02/01/2012
Blue Shield of California has reached a settlement with the California Department of Insurance to cover behavioral therapy as a treatment for autism under the state's Mental Health Parity Law. Los Angeles Times, AP/San Jose Mercury News.
01/31/2012
Seven San Francisco middle schools are participating in a federal survey funded by the U.S. Department of Education that examines mental, physical and emotional symptoms from stressful events in the lives of students. Early results from the four-year, $3.4 million study show that about five or six children in every classroom have the symptoms, which can increase their risk for post-traumatic stress disorder or other trauma-related issues. San Francisco Chronicle.
01/27/2012
On Wednesday, first lady Michelle Obama and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack unveiled final nutrition guidelines for government-subsidized school meals. The new standards -- which were mandated under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 -- will require lunches to include more fruits and vegetables, and less salt and fat. Schools will begin to implement the new standards in September at an estimated cost of $3.2 billion over five years. New York Times et al.
01/25/2012
For the first year since 1991, the California Department of Public Health recorded no whooping cough deaths in the state last year. Officials credited the drop in deaths to greater awareness and wider availability of vaccinations. Los Angeles Times et al.
01/24/2012
Wells Fargo's Student Insurance Division is offering insurance that aims to better manage brain injuries for student athletes in California. The level of diagnosis and treatment offered in the plan traditionally has been available only for professional athletes. Sacramento Bee.
01/24/2012
A panel convened by the American Psychiatric Association is proposing changes to the definition of autism for the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. About 25% of individuals diagnosed with autism under the previous guidelines would no longer fit the new criteria. As a result, many individuals who rely on government programs could lose those benefits because some of those services depend on an official diagnosis. New York Times.
01/19/2012
A report by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured and Georgetown University researchers finds that the number of residents covered under Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program remained relatively steady last year. National Journal, Modern Healthcare.
01/13/2012
UCLA's School of Public Health and Health Net have announced plans for a nationwide expansion of the health literacy social media program teen2extreme, or T2X. The initiative, which launched with the help of a $1.1 million NIH grant, aims to help adolescents better understand their health care access options. The T2X website allows teens to sign up for mobile phone text alerts and chat online with health care experts and nurses. Payers & Providers.
01/11/2012
State Controller John Chiang reports that California's December revenues fell $1.4 billion below budget estimates and that legislative action might be needed to ensure the state can meet payment obligations. Sacramento Bee's "Capitol Alert" et al.
01/04/2012
A new study from the California HealthCare Foundation finds that about seven million Californians younger than age 65 lacked health insurance in 2010, including one million children. No other state had as many uninsured residents. Ventura County Star.
12/22/2011
A new study published in Pediatrics finds that children who received coordinated care through a medical home had fewer visits to a physician office or emergency department for injury or illness, and were more likely to practice healthy behaviors than other children. Reuters.
12/13/2011
Last week, the Richmond City Council approved a November 2012 city ballot measure that would impose a penny-per-ounce sales tax on sweetened drinks, including soda and fruit beverages that contain less than 10% juice. Proponents of the measure say it would help address the obesity rate in the city, particularly among children, by generating funds for anti-obesity programs. Opponents argue that moderate consumption of sweetened beverages can be part of a healthy diet. Contra Costa Times, KQED's "State of Health."
12/12/2011
A Stanford University study concludes that a Santa Clara County ordinance banning fast-food restaurants from giving out toys with meals that did not meet nutritional rules helped reduce marketing of the meals but did not increase healthful food options. Time's "Healthland" et al.
12/09/2011
On Thursday, HHS announced that it has awarded $1.6 million to four school-based health clinics in California to expand and modernize their facilities in an effort to treat more children. In total, HHS awarded $14 million to 45 school-based health clinics in 29 states. Officials say the grants will help the clinics provide health care services to 53,000 additional children. The California clinics that received funding are the Asian Pacific Health Care Venture in Los Angeles, Valley Community Clinic in North Hollywood, Centro De Salud De La Comunidad in San Ysidro and the Oakland Unified School District. The Hill's "Healthwatch," Los Angeles Times' "L.A. Now."
12/06/2011
A judge has finalized a settlement requiring the state to provide foster children and at-risk children with mental health care services through Medi-Cal. Advocates had said the state failed to provide the care the children needed. AP/San Diego Union-Tribune.