Health
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) introduced a joint resolution LAST week calling on Congress to authorize a long-term extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP.
The program provides insurance to 1.3 million California children and is set to expire by March.
“Children’s health is an imperative and shouldn’t be treated like a political football,” said Sen. Dodd. “Families are scared because Congress’s inaction is jeopardizing healthcare for millions of kids. Californians on both sides of the aisle want Republican leaders to follow their Democratic colleagues and act quickly to pass a clean, long-term reauthorization of this critical lifeline for children. Everyone in our country, especially vulnerable young people, deserves access to quality health care.”
CHIP was created in 1997, and it is has been reauthorized by the United State Congress multiple times with significant bipartisan support.
However, funding for CHIP expired at the end of September and Congress has yet to authorize long-term funding for the program.
Late last month, Congress narrowly averted disaster by passing a short-term measure to keep the program alive until the end of March.
If Congress fails to further extend funding for the program, millions of children across the U.S. would ultimately lose their insurance coverage.
The program covers 13 percent of all children in the California.
“CHIP should have been at the top of the federal government’s to-do list last year,” said Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena). “Instead it was superseded by tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, and repeated attempts to gut access to affordable health care. When Congress returns this month, I will do all I can to ensure swift passage of a solution that doesn’t force cuts to other programs for kids in order to pay for children’s health care. Republican leaders should heed the calls from Sen. Dodd, the California State Legislature and millions of families across our country by prioritizing long-term funding for CHIP.”
Sen. Dodd’s resolution is co-authored by dozens of other Democratic state senators and calls for a minimum five year extension of CHIP, which would provide certainty for states and families. The resolution now awaits approval by the state Senate and Assembly.
Sen. Dodd represents California’s Third Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Yolo, Sacramento and Contra Costa Counties. You can learn more about Sen. Dodd at www.sen.ca.gov/dodd.
The program provides insurance to 1.3 million California children and is set to expire by March.
“Children’s health is an imperative and shouldn’t be treated like a political football,” said Sen. Dodd. “Families are scared because Congress’s inaction is jeopardizing healthcare for millions of kids. Californians on both sides of the aisle want Republican leaders to follow their Democratic colleagues and act quickly to pass a clean, long-term reauthorization of this critical lifeline for children. Everyone in our country, especially vulnerable young people, deserves access to quality health care.”
CHIP was created in 1997, and it is has been reauthorized by the United State Congress multiple times with significant bipartisan support.
However, funding for CHIP expired at the end of September and Congress has yet to authorize long-term funding for the program.
Late last month, Congress narrowly averted disaster by passing a short-term measure to keep the program alive until the end of March.
If Congress fails to further extend funding for the program, millions of children across the U.S. would ultimately lose their insurance coverage.
The program covers 13 percent of all children in the California.
“CHIP should have been at the top of the federal government’s to-do list last year,” said Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena). “Instead it was superseded by tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, and repeated attempts to gut access to affordable health care. When Congress returns this month, I will do all I can to ensure swift passage of a solution that doesn’t force cuts to other programs for kids in order to pay for children’s health care. Republican leaders should heed the calls from Sen. Dodd, the California State Legislature and millions of families across our country by prioritizing long-term funding for CHIP.”
Sen. Dodd’s resolution is co-authored by dozens of other Democratic state senators and calls for a minimum five year extension of CHIP, which would provide certainty for states and families. The resolution now awaits approval by the state Senate and Assembly.
Sen. Dodd represents California’s Third Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Yolo, Sacramento and Contra Costa Counties. You can learn more about Sen. Dodd at www.sen.ca.gov/dodd.
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- Written by: Editor
SACRAMENTO – Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones announced a $1 million settlement with Kmart Corp., one of the nation's largest big-box retailers with 270 stores nationwide, for alleged insurance fraud in California through prescription overbilling practices at Kmart pharmacies.
The California settlement is part of a multimillion dollar national settlement in a civil suit in which the Department of Insurance participated alleging public and commercial insurance fraud through prescription over-billing practices.
"When it's all said and done, illegal billing practices by pharmacies are expensive propositions for consumers, as insurers pass along the cost of fraud to consumers through higher premiums," said Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. "The large dollar amounts associated with medical provider fraud has led me to focus the department's law enforcement efforts on investigating both civil and criminal medical provider fraud cases.
The settlement stems from a qui tam action filed by whistleblower James Garbe, a former Kmart pharmacist, who alleged the retailer overbilled private health insurers and government health programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, for prescriptions filled in Kmart pharmacies from Sept. 1, 2004 through Dec. 31, 2016.
Instead of setting a price for certain medications, some insurance contracts specify insurers will reimburse at a rate based on what the pharmacy charges cash-paying customers.
The whistleblower contended Kmart submitted false claims for payments Kmart knew exceeded the agreed-upon rates.
The insurance commissioner represents the people of California in civil cases alleging insurance fraud against private insurers under California Insurance Code False Claims Act, which resulted in the $1 million settlement for California.
The California settlement is part of a multimillion dollar national settlement in a civil suit in which the Department of Insurance participated alleging public and commercial insurance fraud through prescription over-billing practices.
"When it's all said and done, illegal billing practices by pharmacies are expensive propositions for consumers, as insurers pass along the cost of fraud to consumers through higher premiums," said Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. "The large dollar amounts associated with medical provider fraud has led me to focus the department's law enforcement efforts on investigating both civil and criminal medical provider fraud cases.
The settlement stems from a qui tam action filed by whistleblower James Garbe, a former Kmart pharmacist, who alleged the retailer overbilled private health insurers and government health programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, for prescriptions filled in Kmart pharmacies from Sept. 1, 2004 through Dec. 31, 2016.
Instead of setting a price for certain medications, some insurance contracts specify insurers will reimburse at a rate based on what the pharmacy charges cash-paying customers.
The whistleblower contended Kmart submitted false claims for payments Kmart knew exceeded the agreed-upon rates.
The insurance commissioner represents the people of California in civil cases alleging insurance fraud against private insurers under California Insurance Code False Claims Act, which resulted in the $1 million settlement for California.
- Details
- Written by: Editor
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