At Zuckerberg San Francisco General, Many Patients Are Left Footing Big, Surprise Bills
Most big hospital ERs negotiate prices for care with major health insurance providers and are considered “in-network.” Zuckerberg San Francisco General has not done that bargaining with private plans, making them “out-of-network.” A Vox investigation takes a look at the hospital's billing practices.
Vox:
Zuckerberg San Francisco General’s Aggressive Tactics Leave Patients With Big Bills - Vox
Zuckerberg San Francisco General (ZSFG), recently renamed for the Facebook founder after he donated $75 million, is the largest public hospital in San Francisco and the city’s only top-tier trauma center. But it doesn’t participate in the networks of any private health insurers — a surprise patients like [Nina] Dang learn after assuming their coverage includes a trip to a large public ER. (Sarah Kliff, 1/7)
In other news from across the state —
Ventura County Star:
West Coast Rx Opens Thousand Oaks Location
West Coast Rx, a new local community pharmacy, has announced the opening of a location at 375 Rolling Oaks Drive, No. 150, in Thousand Oaks. The location near the Thousand Oaks Surgical Center offers prescriptions, over-the-counter items, a wide selection of vitamins, medical supplies and drug-cost counseling. ...Specialized pharmaceutical services offered by West Coast Rx include packaging services to make it easier for customers to distinguish, read and take medications; compounding services to improve taste, smell and consumption of medicine; immunization services; pharmacist consultation services; and copay and prescription rebate research. (1/10)
Sacramento Bee:
Camp Fire Cleanup Under Fire After Troubled Contractor Is Picked
A Pasadena-based firm previously caught falsifying soil tests during the cleanup of a former shipyard in San Francisco has been awarded one of the first contracts for the Camp Fire project, prompting a call by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, for a federal review of that company’s numerous government contracts. Continuing his war on the state’s forest management practices, President Trump tweeted a threat this week that he may withhold federal emergency funds to California, which are expected to cover 75 percent of the cleanup costs. Butte County residents are upset about where the state plans to truck the debris, some of which is toxic. (Bizjak, 1/10)
East Bay Times:
Contra Costa Offers New Kiosks For Disposing Of Medications
Safely getting rid of expired or leftover medication has gotten easier in Contra Costa County, thanks to the recent rollout of an ordinance that requires pharmaceutical drug manufacturers to collect them. Throughout the county, 27 CVS Pharmacy locations and 10 Kaiser health facilities are providing drop-off boxes where people can dispose their medications in original containers or in sealed bags. Those drugs and packaging are then destroyed, according to the county health department. (Sciacca, 1/11)