Latest California Healthline Stories
CDC Studies Assess Effects of Antibiotic-Resistant Infections, MRSA
A pair of CDC studies published in JAMA Internal Medicine finds that nearly 23,000 people die annually from hospital-acquired antibiotic-resistant infections and that the number of MRSA infections in hospital settings declined by 54% over the past decade. New York Times et al.
Sacramento-Area School Vaccine Exemptions Up by 30%, Report Says
A California Department of Public Health report finds that the rate of kindergartners entering Sacramento-area schools without state-required vaccinations increased by 30% in the past school year. To address low vaccination rates, four Sacramento-area counties are offering outreach programs with information about vaccines. Sacramento Bee.
Providers: Bills Will Fall Short of Curbing Calif. Physician Shortage
Health care providers are concerned that bills passed by the state Legislature this year will not do enough to curb a physician shortage. The bills — which would expand pharmacists’ scope-of-practice and promote access to care in underserved areas — cannot abate the medical workforce “crisis,” according to the California Primary Care Association. Capital Public Radio’s “KXJZ News.”
Gov. Brown Seeks Three-Year Delay on Prison Population Cap
Gov. Brown is asking federal judges to grant the state a three-year extension to comply with a court-ordered reduction of the prison population. The move is part of a compromise inmate reduction plan developed by Brown and Democratic lawmakers that the governor signed last week. AP/U-T San Diego et al.
Air Force Clashes with State, Sacramento Officials Over Ownership of Radioactive Waste Dump
U.S. Air Force official Steve Mayer is planning to seal soil contaminated with radium-226 — a cancer-causing agent — at the old McClellan Air Force Base and hand over ownership of the dump to the city of Sacramento by 2019. However, the California Department of Public Health has said state laws do not allow such a move, and Sacramento’s city manager said he does not want ownership of the dump. Center for Investigative Reporting.
L.A. ACA Educational Sessions Target Staff at Community Clinics and Community Health Organizations
This month, the Insuring the Uninsured Project — with support from L.A. Care Health Plan — is hosting a series of informational workshops in Los Angeles County to educate staff at community clinics and community-based health organizations about the Affordable Care Act. The workshops — called “ObamaCare 101: An Educational Training on Health Reform” — include information on key components of health care reform, such as Medi-Cal expansion eligibility and how Covered California operates. HealthyCal.
Telehealth Advocates Say Technology Would Boost U.S. Health Care System
Telehealth proponents say that widespread implementation of the technology would have a positive effect on the U.S. health care system. However, significant barriers remain to implementation, such as the lack of a comprehensive standard governing policy, limited Medicare reimbursements for telehealth services and rules that require physicians who treat out-of-state patients to be licensed in the state where the patient lives. Time‘s “Swampland.”
CBO: Medicare ‘Doc Fix’ Would Cost $175B Over 10 Years
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that bipartisan legislation that would gradually repeal the sustainable growth rate formula — which determines Medicare physician reimbursement rates — would cost $175.5 billion over 10 years. According to CBO, provisions that would repeal the SGR and automatically increase physician payments by 0.5% annually over five years would cost $63.5 billion. CBO previously estimated that repealing the SGR would cost $138 billion over a decade. MedPage Today.
Exchange Officials Do Not Expect Large Surge of Enrollees When Marketplaces Open in October
Officials for state health insurance exchanges developed under the Affordable Care Act say they do not expect a large initial surge of consumers applying for coverage when the marketplaces open Oct. 1. However, exchange officials have said the slow ramp-up could benefit the law by providing the exchanges time to better handle issues that might occur, such as potential technical glitches. Politico.
State Legislature Approves Several Health Bills Before End of Session
Before concluding its legislative session last week, the California Legislature sent several health care-related measures to Gov. Brown for approval. The bills would affect the scope-of-practice and care requirements for midwives, pharmacists and physical therapists. KQED’s “State of Health” et al.