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Public Charge Letter
December 10, 2018 Samantha Deshommes Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division Office of Policy...
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California’s Top Lawyer Cements His Role As Health Care Defender-In-Chief
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Xavier Becerra, the political savvy Democratic attorney general of...
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Coverage Denied: Medicaid Patients Suffer As Layers Of Private Companies Profit
Marcela Villa isn’t a big name in health care — but she...
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En Route To Congress, California Democrats Hit Wall On ‘Medicare-For-All’
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Each of the seven California Democrats who flipped Republican...
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After Bitter Closure, Rural Texas Hospital Defies The Norm And Reopens
Five months ago, the 6,500 residents of Crockett, Texas, witnessed a bit...
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Newsom Comes Out Swinging On Day One For Single-Payer, Immigrant Coverage
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Within hours of assuming office Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom...
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Newsom Diverges Sharply From Washington With Health Care Budget
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday unveiled his first state budget,...
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Medicare Cuts Payments To Nursing Homes Whose Patients Keep Ending Up In Hospital
The federal government has taken a new step to reduce avoidable hospital...
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After Terribly Deadly Flu Season, California Aims To Track Deaths More Closely
California’s Department of Public Health says the flu killed 329 people under...
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Buyers Of Short-Term Health Plans: Wise Or Shortsighted?
Supporters of the nation’s health law condemn them. A few states, including...
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California Dreamin’? With Newsom’s Win, Single-Payer Unlikely To Follow Anytime Soon
Californians on Tuesday elected a governor who campaigned for a complete overhaul...
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Fixing Obamacare’s ‘Family Glitch’ Hinges On Outcome Of November Elections
Last Christmas Eve, Justine Bradford-Trent slipped on ice, slamming to the ground....
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Politicians Hop Aboard ‘Medicare-For-All’ Train, Destination Unknown
After decades in the political wilderness, “Medicare-for-all” and single-payer health care are...
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Hidden Drugs And Danger Lurk In Over-The-Counter Supplements, Study Finds
Everyone has seen the ads or the products on the shelves. A...
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Update on Supplemental Funds / My Medical Leave
At both the CFO and Board meetings last week, we went over...
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DHLF PRIME Legislative Briefing – 9/12/2018
On September 12, the DHLF provided a successful briefing to state legislative...
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In The Battle To Control Drug Costs, Old Patent Laws Get New Life
In the drug pricing battle, progressive lawmakers such as Sen. Bernie Sanders...
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5 Things To Know About Trump’s New ‘Public Charge’ Immigration Proposal
A proposed rule from the White House would make it harder for...
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Paper Jam: California’s Medicaid Program Hits ‘Print’ When The Feds Need Info
In the shadow of Silicon Valley, the hub of the world’s digital...
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California: A Health Care Laboratory With Mixed Results
California’s expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act enabled many low-income...
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McCain’s Complicated Health Care Legacy: He Hated the ACA. He Also Saved It.
There are many lawmakers who made their names in health care, seeking...
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Breathing ‘A Chore’: California Wildfires Threaten The Health Of Young And Old
Debbie Dobrosky noticed a peculiar hue in the sky on Monday —...
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Medicaid Expansion Making Diabetes Meds More Accessible To Poor, Study Shows
Low-income people with diabetes are better able to afford their medications and...
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Medicare Reconsiders Paying For Seniors’ Spine Operations At Surgery Centers
Medicare is reviewing whether seniors should undergo spine surgeries at same-day surgery...
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Community Frets As Buyer For Cherished Rural Hospital Slips From View
Confusion is growing in the remote Surprise Valley region of northeastern California...
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Insurers Fall Short In Catching And Reporting Medicaid Fraud, Inspectors Find
Despite receiving billions of dollars in taxpayer money, Medicaid insurers are lax...
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Doctors And Dentists Welcome Pay Hike For Treating Low-Income Patients
For the second year in a row, California is boosting pay for...
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Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Justice Kennedy Retires. Now What?
The retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy has triggered a political...
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New Hospital Leader Fights Price Controls Despite Reputation As A Reformer
In Maryland, Carmela Coyle is known as a reformer. During her tenure...
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California’s Attorney General Vows National Fight To Defend The ACA
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra pledged Friday to redouble his efforts as...
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Health Care Looms Large In Race For California’s Top Cop
Attorney General Xavier Becerra uses a well-worn refrain to describe his role...
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L.A. County Unlawfully Terminated Thousands Of Medi-Cal Recipients, Court Rules
Los Angeles County unlawfully dropped an estimated 22,000 people from California’s Medicaid...
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Longtime ‘Fighter’ Lands Top Spot In Powerful Nurses Union
Bonnie Castillo’s first experience with organized labor dates to the mid-1960s, when...
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Tax-Funded Mental Health Programs Not Always Easy To Find
Back in 2008, Mary Hogden was homeless, living on the streets of...
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Study: Nearly Three-Quarters Of Commonly Used Medical Scopes Tainted By Bacteria
In an ominous sign for patient safety, 71 percent of reusable medical...
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Former California State Contractor Sued Over Breach Of HIV Patient Privacy
A security breach by a private company that contracted with California’s public...
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California Takes On Health Giant Over High Costs
California’s attorney general sued Sutter Health, accusing the hospital giant of illegally...
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Thousands Mistakenly Enrolled During State’s Medicaid Expansion, Feds Find
California signed up an estimated 450,000 people under Medicaid expansion who may...
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Everything You Need To Know About The New Medicare Cards (But Beware Of Scams)
In April, the government will start sending out new Medicare cards, launching...
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A Health Plan ‘Down Payment’ Is One Way States Try Retooling Individual Mandate
As President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans tirelessly try to dismantle the...
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State Pay Cut For Dental Hygienists Who Serve The Poor Was Illegal, Court Finds
California officials illegally slashed payments to dental hygienists who treat some of...
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New UC-Irvine Center To Study The Highs And Lows of Pot
Jody Jacobson Wedret rolled her eyes after listening to scientists, policy wonks...
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Hospitals Want To Cut Back On Free Care. Critics Say No Way.
Five years after Fresno-based attorney Joy Dockter started fighting for patients saddled...
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Community Health Centers Caught In ‘Washington’s Political Dysfunction’
With lawmakers facing another deadline this week for legislation to keep the...
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Californians Scramble To Beat Midnight Enrollment Deadline
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Blanca Espinoza walked out of a second-story office overlooking...
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CHIP Renewed For Six Years As Congress Votes To Reopen Federal Government
A brief, partial shutdown of the federal government ended Monday, as the...
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Trump’s Work-For-Medicaid Rule Puts Work On States’ Shoulders
The Trump administration’s watershed decision Thursday to allow states to test a...
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Trump Administration Rule Paves Way For Association Health Plans
The Department of Labor on Thursday released proposed new rules that proponents...
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State Gives Medi-Cal Enrollees Something To Smile About
Susan Inglett’s dental coverage changed just after she got a root canal...
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Sen. Collins’ Strategy To Stabilize Insurance Market Raises Doubts Among Analysts
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), whose vote was pivotal in pushing the GOP...
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Whistleblower: Medicaid Managed-Care Firm Improperly Denied Care To Thousands
In early October, an executive at one of the nation’s largest physician-practice...
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PRIME/Waiver Update
Dear CEOs and CFOs of district/municipal hospitals: We wanted to take this...
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Enriched By The Poor: California Health Insurers Make Billions Through Medicaid
Medicaid is rarely associated with getting rich. The patients are poor, the...
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House Tax Bill Would Scrap Deduction For Medical Expenses
The tax bill unveiled by Republicans in the House on Thursday would...
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Governor Inks Support for Some Key Health Bills, Nixes Others
Wielding his pen, Gov. Jerry Brown has reinforced the Affordable Care Act,...
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New Law Challenges ‘Evils’ Of Pharma Profits, California Governor Claims
California Gov. Jerry Brown defied the drug industry Monday by signing a...
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Imagining A Single-Payer Health System In California
With the crumbling of the latest GOP plan to repeal and replace...
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A Tale Of Two States: California, Texas And The Latest ACA Repeal Bid
The GOP’s latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act wobbled on...
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Federal ACA Activities 9/20/17
We wanted to provide you with an update on federal activities around...
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California, Other States To Extend Obamacare Sign-Up Beyond Federal Limit
California and several other states will exempt themselves this year from a...
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For Millions Of Insured Californians, State Health Laws Don’t Apply
True or false? If you’re a Californian with private health insurance, you...
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For Covered California, Uncertainty Is The New Certainty
SACRAMENTO — Covered California’s board made several multimillion-dollar decisions Thursday, all addressing one...
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Medi-Cal Sued For Pushing Patients Into Managed Care Despite Judges’ Orders
Alondra Diaz can’t get enough of Elmo and Barney, and she adores...
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Why A Pennsylvania Insurer’s Collapse Could Whack Californians In the Wallet
Health insurers across the country are on the hook for hundreds of...
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McCain Votes No, Derails ‘Skinny Repeal’ In Marathon Session
WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who interrupted brain cancer treatment to...
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Senate Parliamentarian Upends GOP Hopes For Health Bill
The official rules keeper in the Senate Friday tossed a bucket of...
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Analysis: Senate’s Latest Health Blueprint Cuts Costs At The Expense Of Chronically Ill
The latest Senate health proposal reins in costs by effectively splitting the...
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The Union That Roars: Nurses Aren’t Giving Up On California’s Single-Payer Push
To some, the California Nurses Association’s political tactics in pushing for a...
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As Seniors Get Sicker, They're More Likely To Drop Medicare Advantage Plans
When Sol Shipotow enrolled in a new Medicare Advantage health plan earlier...
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Advocacy Alert: US Senate Contacts
As you know, the Senate currently is working to try to pass...
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Advocacy Alert: US Senate Contacts
As you know, the Senate currently is working to try to pass...
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Lots Of Boos In California For Senate Health Bill
California politicians, medical providers and consumer advocates served up harsh critiques of...
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$20 Million On The Way for Clinics That Serve California’s Poor
California State Treasurer John Chiang plans today to announce grants totaling $20...
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California Nixes Plan To Offer Full Medicaid Benefits To Undocumented Young Adults
As they scrambled to finalize next year’s state budget, California lawmakers this...
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SB 538 (Monning) – OPPOSE
Dear Senator Lara: The District Hospital Leadership Forum (DHLF), on behalf of...
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Advocacy Trip to Washington D.C.
A group of DHLF members traveled to Washington, D.C. the week of...
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Advocacy Trip to Washington D.C.
A group of DHLF members traveled to Washington, D.C. the week of...
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California Could Become First State To Extend Medi-Cal To Undocumented Young Adults
California could become the first state to extend full Medicaid benefits to...
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Republicans Race The Clock On Health Care — But The Calendar Is Not Helping
Back in January, Republicans boasted they would deliver a “repeal and replace”...
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California Governor Urges State Budget Restraint Amid Obamacare Repeal Effort
At the unveiling of his revised $183 billion budget proposal on Thursday,...
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Bill Aims To Loosen Drugmaker-Doctor Ties By Limiting Perks For Promoting Meds
A new California bill aims to reduce the pharmaceutical industry’s influence in...
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Running Short On Time, Covered California And Insurers Seek Obamacare Answers From GOP
With a deadline looming, California’s health exchange and a major insurer pressed...
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Negotiating Drug Prices: Should State Agencies Band Together?
Citing budget-busting drug costs, a California lawmaker wants state health programs to...
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Grasping For The Middle Ground On Obamacare
Joel Hay, a professor at the University of Southern California, describes his...
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California Lawmakers Consider Giving State Regulators More Grounds To Reject Health Insurance Mergers
State lawmakers are considering a proposal to give state regulators a broader...
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The Next Obamacare Battleground: Subsidies For Out-Of-Pocket Costs
When Republicans pulled their Affordable Care Act replacement bill last Friday, Lauren...
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House Leaders ‘Came Up Short’ In Effort To Kill Obamacare
Despite days of intense negotiations and last-minute concessions to win over wavering...
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Five Ways The GOP Health Bill Would Reverse Course From The ACA
After literally years of promises, House Republicans finally have a bill they...
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Aca and Medicaid update
It is expected that an ACA repeal-replace bill will be considered the...
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Support For Health Law Grows, Leaving Republicans In A Bind
Republican members of Congress are at home this week, with many of...
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Single-Payer Health Care Bill Introduced In California Senate
Legislation introduced in the state Senate Friday would set California on a path...
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Rest Of The U.S. Could Learn ‘A Great Deal’ From Covered California, Study Says
A five-state study of Obamacare health insurance exchanges finds California’s to be...
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Letter to California Congressional Delegation
Attached is a letter the DHLF sent on February 1 to the...
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Hoping To Control Health Costs, California Lawmaker Targets Prescription Drug Coupons
A California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would ban drugmakers from...
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Medicare’s Coverage Of Therapy Services Again Is In Center Of Court Dispute
Four years after Medicare officials agreed in a landmark court settlement that...
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Drug Prices, Opioids, And Obamacare: A Conversation With Assemblyman Jim Wood
California policymakers are facing a busy year, as a Republican-controlled Congress inches...
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Crucial California HIV Program In Disarray After Contract Switch
A change in contractors for a state-run AIDS program has resulted in...
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Governor released 2017-18 proposed state budget.
Amid uncertainty about changes in state revenue and policies in Washington, California...
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Shoppers On California Exchange Sidestep Soaring Premiums But Pass Up Subsidies
Californians tend to avoid the worst of premium hikes on the state...
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Thousands Of Covered California Enrollees Could Lose Subsidies In January
An error by Covered California has left about 24,000 policy holders at...
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Amid Sign-Up Surge, Covered California Extends Enrollment Deadline
Californians are signing up in higher numbers than they did last year...
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In House Majority Leader’s Calif. District, Many Depend On Health Law He Wants To Scrap
U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy wants to repeal the Affordable Care...
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Price’s Appointment Boosts GOP Plans To Overhaul Medicare And Medicaid
President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Rep. Tom Price to head the Department...
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Blue Shield, California’s Biggest Obamacare Insurer, Vows It’s Not ‘Running For The Hills’
The chief executive of Blue Shield of California, the largest insurer on...
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California Voters Divided On Drug Price Ballot Measure But Support Other Health Initiatives
Less than a week before the election, California voters’ support for Proposition...
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Blue Shield Again Owes Californians Millions In Health Care Rebates
About 240,000 Californians with job-based health coverage may have been surprised by...
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Report: States Increase Cost Controls To Manage Medicaid Growth
With a record 73 million people enrolled in Medicaid, most states next...
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District/municipal supplemental funding update (managed care IGTs)
14-15 QAF managed care funds DHCS and California hospitals are still awaiting...
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New California Law Allows Organizations to Buy EpiPens For Emergencies, But Will They?
Justine Saffir, director at the Sunnymont-Westside nursery school in San Jose, keeps...
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Drug Price Transparency Bill Clears Key Hurdle in California Legislature
Controversial California legislation requiring drug companies to justify treatment costs and price...
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California’s Public Hospitals Face New Medi-Cal Mandate
Public hospitals in California will be required to contract with at least...
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Obamacare Expansion A Bumpy Ride For Rural Health Clinics
A network of clinics that serves low-income patients in rural Northern California...
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Two Insurance Giants Planning To Jump Into California’s Medicaid Market
Two of the nation’s largest insurers are reaching out to doctors as...
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A Chat With The Head Of California’s Doctor Lobby
The California Medical Association, which represents about 41,000 doctors, has been at...
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Feds Urge State Medicaid Programs To Boost Use Of Long-Acting Contraceptives
The federal government, which spends billions of dollars each year covering unintended pregnancies,...
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Hospital Workers Union Pulls California Ballot Measure On Hospital Exec Pay
A powerful hospital workers union has been forced to withdraw a proposed...
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HOPD Letter
Attached is a letter from the California District Hospital Leadership Forum on...
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June 30, 2016 DHLF Update
PRIME On June 17, DHCS reported that ALL PRIME applications had been...
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Revamp Of State Program For Medically Fragile Kids Moves Forward In Legislature
California lawmakers on Tuesday pushed forward compromise legislation that would transform how...
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California Budget: Small Health Gains, Advocates Look To Nov. Ballot For Big-Ticket Items
The $122.5 billion state budget approved this week by California lawmakers will...
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DHLF PRIME Update
A few important/timely updates about PRIME: Good news – all PRIME applications...
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State Legislators Push Bill To Inform Patients Of Drug Company Discount Programs
California lawmakers are lining up in support of a bill that would...
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Hike In Minimum Wage Will Push Some Workers Out Of Medi-Cal
California’s decision to raise its hourly minimum wage to $15 by 2022...
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UnitedHealth To Exit California’s Obamacare Market
UnitedHealth Group Inc. is leaving California’s insurance exchange at the end of...
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Medicare’s Drug-Pricing Experiment Stirs Opposition
Aiming to keep costs in check, Medicare is proposing to test different...
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Covered California Says It’s Moving Fast To Fix Involuntary Switches Into Medi-Cal
Under fire from federal lawmakers and consumer advocates, Covered California is speeding...
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California’s Medical Board Declares Neutrality On Proposed Doctor Disclosure Law
The 15-member board that monitors physicians in California Friday declared its neutrality...
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Medi-Cal’s Doctor Sign-Up System Finally Going Online
Medi-Cal’s enrollment system for doctors and other health care providers, long criticized...
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Waiver Legislation / CMS Final Rule on Medicaid Managed Care / Hospital outpatient site neutral activities
Waiver Legislation Many thanks DHLF members who wrote letters to the Senate...
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Will Covered California Sell Health Coverage To The Undocumented?
California legislators are attempting to clear the way for undocumented immigrants to...
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Gonorrhea Rate Has Shot Up In California
Rates of gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease, are rising sharply in California,...
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More Customers Dumped From Covered California Without Notice
Lynn Kersey has some advice for pregnant women who bought health insurance...
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March 2016 DC Advocacy Trip
Several members of the DHLF traveled to Washington, D.C. for advocacy on...
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March 2016 DC Advocacy Trip
Several members of the DHLF traveled to Washington, D.C. for advocacy on...
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Covered California Imposes New Quality, Cost Conditions On Plans
Moving into a realm usually reserved for health care regulators, Covered California...
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Experts Say Health Care Companies Are Tantalizing Targets For Cyberattackers
A recent cyberattack against hospital chain MedStar was just the latest in...
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Battle Heating Up Over ‘Surprise’ Medical Bills
Have you ever gone in for a medical procedure you knew was...
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$6.8 Billion Health Insurance Merger Clears First State Hurdle
The California Department of Managed Health Care gave a green light Tuesday...
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Calif., N.H. Seek To Help Consumers Get Details On Health Care Prices
California and New Hampshire are revealing some of the biggest secrets of...
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State Finalizing Plans To Close Centers For The Severely Disabled
The final countdown has begun for the last of three large state-run...
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State Legislature Passes New MCO Tax, Rescues Over $1 Billion for Medi-Cal
The California legislature Monday approved a new health care tax, capping a...
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Senate/Assembly pass managed care tax legislation, including elimination of DP/NF clawback
Both the Assembly and Senate passed the managed care organization (MCO) financing...
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Kaweah Delta asks legislators to vote 'yes' on managed care bill
The Kaweah Delta Health Care District is calling on local legislators to...
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Fight Looms Over Medi-Cal For Adult Immigrants Without Papers
A plan to offer full state-sponsored health benefits for adult immigrants without...
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Covered California Takes Aim At System Gamers
It may soon become harder to enroll in Covered California health plans...
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California Legislature poised to pass replacement tax on health care plans
SACRAMENTO — After months of uncertainty, the Legislature appears poised to approve...
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State Legislative Day-2016
At the conclusion of our May 17, 2016 DHLF Board meeting, members...
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Federal Advocacy Days, Spring 2016
We are planning a spring DHLF DC Advocacy Trip in March. The...
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State’s Medi-Cal Bill For Undocumented Kids Could Rise
The cost of providing full Medi-Cal benefits to undocumented immigrant children in...
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Licking Wounds, Insurers Accelerate Moves To Limit Health-Law Enrollment
Stung by losses under the federal health law, major insurers are seeking...
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DHLF Update-February 1, 2016
Waiver Webinar DHCS conducted a webinar last week on Medi-Cal 2020, the...
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State Seeks to Calm Fears Over Change in Autism Care
Today the state will begin a transition in the health coverage of...
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Potential Outcomes of the ACA's Third Enrollment Period and Their Implications
Officials are hoping for strong enrollment during President Obama’s last year at...
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Brown Touts Calif.'s Embrace of ACA, Cautions About Health Costs
In his State of the State address on Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown...
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PRIME Update–January 21, 2016
On January 21, 2016, DHLF staff met with DHCS regarding the PRIME...
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4.7M Calif. Medical Records Affected by Data Breaches Last Year
Last year, more than 4.7 million medical records were affected by data...
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Infections From Duodenoscopes Higher Than Previously Estimated
The number of potentially deadly infections linked to contaminated duodenoscopes in California...
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Let the Budget Plan Pushback Begin
On Monday, the Legislature reconvenes its extraordinary session on health care and...
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2016-17 State Budget–January 7, 2016
Earlier today, Governor Brown presented the 2016-17 proposed state budget. The proposed...
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Brown's Budget Proposal To Address Health Care Issues in California
Gov. Jerry Brown’s (D) fiscal year 2016-2017 budget proposal — set to...
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Feds OK California's $6.2 Billion Waiver
CMS last week officially approved a five-year, $6.2 billion federal 1115 waiver for...
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Medical-Cal 1115 Waiver Approved–December 31, 2015
The DHLF is pleased to share the below Department of Health Care...
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Covered California Officials Report Recent Surge in Enrollment
On Wednesday, Covered California officials announced that more than 197,000 consumers had...
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DHLF Representatives Traveled to Washington DC–November 2015
In early November, a contingent of DHLF members traveled to Washington D.C....
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Calif., Other States Scrutinize Regulatory Boards After Ruling
California and other states are more closely scrutinizing regulatory boards and commissions,...
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More Than 20 Calif. Facilities Among Leapfrog's 'Top Hospitals' Lists
More than 20 California facilities were included in the Leapfrog Group’s annual...
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Researchers, Health Officials Trying to Solve Dual Eligibles' Opt-Out Puzzle
On Monday, health policy researchers at UCLA announced the launch of a...
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Spike in Medi-Cal Enrollment Adds Pressure to 'Doctor Deserts'
A spike in Medi-Cal enrollment after California expanded the program under the...
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UnitedHealth's Threat To Leave Exchanges Not Expected To Mean Much in California
UnitedHealth Group’s announcement this week that it may pull out of Affordable...
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Why Maryland — Not California — Pulled Off the 'Boldest Proposal' in Health Care
For a year, a dozen of California’s most powerful health care leaders...
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California Aging Population Likely To Increase Health Care Costs
California’s growing aging population likely will pose several challenges, including new costs...
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What Paul Ryan's Election to House Speaker Means for the Affordable Care Act
In a recent interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” newly elected House...
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Long-Range Outlook for Long-Term Care
It was a good year for long-term care policy issues in the...
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Study: Hospitals Need Better Efficiency
Hospital inpatient care is highly inefficient, according to a study released this...
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Waiver Approval a Strong Start, Now Time for Long-Term Vision, Expert Says
The agreement between California and CMS officials on a federal waiver for...
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$6 Billion Waiver Gets Federal Approval
CMS officials on Saturday agreed in principle to a five-year, $6.2 billion...
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Obama Administration Unveils HealthCare.gov Upgrades
The Obama administration on Sunday unveiled a faster, more user-friendly version of...
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Exchange Survey Sets Table for Upcoming Open Enrollment Period
Many Californians don’t know they qualify for coverage help in the form...
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State Scales Back Medicaid Waiver Request From $17 Billion to $7 Billion
On Tuesday, a policy analyst from the state Legislative Analyst’s Office said...
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Hospitals Urged To Avoid Serving Meat From Livestock Raised on Antibiotics
Raising animals on a diet of antibiotics produces healthier and larger livestock...
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Scope of Practice Legislation To Fight Another Day
Amid the deluge of health care bills signed and vetoed by the...
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Brown Vetoes Medi-Cal Bills, Citing Expected $1.1B Budget Deficit
Citing the state Legislature’s failure to rework the expiring managed care organization...
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Aid for Police in Handling Mentally Ill
Police officers need to handle mentally ill people a little differently than...
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GAO Slams CMS' Oversight of Medicare Advantage Provider Networks
CMS must do more to ensure that Medicare Advantage plans have adequate...
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National Drug Take-Back Day Saturday
Roughly 350 drop-off sites in California will take consumers’ unwanted or unused...
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New Oversight for Outpatient Surgery
Outpatient surgery centers in California face new regulations and oversight under a...
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Advocates Say Balance Billing of Medi-Cal Patients on the Rise
Advocates say that health care providers increasingly are balance billing Medi-Cal beneficiaries...
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Managed Care Tax Left Hanging
The California Legislature, now adjourned until Jan. 4, passed a flurry of...
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California Assembly Approves Physician-Assisted Death Bill
On Wednesday, the Assembly voted 43-34 to pass a bill (ABX2-15) that...
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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...
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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...
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Perceptions of Mental Health Care Improving; Access Issues Remain
A majority of U.S. residents believe that while mental health care is...
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Health Plan To Return to Local Control?
Tuesday is a big day for the Alameda Alliance for Health. On...
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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). ...
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What's Behind the Committee Door?
Playing politics is like breathing air in Sacramento, so it’s no surprise...
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Uninsured Numbers Drop Substantially
More than two-thirds of all Californians who were uninsured before Affordable Care...
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Lawmakers Voice Concerns Over Covered Calif.'s Data Mining Plan
On Monday, four U.S. lawmakers from California sent a letter to Covered...
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Auditor's Report Shows 'Symbiotic Relationship' in Medi-Cal Managed Care
The seeming reluctance by state officials to closely monitor Medi-Cal managed care...
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Governor Calls for Special Legislative Session To Address Health Spending
Gov. Jerry Brown (D) last week issued a proclamation to convene a special...
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California Legislature Nears Deal Ahead of Budget Plan Deadline
During a joint budget committee meeting on Tuesday, California Senate and Assembly...
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Lawmakers Nearing Deal On California Budget
Democratic leaders in the Senate and the Assembly are nailing down a...
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Protest Rises Over Medi-Cal Rates
The Capitol lawn is going to be a little livelier on Tuesday,...
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GAO: CMS Too Reliant on Doctors When Setting Medicare Pay Rates
CMS is too reliant on the American Medical Association when setting provider...
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Legislation and state budget activities addressing AB 97 cuts
SB 243 and AB 366, Medi-Cal Rates On May 28, the Legislature...
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California Democrats Release Competing Budget Proposals
On Tuesday, Democrats in the California Senate and Assembly released separate budget...
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2015-16 State Budget May Revise
The governor released his “May Revise” of the state budget proposal for...
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Brown Unveils Revised Budget Plan; Health Advocates React
On Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) released the revised version of his...
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Legislature's Turn To Consider Open Data
Last month, California HHS embraced the open data movement in health care...
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Bill Extends, Expands Benefits Review
Who doesn’t like Ch-Burp? The much-beloved acronym CHBRP, belonging to the California...
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State Submits $17B Waiver Plan; Advocates Urge Medi-Cal Rate Review
California health officials submitted a Medicaid waiver request to federal regulators calling for...
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State releases draft 2015 Waiver (Medi-Cal 2020) application
In mid-March, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released a draft...
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State releases draft 2015 Waiver (Medi-Cal 2020) application
Earlier this week, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released a...
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Five Years of California Health Reform: 'A Tremendous Designed Experiment'
Nadereh Pourat, director of research at the UCLA Center for Health Policy...
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CHA Official: California's Safety-Net Hospitals Are 'at Risk'
California’s safety-net hospitals often do not have enough patients with private health...
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CBO Lowers Cost Projection for ACA Over Next 10 Years by 11%
The federal government will spend 11% less on the Affordable Care Act...
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Another California Superbug Outbreak Linked to Endoscopes
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles has confirmed several cases of infections...
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Pressure Rising To Restore Medi-Cal Cuts
A protest Wednesday at the Capitol Building will highlight proposed legislation to...
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Flurry of Bills Before Legislative Deadline
The deadline is Friday for introducing bills in the California Legislature. Several...
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Superbug Outbreak Highlights Hospital Infection Concerns Across U.S.
An outbreak of a potentially deadly bacterial infection at UCLA’s Ronald Reagan...
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LAO Report: State Could Lose $1 Billion
California stands to lose about $1 billion in federal health care funding...
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DPH Fines 10 California Hospitals $700K for Adverse Events
On Wednesday, the California Department of Public Health announced that it has...
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Patient Satisfaction Among Low-Income Patients on the Rise, Survey Says
More than half of Medi-Cal and other low-income patients rated their care...
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February 10, 2015 Update
Mental Health Services Act: Please see the attached memo from the DHLF...
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2016 DHLF Tracked Legislation
District Hospital Leadership Forum – Legislative Status Report February 6, 2016. Feb 6,...
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Analyst's Office Cites 'Shortcomings' in Mental Health Hospitals' Administration
The Legislative Analyst’s Office found a number of budgeting inefficiencies and question...
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DHLF State Budget Update
State Budget: Today the Governor released his proposed 2015-16 state budget. An...
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April Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has...
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March Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has...
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February Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has...
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January Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has...
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October/November Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
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September Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
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August Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
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July Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
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May/June Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
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2013-2014 Budget Recap
2013-14 State Budget News Affecting District/Municipal Hospitals: On June 27, the governor...
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April Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
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March Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
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February/Early March Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
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January 2013 Recap of DHLF Activities
Happy New Year! Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF...
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November Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
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Election Analysis and 2013 California Issues
The coming 2013-14 legislative session will present several new opportunities and a...
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October Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
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September Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
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August 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
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July & Early August 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
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June 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Governor Brown signed the 2012-13 state budget on June 27. The 2012-13...
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May 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
The Governor released the 2012-13 state budget “May Revise” on May 14....
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April 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
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March Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing...
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February 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
The DHLF Board met February 15 and then members participated in the...
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Type Nine
Governor Vetoes AB 2098
News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 28, 2024 Governor Vetoes AB 2098 Earlier today, Gov. Newsom vetoed #AB2098 which would...
DHCS – CALHEALTHCARES AWARDS $69.4 MILLION TO 293 PROVIDERS TO HELP EXPAND MEDI-CAL ACCESS
News Release August 5, 2021 SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced today a new commitment...
Letter to Secretary Becerra regarding “Provider Relief Funds”
Letter to Becerra re PRF Funds Attached is a letter signed by the below members (40) of the California Congressional...
California hospitals suffer massive losses from fewer patients, major COVID-19 expenses
With the June 15th budget deadline looming, the Legislature has presented a united front in rejecting many of the provisions set...
Governor’s 2020-21 May Revise
The Governor released the May revision to the proposed 20-21 state budget today. As has been recently reported, California has...
Governor’s 2020-21 May Revise
The Governor released the May revision to the proposed 20-21 state budget today. As has been recently reported, California has...
HHS Awards Nearly $165 Million to Combat COVID-19 in Rural Communities
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded nearly...
Governor’s 2020-21 Budget Proposal
Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan proposes $107.4 billion in total funds for DHCS programs and services. It includes significant funding for...
Newsom’s first rodeo: In year one, the governor bucks both Trump and Brown
Californians will soon be allowed to eat roadkill but be prohibited from buying fur coats. Abortion pills will become available...
As Hospitals Post Price Lists, Consumers Are Asked To Check Up On Them
With much fanfare, federal officials required hospitals nationwide this year to post their “list” prices online. But it’s not yet...
DHLF Lobbying Dues Disclosure for Cost Reports
October 8, 2018 TO: Members, District Hospital Leadership Forum FROM: Sherreta Lane, DHLF Senior Vice President, Finance Policy SUBJECT: Medicare...
CA State Budget Proposal: 2019-20
On January 10, 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom released the proposed 2019-20 state budget which includes a $144 billion general fund,...
Trump Highlights Health Agenda With Vow To Lower ‘Unfair’ Drug Prices
It was not the centerpiece, but health was a persistent theme in President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address...
Pain From The Government Shutdown Spreads. This Time It’s Food Stamps.
Antoinette Martinez was relieved when she heard she would receive her food stamps for February about two weeks early. Her...
Public Charge Letter
December 10, 2018 Samantha Deshommes Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division Office of Policy and Strategy US Citizenship and Immigration Services U.S....
California’s Top Lawyer Cements His Role As Health Care Defender-In-Chief
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Xavier Becerra, the political savvy Democratic attorney general of California, has sued the Trump administration 45 times...
Coverage Denied: Medicaid Patients Suffer As Layers Of Private Companies Profit
Marcela Villa isn’t a big name in health care — but she played a crucial role in the lives of...
En Route To Congress, California Democrats Hit Wall On ‘Medicare-For-All’
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Each of the seven California Democrats who flipped Republican congressional seats in the midterm election campaigned for...
After Bitter Closure, Rural Texas Hospital Defies The Norm And Reopens
Five months ago, the 6,500 residents of Crockett, Texas, witnessed a bit of a resurrection — at least in rural...
Newsom Comes Out Swinging On Day One For Single-Payer, Immigrant Coverage
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Within hours of assuming office Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a defiant challenge to the Trump administration...
Newsom Diverges Sharply From Washington With Health Care Budget
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday unveiled his first state budget, one that leads California down a very different...
Medicare Cuts Payments To Nursing Homes Whose Patients Keep Ending Up In Hospital
The federal government has taken a new step to reduce avoidable hospital readmissions of nursing home patients by lowering a...
After Terribly Deadly Flu Season, California Aims To Track Deaths More Closely
California’s Department of Public Health says the flu killed 329 people under age 65 in the last flu season, from...
Buyers Of Short-Term Health Plans: Wise Or Shortsighted?
Supporters of the nation’s health law condemn them. A few states, including California and New York, have banned them. Other...
California Dreamin’? With Newsom’s Win, Single-Payer Unlikely To Follow Anytime Soon
Californians on Tuesday elected a governor who campaigned for a complete overhaul of how people get their health coverage —...
Fixing Obamacare’s ‘Family Glitch’ Hinges On Outcome Of November Elections
Last Christmas Eve, Justine Bradford-Trent slipped on ice, slamming to the ground. Her elbow swelled. Was it broken? She couldn’t...
Politicians Hop Aboard ‘Medicare-For-All’ Train, Destination Unknown
After decades in the political wilderness, “Medicare-for-all” and single-payer health care are suddenly popular. The words appear in political advertisements...
Hidden Drugs And Danger Lurk In Over-The-Counter Supplements, Study Finds
Everyone has seen the ads or the products on the shelves. A dietary supplement that promises to make consumers skinny,...
Update on Supplemental Funds / My Medical Leave
At both the CFO and Board meetings last week, we went over the various supplemental funding programs, which I’m summarizing...
DHLF PRIME Legislative Briefing – 9/12/2018
On September 12, the DHLF provided a successful briefing to state legislative staff on district/municipal hospitals’ experience to date with...
In The Battle To Control Drug Costs, Old Patent Laws Get New Life
In the drug pricing battle, progressive lawmakers such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and patients’ rights activists rarely find themselves...
5 Things To Know About Trump’s New ‘Public Charge’ Immigration Proposal
A proposed rule from the White House would make it harder for legal immigrants to get green cards if they...
Paper Jam: California’s Medicaid Program Hits ‘Print’ When The Feds Need Info
In the shadow of Silicon Valley, the hub of the world’s digital revolution, California officials still submit their records to...
California: A Health Care Laboratory With Mixed Results
California’s expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act enabled many low-income HIV patients to get health insurance previously denied...
McCain’s Complicated Health Care Legacy: He Hated the ACA. He Also Saved It.
There are many lawmakers who made their names in health care, seeking to usher through historic changes to a broken...
Breathing ‘A Chore’: California Wildfires Threaten The Health Of Young And Old
Debbie Dobrosky noticed a peculiar hue in the sky on Monday — “a very ugly yellow casting” — as she peeked...
Medicaid Expansion Making Diabetes Meds More Accessible To Poor, Study Shows
Low-income people with diabetes are better able to afford their medications and manage their disease in states that expanded Medicaid...
Medicare Reconsiders Paying For Seniors’ Spine Operations At Surgery Centers
Medicare is reviewing whether seniors should undergo spine surgeries at same-day surgery centers, the government-run health program announced Wednesday, five...
Community Frets As Buyer For Cherished Rural Hospital Slips From View
Confusion is growing in the remote Surprise Valley region of northeastern California as locals wonder whether a Denver entrepreneur will...
Insurers Fall Short In Catching And Reporting Medicaid Fraud, Inspectors Find
Despite receiving billions of dollars in taxpayer money, Medicaid insurers are lax in ferreting out fraud and neglect to tell...
Doctors And Dentists Welcome Pay Hike For Treating Low-Income Patients
For the second year in a row, California is boosting pay for doctors and dentists who treat the state’s poorest...
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Justice Kennedy Retires. Now What?
The retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy has triggered a political earthquake in Washington, as Republicans see a chance...
New Hospital Leader Fights Price Controls Despite Reputation As A Reformer
In Maryland, Carmela Coyle is known as a reformer. During her tenure as president of the Maryland Hospital Association, she...
California’s Attorney General Vows National Fight To Defend The ACA
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra pledged Friday to redouble his efforts as the Affordable Care Act’s leading defender, saying attacks...
Health Care Looms Large In Race For California’s Top Cop
Attorney General Xavier Becerra uses a well-worn refrain to describe his role as the state’s chief law enforcement officer: to...
L.A. County Unlawfully Terminated Thousands Of Medi-Cal Recipients, Court Rules
Los Angeles County unlawfully dropped an estimated 22,000 people from California’s Medicaid program, including low-income seniors and disabled residents who...
Longtime ‘Fighter’ Lands Top Spot In Powerful Nurses Union
Bonnie Castillo’s first experience with organized labor dates to the mid-1960s, when she was just 5. Her father was a...
Tax-Funded Mental Health Programs Not Always Easy To Find
Back in 2008, Mary Hogden was homeless, living on the streets of Berkeley. “I got beat up really badly out...
Study: Nearly Three-Quarters Of Commonly Used Medical Scopes Tainted By Bacteria
In an ominous sign for patient safety, 71 percent of reusable medical scopes deemed ready for use on patients tested...
Former California State Contractor Sued Over Breach Of HIV Patient Privacy
A security breach by a private company that contracted with California’s public health department inadvertently allowed unauthorized access to the...
California Takes On Health Giant Over High Costs
California’s attorney general sued Sutter Health, accusing the hospital giant of illegally quashing competition and for years overcharging consumers and...
Thousands Mistakenly Enrolled During State’s Medicaid Expansion, Feds Find
California signed up an estimated 450,000 people under Medicaid expansion who may not have been eligible for coverage, according to...
Everything You Need To Know About The New Medicare Cards (But Beware Of Scams)
In April, the government will start sending out new Medicare cards, launching a massive, yearlong effort to alter how 59...
A Health Plan ‘Down Payment’ Is One Way States Try Retooling Individual Mandate
As President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans tirelessly try to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, a number of states are...
State Pay Cut For Dental Hygienists Who Serve The Poor Was Illegal, Court Finds
California officials illegally slashed payments to dental hygienists who treat some of the state’s most fragile residents, including the elderly...
New UC-Irvine Center To Study The Highs And Lows of Pot
Jody Jacobson Wedret rolled her eyes after listening to scientists, policy wonks and marijuana advocates expound on pot’s potential to...
Hospitals Want To Cut Back On Free Care. Critics Say No Way.
Five years after Fresno-based attorney Joy Dockter started fighting for patients saddled with medical debt, hospitals continue to go after...
Community Health Centers Caught In ‘Washington’s Political Dysfunction’
With lawmakers facing another deadline this week for legislation to keep the federal government open, one of the outstanding issues...
Californians Scramble To Beat Midnight Enrollment Deadline
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Blanca Espinoza walked out of a second-story office overlooking one of the city’s busiest intersections Wednesday afternoon,...
CHIP Renewed For Six Years As Congress Votes To Reopen Federal Government
A brief, partial shutdown of the federal government ended Monday, as the Senate and House approved legislation that would keep...
Trump’s Work-For-Medicaid Rule Puts Work On States’ Shoulders
The Trump administration’s watershed decision Thursday to allow states to test a work requirement for adult Medicaid enrollees sparked widespread...
Trump Administration Rule Paves Way For Association Health Plans
The Department of Labor on Thursday released proposed new rules that proponents say will make it easier for businesses to...
State Gives Medi-Cal Enrollees Something To Smile About
Susan Inglett’s dental coverage changed just after she got a root canal on one of her top teeth. It was...
Sen. Collins’ Strategy To Stabilize Insurance Market Raises Doubts Among Analysts
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), whose vote was pivotal in pushing the GOP tax bill forward last week, thought she had...
Whistleblower: Medicaid Managed-Care Firm Improperly Denied Care To Thousands
In early October, an executive at one of the nation’s largest physician-practice management firms handed her bosses the equivalent of...
PRIME/Waiver Update
Dear CEOs and CFOs of district/municipal hospitals: We wanted to take this opportunity to let you all know of the...
Enriched By The Poor: California Health Insurers Make Billions Through Medicaid
Medicaid is rarely associated with getting rich. The patients are poor, the budgets tight and payments to doctors often paltry....
House Tax Bill Would Scrap Deduction For Medical Expenses
The tax bill unveiled by Republicans in the House on Thursday would not, as had been rumored, eliminate the tax...
Governor Inks Support for Some Key Health Bills, Nixes Others
Wielding his pen, Gov. Jerry Brown has reinforced the Affordable Care Act, stood up to pharmaceutical companies and boosted testing...
New Law Challenges ‘Evils’ Of Pharma Profits, California Governor Claims
California Gov. Jerry Brown defied the drug industry Monday by signing a sweeping drug price transparency bill that will force...
Imagining A Single-Payer Health System In California
With the crumbling of the latest GOP plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, many Americans seem more...
A Tale Of Two States: California, Texas And The Latest ACA Repeal Bid
The GOP’s latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act wobbled on Friday as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said he...
Federal ACA Activities 9/20/17
We wanted to provide you with an update on federal activities around the repeal of the ACA. As you have...
California, Other States To Extend Obamacare Sign-Up Beyond Federal Limit
California and several other states will exempt themselves this year from a new Trump administration rule that cuts in half...
For Millions Of Insured Californians, State Health Laws Don’t Apply
True or false? If you’re a Californian with private health insurance, you have the right to an appointment within a...
For Covered California, Uncertainty Is The New Certainty
SACRAMENTO — Covered California’s board made several multimillion-dollar decisions Thursday, all addressing one unsettling theme: uncertainty. Over and over, board members...
Medi-Cal Sued For Pushing Patients Into Managed Care Despite Judges’ Orders
Alondra Diaz can’t get enough of Elmo and Barney, and she adores picture books. The 14-year-old, who will enter high...
Why A Pennsylvania Insurer’s Collapse Could Whack Californians In the Wallet
Health insurers across the country are on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars in losses stemming from the...
McCain Votes No, Derails ‘Skinny Repeal’ In Marathon Session
WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who interrupted brain cancer treatment to return to Capitol Hill and advance the health...
Senate Parliamentarian Upends GOP Hopes For Health Bill
The official rules keeper in the Senate Friday tossed a bucket of cold water on the Senate Republican health bill...
Analysis: Senate’s Latest Health Blueprint Cuts Costs At The Expense Of Chronically Ill
The latest Senate health proposal reins in costs by effectively splitting the individual insurance market, with healthy people diverted into...
The Union That Roars: Nurses Aren’t Giving Up On California’s Single-Payer Push
To some, the California Nurses Association’s political tactics in pushing for a single-payer health system seemed a bit, well, extreme....
As Seniors Get Sicker, They're More Likely To Drop Medicare Advantage Plans
When Sol Shipotow enrolled in a new Medicare Advantage health plan earlier this year, he expected to keep the doctor...
Advocacy Alert: US Senate Contacts
As you know, the Senate currently is working to try to pass a ACA repeal bill with the vote likely...
Advocacy Alert: US Senate Contacts
As you know, the Senate currently is working to try to pass a ACA repeal bill with the vote likely...
Lots Of Boos In California For Senate Health Bill
California politicians, medical providers and consumer advocates served up harsh critiques of the newly unveiled Senate health care bill Thursday,...
$20 Million On The Way for Clinics That Serve California’s Poor
California State Treasurer John Chiang plans today to announce grants totaling $20 million for community clinics that serve low-income and...
California Nixes Plan To Offer Full Medicaid Benefits To Undocumented Young Adults
As they scrambled to finalize next year’s state budget, California lawmakers this week abruptly dropped a plan to offer full...
SB 538 (Monning) – OPPOSE
Dear Senator Lara: The District Hospital Leadership Forum (DHLF), on behalf of California’s district and municipal public hospitals (DMPHs), is...
Advocacy Trip to Washington D.C.
A group of DHLF members traveled to Washington, D.C. the week of 5/22/17 to advocate on issues related to the...
Advocacy Trip to Washington D.C.
A group of DHLF members traveled to Washington, D.C. the week of 5/22/17 to advocate on issues related to the...
California Could Become First State To Extend Medi-Cal To Undocumented Young Adults
California could become the first state to extend full Medicaid benefits to undocumented immigrants up to age 26 after two...
Republicans Race The Clock On Health Care — But The Calendar Is Not Helping
Back in January, Republicans boasted they would deliver a “repeal and replace” bill for the Affordable Care Act to President...
California Governor Urges State Budget Restraint Amid Obamacare Repeal Effort
At the unveiling of his revised $183 billion budget proposal on Thursday, California Gov. Jerry Brown pointed to a chart...
Bill Aims To Loosen Drugmaker-Doctor Ties By Limiting Perks For Promoting Meds
A new California bill aims to reduce the pharmaceutical industry’s influence in medical decision-making by restricting payments and gifts from...
Running Short On Time, Covered California And Insurers Seek Obamacare Answers From GOP
With a deadline looming, California’s health exchange and a major insurer pressed Republican leaders in Washington to clear up confusion...
Negotiating Drug Prices: Should State Agencies Band Together?
Citing budget-busting drug costs, a California lawmaker wants state health programs to band together to negotiate better prices with drug...
Grasping For The Middle Ground On Obamacare
Joel Hay, a professor at the University of Southern California, describes his political views as “conservative, free market.” But in...
California Lawmakers Consider Giving State Regulators More Grounds To Reject Health Insurance Mergers
State lawmakers are considering a proposal to give state regulators a broader mandate when evaluating whether insurance company mergers would...
The Next Obamacare Battleground: Subsidies For Out-Of-Pocket Costs
When Republicans pulled their Affordable Care Act replacement bill last Friday, Lauren Lake’s primary reaction was relief. But like a...
House Leaders ‘Came Up Short’ In Effort To Kill Obamacare
Despite days of intense negotiations and last-minute concessions to win over wavering GOP conservatives and moderates, House Republican leaders Friday...
Five Ways The GOP Health Bill Would Reverse Course From The ACA
After literally years of promises, House Republicans finally have a bill they say will “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care...
Aca and Medicaid update
It is expected that an ACA repeal-replace bill will be considered the week of March 6 in the House Energy...
Support For Health Law Grows, Leaving Republicans In A Bind
Republican members of Congress are at home this week, with many of them getting an earful from anxious constituents about...
Single-Payer Health Care Bill Introduced In California Senate
Legislation introduced in the state Senate Friday would set California on a path toward the possible creation of a single-payer health...
Rest Of The U.S. Could Learn ‘A Great Deal’ From Covered California, Study Says
A five-state study of Obamacare health insurance exchanges finds California’s to be the “most successful” of the group. Researchers say...
Letter to California Congressional Delegation
Attached is a letter the DHLF sent on February 1 to the California Congressional Delegation outlining California’s district and municipal...
Hoping To Control Health Costs, California Lawmaker Targets Prescription Drug Coupons
A California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would ban drugmakers from issuing coupons that lower patients’ prescription copayments for...
Medicare’s Coverage Of Therapy Services Again Is In Center Of Court Dispute
Four years after Medicare officials agreed in a landmark court settlement that seniors cannot be denied coverage for physical therapy...
Drug Prices, Opioids, And Obamacare: A Conversation With Assemblyman Jim Wood
California policymakers are facing a busy year, as a Republican-controlled Congress inches closer to rolling back key provisions of the...
Crucial California HIV Program In Disarray After Contract Switch
A change in contractors for a state-run AIDS program has resulted in enrollment delays and left some patients unable to...
Governor released 2017-18 proposed state budget.
Amid uncertainty about changes in state revenue and policies in Washington, California Gov. Jerry Brown presented the $177.1 billion 17-18...
Shoppers On California Exchange Sidestep Soaring Premiums But Pass Up Subsidies
Californians tend to avoid the worst of premium hikes on the state exchange by choosing lower-cost plans, but many also...
Thousands Of Covered California Enrollees Could Lose Subsidies In January
An error by Covered California has left about 24,000 policy holders at risk of losing their federal tax credits in...
Amid Sign-Up Surge, Covered California Extends Enrollment Deadline
Californians are signing up in higher numbers than they did last year for health plans sold on the state’s health...
In House Majority Leader’s Calif. District, Many Depend On Health Law He Wants To Scrap
U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act first and replace it sometime later. That...
Price’s Appointment Boosts GOP Plans To Overhaul Medicare And Medicaid
President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Rep. Tom Price to head the Department of Health and Human Services signals that the...
Blue Shield, California’s Biggest Obamacare Insurer, Vows It’s Not ‘Running For The Hills’
The chief executive of Blue Shield of California, the largest insurer on the state-run marketplace, says he’s committed to selling...
California Voters Divided On Drug Price Ballot Measure But Support Other Health Initiatives
Less than a week before the election, California voters’ support for Proposition 61 appears to have eroded, and they are...
Blue Shield Again Owes Californians Millions In Health Care Rebates
About 240,000 Californians with job-based health coverage may have been surprised by a recent letter from Blue Shield of California...
Report: States Increase Cost Controls To Manage Medicaid Growth
With a record 73 million people enrolled in Medicaid, most states next year will tighten controls on spending to battle...
District/municipal supplemental funding update (managed care IGTs)
14-15 QAF managed care funds DHCS and California hospitals are still awaiting CMS approval on the first component of rates...
New California Law Allows Organizations to Buy EpiPens For Emergencies, But Will They?
Justine Saffir, director at the Sunnymont-Westside nursery school in San Jose, keeps in her classroom a spare EpiPen to treat...
Drug Price Transparency Bill Clears Key Hurdle in California Legislature
Controversial California legislation requiring drug companies to justify treatment costs and price hikes jumped one more hurdle Thursday, just a...
California’s Public Hospitals Face New Medi-Cal Mandate
Public hospitals in California will be required to contract with at least one Medi-Cal managed care plan starting in 2018...
Obamacare Expansion A Bumpy Ride For Rural Health Clinics
A network of clinics that serves low-income patients in rural Northern California is finally finding balance after being deluged with...
Two Insurance Giants Planning To Jump Into California’s Medicaid Market
Two of the nation’s largest insurers are reaching out to doctors as they prepare to offer health coverage to low-income...
A Chat With The Head Of California’s Doctor Lobby
The California Medical Association, which represents about 41,000 doctors, has been at the heart of health care deliberations in Sacramento...
Feds Urge State Medicaid Programs To Boost Use Of Long-Acting Contraceptives
The federal government, which spends billions of dollars each year covering unintended pregnancies, is encouraging states to adopt policies that help...
Hospital Workers Union Pulls California Ballot Measure On Hospital Exec Pay
A powerful hospital workers union has been forced to withdraw a proposed measure that would have capped the pay of...
HOPD Letter
Attached is a letter from the California District Hospital Leadership Forum on the hospital outpatient department pending proposed rule being...
June 30, 2016 DHLF Update
PRIME On June 17, DHCS reported that ALL PRIME applications had been approved! Therefore, attention turns to the IGTs/federal match...
Revamp Of State Program For Medically Fragile Kids Moves Forward In Legislature
California lawmakers on Tuesday pushed forward compromise legislation that would transform how the state’s most medically fragile kids receive care....
California Budget: Small Health Gains, Advocates Look To Nov. Ballot For Big-Ticket Items
The $122.5 billion state budget approved this week by California lawmakers will fund a variety of health-related efforts, including training...
DHLF PRIME Update
A few important/timely updates about PRIME: Good news – all PRIME applications with the exception of one (which remains a...
State Legislators Push Bill To Inform Patients Of Drug Company Discount Programs
California lawmakers are lining up in support of a bill that would require health plans to provide information about patient-assistance...
Hike In Minimum Wage Will Push Some Workers Out Of Medi-Cal
California’s decision to raise its hourly minimum wage to $15 by 2022 could have unintended consequences for thousands of workers...
UnitedHealth To Exit California’s Obamacare Market
UnitedHealth Group Inc. is leaving California’s insurance exchange at the end of this year, state officials confirmed Tuesday. The nation’s...
Medicare’s Drug-Pricing Experiment Stirs Opposition
Aiming to keep costs in check, Medicare is proposing to test different ways to pay for drugs — one of...
Covered California Says It’s Moving Fast To Fix Involuntary Switches Into Medi-Cal
Under fire from federal lawmakers and consumer advocates, Covered California is speeding up its response to a systemic problem that...
California’s Medical Board Declares Neutrality On Proposed Doctor Disclosure Law
The 15-member board that monitors physicians in California Friday declared its neutrality on pending state legislation that would require doctors...
Medi-Cal’s Doctor Sign-Up System Finally Going Online
Medi-Cal’s enrollment system for doctors and other health care providers, long criticized in the medical community for being complicated and...
Waiver Legislation / CMS Final Rule on Medicaid Managed Care / Hospital outpatient site neutral activities
Waiver Legislation Many thanks DHLF members who wrote letters to the Senate and Assembly Health Committees in support of the...
Will Covered California Sell Health Coverage To The Undocumented?
California legislators are attempting to clear the way for undocumented immigrants to buy health insurance through the state’s insurance exchange...
Gonorrhea Rate Has Shot Up In California
Rates of gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease, are rising sharply in California, especially among gay and bisexual men, according to...
More Customers Dumped From Covered California Without Notice
Lynn Kersey has some advice for pregnant women who bought health insurance policies from Covered California and want to keep...
March 2016 DC Advocacy Trip
Several members of the DHLF traveled to Washington, D.C. for advocacy on federal issues of importance to California’s district/municipal hospitals...
March 2016 DC Advocacy Trip
Several members of the DHLF traveled to Washington, D.C. for advocacy on federal issues of importance to California’s district/municipal hospitals...
Covered California Imposes New Quality, Cost Conditions On Plans
Moving into a realm usually reserved for health care regulators, Covered California Thursday unveiled sweeping reforms to its contracts with...
Experts Say Health Care Companies Are Tantalizing Targets For Cyberattackers
A recent cyberattack against hospital chain MedStar was just the latest in a series of strikes against health care companies,...
Battle Heating Up Over ‘Surprise’ Medical Bills
Have you ever gone in for a medical procedure you knew was covered by your health plan, only to be...
$6.8 Billion Health Insurance Merger Clears First State Hurdle
The California Department of Managed Health Care gave a green light Tuesday to the $6.8 billion acquisition of Health Net...
Calif., N.H. Seek To Help Consumers Get Details On Health Care Prices
California and New Hampshire are revealing some of the biggest secrets of health care by publishing price information to help...
State Finalizing Plans To Close Centers For The Severely Disabled
The final countdown has begun for the last of three large state-run institutions that care for the severely disabled: In...
State Legislature Passes New MCO Tax, Rescues Over $1 Billion for Medi-Cal
The California legislature Monday approved a new health care tax, capping a months-long quest to safeguard over $1 billion in...
Senate/Assembly pass managed care tax legislation, including elimination of DP/NF clawback
Both the Assembly and Senate passed the managed care organization (MCO) financing package on February 29. Of interest to district/municipal...
Kaweah Delta asks legislators to vote 'yes' on managed care bill
The Kaweah Delta Health Care District is calling on local legislators to vote for the state’s Managed Care Organizations (MCO)...
Fight Looms Over Medi-Cal For Adult Immigrants Without Papers
A plan to offer full state-sponsored health benefits for adult immigrants without papers is likely to spark one of the...
Covered California Takes Aim At System Gamers
It may soon become harder to enroll in Covered California health plans outside the regular open-enrollment period. Covered California, the...
California Legislature poised to pass replacement tax on health care plans
SACRAMENTO — After months of uncertainty, the Legislature appears poised to approve a tax on health care plans that would...
State Legislative Day-2016
At the conclusion of our May 17, 2016 DHLF Board meeting, members will adjourn to the state Capitol to meet...
Federal Advocacy Days, Spring 2016
We are planning a spring DHLF DC Advocacy Trip in March. The plan is to travel on Monday, March 21...
State’s Medi-Cal Bill For Undocumented Kids Could Rise
The cost of providing full Medi-Cal benefits to undocumented immigrant children in California could be significantly more than the state’s...
Licking Wounds, Insurers Accelerate Moves To Limit Health-Law Enrollment
Stung by losses under the federal health law, major insurers are seeking to sharply limit how policies are sold to...
DHLF Update-February 1, 2016
Waiver Webinar DHCS conducted a webinar last week on Medi-Cal 2020, the recently-negotiated 1115 waiver. The webinar slides, which include...
State Seeks to Calm Fears Over Change in Autism Care
Today the state will begin a transition in the health coverage of 9,000 children who are treated for autism under...
Potential Outcomes of the ACA's Third Enrollment Period and Their Implications
Officials are hoping for strong enrollment during President Obama’s last year at the helm of his signature health law, but...
Brown Touts Calif.'s Embrace of ACA, Cautions About Health Costs
In his State of the State address on Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) touted California’s embrace of the Affordable Care...
PRIME Update–January 21, 2016
On January 21, 2016, DHLF staff met with DHCS regarding the PRIME program. Below are a few updates. The protocols...
4.7M Calif. Medical Records Affected by Data Breaches Last Year
Last year, more than 4.7 million medical records were affected by data breaches in California, according to federal data, the...
Infections From Duodenoscopes Higher Than Previously Estimated
The number of potentially deadly infections linked to contaminated duodenoscopes in California and other states is greater than federal investigators...
Let the Budget Plan Pushback Begin
On Monday, the Legislature reconvenes its extraordinary session on health care and officially embarks on the long public debate over...
2016-17 State Budget–January 7, 2016
Earlier today, Governor Brown presented the 2016-17 proposed state budget. The proposed budget increases spending for education, health care and...
Brown's Budget Proposal To Address Health Care Issues in California
Gov. Jerry Brown’s (D) fiscal year 2016-2017 budget proposal — set to be released Thursday — likely will address funding...
Feds OK California's $6.2 Billion Waiver
CMS last week officially approved a five-year, $6.2 billion federal 1115 waiver for California, also known as Medi-Cal 2020. The waiver...
Medical-Cal 1115 Waiver Approved–December 31, 2015
The DHLF is pleased to share the below Department of Health Care Services notice about the approval of the Medi-Cal...
Covered California Officials Report Recent Surge in Enrollment
On Wednesday, Covered California officials announced that more than 197,000 consumers had signed up for coverage as of Tuesday evening,...
DHLF Representatives Traveled to Washington DC–November 2015
In early November, a contingent of DHLF members traveled to Washington D.C. to advocate on behalf of the Forum specifically...
Calif., Other States Scrutinize Regulatory Boards After Ruling
California and other states are more closely scrutinizing regulatory boards and commissions, including those related to various health care trades,...
More Than 20 Calif. Facilities Among Leapfrog's 'Top Hospitals' Lists
More than 20 California facilities were included in the Leapfrog Group’s annual “Top Hospitals” lists released Wednesday, Healthcare DIVE reports...
Researchers, Health Officials Trying to Solve Dual Eligibles' Opt-Out Puzzle
On Monday, health policy researchers at UCLA announced the launch of a project to better understand why such a high...
Spike in Medi-Cal Enrollment Adds Pressure to 'Doctor Deserts'
A spike in Medi-Cal enrollment after California expanded the program under the Affordable Care Act has exacerbated problems with health...
UnitedHealth's Threat To Leave Exchanges Not Expected To Mean Much in California
UnitedHealth Group’s announcement this week that it may pull out of Affordable Care Act exchanges is not expected to have...
Why Maryland — Not California — Pulled Off the 'Boldest Proposal' in Health Care
For a year, a dozen of California’s most powerful health care leaders had been privately meeting to talk a revolution....
California Aging Population Likely To Increase Health Care Costs
California’s growing aging population likely will pose several challenges, including new costs on taxpayers for health care services, the Sacramento...
What Paul Ryan's Election to House Speaker Means for the Affordable Care Act
In a recent interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” newly elected House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) signaled a need for...
Long-Range Outlook for Long-Term Care
It was a good year for long-term care policy issues in the Capitol, and there will be a full slate...
Study: Hospitals Need Better Efficiency
Hospital inpatient care is highly inefficient, according to a study released this week by a health care consulting firm. Axene...
Waiver Approval a Strong Start, Now Time for Long-Term Vision, Expert Says
The agreement between California and CMS officials on a federal waiver for California’s Medicaid program means $6.2 billion worth of...
$6 Billion Waiver Gets Federal Approval
CMS officials on Saturday agreed in principle to a five-year, $6.2 billion waiver for California’s Medicaid program. That was good...
Obama Administration Unveils HealthCare.gov Upgrades
The Obama administration on Sunday unveiled a faster, more user-friendly version of HealthCare.gov, the Washington Times reports. Officials launched the...
Exchange Survey Sets Table for Upcoming Open Enrollment Period
Many Californians don’t know they qualify for coverage help in the form of federal subsidies, according to a survey released...
State Scales Back Medicaid Waiver Request From $17 Billion to $7 Billion
On Tuesday, a policy analyst from the state Legislative Analyst’s Office said the state has revised its 1115 Medicaid waiver...
Hospitals Urged To Avoid Serving Meat From Livestock Raised on Antibiotics
Raising animals on a diet of antibiotics produces healthier and larger livestock but it’s also contributing to increased incidences of...
Scope of Practice Legislation To Fight Another Day
Amid the deluge of health care bills signed and vetoed by the governor in recent days, absent were several bills...
Brown Vetoes Medi-Cal Bills, Citing Expected $1.1B Budget Deficit
Citing the state Legislature’s failure to rework the expiring managed care organization tax and the resulting budget deficit, Gov. Jerry...
Aid for Police in Handling Mentally Ill
Police officers need to handle mentally ill people a little differently than others, and many of them just don’t understand...
GAO Slams CMS' Oversight of Medicare Advantage Provider Networks
CMS must do more to ensure that Medicare Advantage plans have adequate networks, according to a Government Accountability Office report...
National Drug Take-Back Day Saturday
Roughly 350 drop-off sites in California will take consumers’ unwanted or unused medications on Saturday and properly dispose of them....
New Oversight for Outpatient Surgery
Outpatient surgery centers in California face new regulations and oversight under a brand-new law. After much discussion and several amendments,...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Uninsured Numbers Drop Substantially
More than two-thirds of all Californians who were uninsured before Affordable Care Act implementation now have coverage, according to a study...
Lawmakers Voice Concerns Over Covered Calif.'s Data Mining Plan
On Monday, four U.S. lawmakers from California sent a letter to Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee raising privacy concerns...
Auditor's Report Shows 'Symbiotic Relationship' in Medi-Cal Managed Care
The seeming reluctance by state officials to closely monitor Medi-Cal managed care plans is troubling, said Gerald Kominski, director of...
Governor Calls for Special Legislative Session To Address Health Spending
Gov. Jerry Brown (D) last week issued a proclamation to convene a special legislative session on health care spending on the...
California Legislature Nears Deal Ahead of Budget Plan Deadline
During a joint budget committee meeting on Tuesday, California Senate and Assembly Democrats neared a deal on a final budget...
Lawmakers Nearing Deal On California Budget
Democratic leaders in the Senate and the Assembly are nailing down a final deal on the state budget, sources in...
Protest Rises Over Medi-Cal Rates
The Capitol lawn is going to be a little livelier on Tuesday, as hundreds of protesters from across the state...
GAO: CMS Too Reliant on Doctors When Setting Medicare Pay Rates
CMS is too reliant on the American Medical Association when setting provider reimbursement rates, according to a recent Government Accountability...
Legislation and state budget activities addressing AB 97 cuts
SB 243 and AB 366, Medi-Cal Rates On May 28, the Legislature considered the bills that were on the Appropriations...
California Democrats Release Competing Budget Proposals
On Tuesday, Democrats in the California Senate and Assembly released separate budget plans that differ on various key spending proposals,...
2015-16 State Budget May Revise
The governor released his “May Revise” of the state budget proposal for 2015-16 on May 14, 2015. The May Revise...
Brown Unveils Revised Budget Plan; Health Advocates React
On Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) released the revised version of his fiscal year 2015-2016 budget plan, which includes several...
Legislature's Turn To Consider Open Data
Last month, California HHS embraced the open data movement in health care with a decision to make more data available...
Bill Extends, Expands Benefits Review
Who doesn’t like Ch-Burp? The much-beloved acronym CHBRP, belonging to the California Health Benefits Review Program, will get a longer...
State Submits $17B Waiver Plan; Advocates Urge Medi-Cal Rate Review
California health officials submitted a Medicaid waiver request to federal regulators calling for $17 billion in health care reform projects in...
State releases draft 2015 Waiver (Medi-Cal 2020) application
In mid-March, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released a draft of the 2015 Section 1115 Waiver Renewal application,...
State releases draft 2015 Waiver (Medi-Cal 2020) application
Earlier this week, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released a draft of the 2015 Section 1115 Waiver Renewal...
Five Years of California Health Reform: 'A Tremendous Designed Experiment'
Nadereh Pourat, director of research at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, gives an involuntary gasp when she’s asked...
CHA Official: California's Safety-Net Hospitals Are 'at Risk'
California’s safety-net hospitals often do not have enough patients with private health coverage to offset the cost of treating a...
CBO Lowers Cost Projection for ACA Over Next 10 Years by 11%
The federal government will spend 11% less on the Affordable Care Act over the next decade than previously anticipated, according...
Another California Superbug Outbreak Linked to Endoscopes
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles has confirmed several cases of infections linked to the same type of medical endoscopes...
Pressure Rising To Restore Medi-Cal Cuts
A protest Wednesday at the Capitol Building will highlight proposed legislation to reverse cuts to Medi-Cal provider rates. In 2011...
Flurry of Bills Before Legislative Deadline
The deadline is Friday for introducing bills in the California Legislature. Several health-related bills have gotten in under the wire in Sacramento,...
Superbug Outbreak Highlights Hospital Infection Concerns Across U.S.
An outbreak of a potentially deadly bacterial infection at UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center that was linked to medical endoscopes...
LAO Report: State Could Lose $1 Billion
California stands to lose about $1 billion in federal health care funding through potential elimination of the current managed care...
DPH Fines 10 California Hospitals $700K for Adverse Events
On Wednesday, the California Department of Public Health announced that it has fined 10 hospitals hundreds of thousands of dollars...
Patient Satisfaction Among Low-Income Patients on the Rise, Survey Says
More than half of Medi-Cal and other low-income patients rated their care as very good or excellent, a gain of...
February 10, 2015 Update
Mental Health Services Act: Please see the attached memo from the DHLF federal advocate, Charity Bracy, regarding funding availability via...
2016 DHLF Tracked Legislation
District Hospital Leadership Forum – Legislative Status Report February 6, 2016. Feb 6, 2016 report ...
Analyst's Office Cites 'Shortcomings' in Mental Health Hospitals' Administration
The Legislative Analyst’s Office found a number of budgeting inefficiencies and question marks about policies and procedures in its evaluation...
DHLF State Budget Update
State Budget: Today the Governor released his proposed 2015-16 state budget. An overall summary follows this update, but unlike prior...
May Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
April Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
March Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
February Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
January Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues on which the DHLF has been focusing recently. This newsletter, as well as...
October/November Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As we...
September Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of...
August Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of...
July Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. Most of...
May/June Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsletter,...
2013-2014 Budget Recap
2013-14 State Budget News Affecting District/Municipal Hospitals: On June 27, the governor signed the 2013-14 state budget. There are two...
April Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsletter,...
March Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. This newsletter,...
February/Early March Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
January 2013 Recap of DHLF Activities
Happy New Year! Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly...
November Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
Election Analysis and 2013 California Issues
The coming 2013-14 legislative session will present several new opportunities and a few new challenges. It is first worth considering...
October Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
September Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last monthly recap. As outlined...
August 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last recap in early August....
July & Early August 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on since our last recap in early July....
June 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Governor Brown signed the 2012-13 state budget on June 27. The 2012-13 budget is reliant upon a package of ballot...
May 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
The Governor released the 2012-13 state budget “May Revise” on May 14. The “May Revise” revises the January budget proposal...
April 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on in April. Your feedback on all communications...
March Recap of DHLF Activities
Following is a summary of the issues the DHLF has been focusing on in April. Your feedback on all communications...
February 2012 Recap of DHLF Activities
The DHLF Board met February 15 and then members participated in the first DHLF Legislative Day in the State Capitol....