Latest California Healthline Stories
Covered California Enrollees Qualify for $2.3B in Subsidies
A report by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that individuals who enrolled in Covered California health plans qualified for federal tax credits worth a total of $2.3 billion. In addition, the report finds that 80% of subsidy-eligible state residents have signed up for a plan through the exchange. HealthyCal, Kaiser Health News/KQED’s “State of Health.”
CDC Studies Examine Health Care-Associated Infections
Two new studies from the CDC offer a comprehensive look at the prevalence of health care-associated infections. The first study examines the most common HAIs, while the second study highlights progress in reducing HAI rates. New York Times et al.
Oakland-Based Asian Health Services Receives $2.8M From HHS To Provide Care to Underserved Residents
HHS has awarded a $2.8 million grant to Oakland-based Asian Health Services. The funding will help the provider offer medical and dental services to underserved populations in the East Bay area. San Francisco Business Times‘ “Morning Edition,” Oakland Tribune.
O.C. Leads the State in Number of Measles Cases
Orange County health officials this week held an emergency meeting after data showed the number of measles cases in the county more than doubled in less than two weeks. In that timeframe, health officials say the number of confirmed measles cases jumped from seven to 21 — the highest number of cases in any California county. Los Angeles Times‘ “L.A. Now.”
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of March 28, 2014
Sacramento city officials are urging Kaiser Permanente to build a hospital in the 184-acre Sleep Train Arena site after the Sacramento Kings move into a new downtown arena in 2016. Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose has officially opened its Silicon Valley Institute for Robotic Surgery.
Calif. Senate Committee Advances Drug Take-Back Measure Amid Opposition From Drugmakers
On Wednesday, the California Senate Environmental Quality Committee advanced a measure that would require the pharmaceutical industry to create and fund a statewide system to safely dispose of leftover medications. However, drugmakers and other business-related special interest groups oppose the bill. San Francisco Chronicle.
Exchange Enrollees Qualify for Nearly $10B in Subsidies
U.S. residents who have signed up for coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s insurance exchanges as of March 1 have qualified for nearly $10 billion in federal subsidies designed to help offset premiums, according to a new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The report found that about 3.5 million people who qualified for subsidies — or roughly 83% of those enrolled in an exchange plan — each received an average of $2,890. Kaiser Health News‘ “Capsules.”
California’s Preterm Birth Rate Declines to 9.6%, Meeting March of Dimes’ 2020 Goal
In California, the rate of preterm births, or births before 37 weeks of pregnancy, has dropped by 12% in the past five years. The state’s preterm birth rate now is 9.6%, making California one of just six states to meet a 2020 target set by March of Dimes. Sacramento Business Journal.
U-T San Diego Editorials Weigh In Against Proposed Medical Malpractice Ballot Initiative
A U-T San Diego editorial argues that a proposed ballot initiative that would alter state law to increase the limits on medical malpractice compensation to about $1.1 million “should be seen as part of a larger Golden State legal culture in which trial lawyers use lawsuits and the threat of lawsuits for what amounts to legal extortion.” Meanwhile, a separate U-T San Diego editorial that the measure is a “disturbing example” of how “special interests still have far too much sway over state government.” U-T San Diego.
House Passes 12-Month SGR ‘Doc Fix’ by Voice Vote
Despite opposition from major physician groups, the House passed a bill that would delay a scheduled 24% cut to Medicare physician payment rates for 12 months. The measure — which was negotiated by House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid — now heads to the Senate. The Hill‘s “Floor Action” et al.