By David Gorn, California Healthline Capital Desk, January 30, 2014

The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research yesterday released a study that lends credence to one of the primary contentions of health care reform -- providing health care coverage can reduce expensive emergency department use.

"Once you provide coverage to a population and provide preventive services, particularly for chronic conditions, you can expect a decline in emergency room visits over time," said Nadereh Pourat, the center's director of research and lead author of the study. Read more...

By Paul Fronstin, Employee Benefit Research Institute

California Healthcare Foundation's Almanac features California's Uninsured: By the Numbers, by Paul Fronstin of the Employee Benefit Research Institute. This annual Almanac report provides data on those who are uninsured and their income levels, work status, age, and ethnicity. Read more...

By Rachel Dornhelm, California Healthline, January 9, 2014

In a California Healthline report by Rachel Dornhelm, experts discussed a program aimed at helping small businesses offer health insurance to their employees -- one lesser-known aspect of the state health benefit exchange. 

When the Affordable Care Act became law, it not only mandated an individual health insurance market but also required that small employers have a marketplace specially tailored for them to provide their workers with coverage. Read more...

Forthcoming changes to the insurance market landscape in 2014 and 2015 will bring many employers to a crossroad. As health care reform unfolds, markets evolve and costs continue to rise, employers will need to make important strategic decisions to actively manage their costs and figure out how best to respond to insurance-related provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA or the Act). 

Deloitte’s 2013 survey of U.S. employers (50+ workers) offering health benefits shows their concern and uncertainty about ACA preparedness, health care system performance, cost-reduction strategies and the quest to find value. Read more...