Latest California Healthline Stories
CMS Predicts U.S. Health Care Spending Will Increase by 6.1% in 2014
A new CMS Office of the Actuary report projects that U.S. health spending will increase by 6.1% in 2014 once key provisions of the Affordable Care Act are implemented. The projection is lower than a previous CMS estimate of 7.4%, primarily because the U.S. Supreme Court permitted states to opt out of the ACA’s Medicaid expansion. Wall Street Journal et al.
14% of Uninsured Kids Eligible for Public Insurance Live in California
A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report finds that nearly 37% of all U.S. children who are eligible for public health insurance programs but remain uninsured reside in California, Florida and Texas. California accounts for 14.3% of such children, according to the report. UPI et al.
Survey: California Ranks 20th Among States for Health Climate
A Commonwealth Fund survey ranks California 20th among all U.S. states for health care climate, which includes indicators like access and quality of care. The state’s obesity and smoking rates were below the national average, but it ranked in the bottom 25% for preventive care of elderly individuals, according to the survey. Sacramento Bee, Commonwealth Fund release.
NUHW Files Complaint Against Kaiser Over Hiring of DMHC Attorney
The National Union of Healthcare Workers has filed a complaint over Kaiser Permanente’s hiring of a former California Department of Managed Health Care attorney. The union argues that Kaiser hired the attorney to impede an investigation into its practices. Payers & Providers.
Study: Automated Calls May Help Manage Hypertension
Automated phone calls could help individuals control their hypertension, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study published in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension. Nearly 32% of the 32,000 Kaiser members who received automated phone calls had their condition under control after a month, compared with 23.7% of the 32,000 members who did not receive such phone calls. Payers & Providers.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles County supervisors voted 3-2 to fight in court a June ballot measure that would create a separate Los Angeles city public health department. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation has been pushing the measure, amid concerns that city residents are not receiving a fair share of the county’s public health funding. The supervisors unanimously oppose the ballot measure, arguing that it would jeopardize residents’ access to health services. However, they were split over whether to legally challenge it. Los Angeles Times‘ “L.A. Now.”
S.F. Health Department Releases Heat Vulnerability Index
Last week, the San Francisco Department of Public Health released a Heat Vulnerability Index designed to highlight areas of the city that are most at risk during an extreme heat event. City officials say that the data could be used to reduce the number of heat-related illnesses — such as heat stroke — and heat-related deaths. Government Technology.
Editorial: California Does Not Deserve More Time To Reduce Population of Prison Inmates
An Orange County Register editorial argues that federal judges’ likely response to a plan by Gov. Brown and Democratic lawmakers requesting three more years to comply with a court-ordered prison population cap will be “a unanimous ‘No’ … [a]nd with good cause.” The editorial continues that “California continues to operate the nation’s most crowded prison system,” adding that “the state deserves not even one year more, much less three, to comply” with the order. Orange County Register.
San Leandro City Council Advances Medical Pot Proposals
On Monday, the San Leandro City Council voted 5-2 to move forward with a draft ordinance and zoning code changes that would permit up to two regulated medical marijuana dispensaries to operate in the city’s industrial and commercial zoning districts. The proposed zoning code changes must be cleared by two applicable city boards before final approval, which is expected near the end of the year. The Daily Review/Contra Costa Times.
Report Finds Health Care Access, Quality Differs Among U.S. States
A Commonwealth Fund report finds that access to affordable, quality health care varies widely from state to state. Location is a greater determinate of health care quality than income level for most residents, according to the report. Los Angeles Times, USA Today.