Latest California Healthline Stories
Assembly Committee Advances Brown’s Inmate Relocation Plan
The Assembly Budget Committee has passed a measure proposed by Gov. Brown that would allocate $315 million toward moving about 9,000 state inmates to private prisons and other facilities by the end of this year. The measure was developed to comply with a federal court-ordered reduction of the state prison population in part to improve inmate health care services. Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert,” Los Angeles Times.
Time Constraints Can Prevent Healthy Eating at Schools in Calif., U.S.
Students in California and across the U.S. struggle to eat healthy meals during school lunch periods because of time constraints, observers say. However, several California schools districts are taking steps to ensure students have enough time to eat, such as hiring more staff or deploying mobile food carts. Center for Investigative Reporting.
ACA’s Effect on Health Insurance Premiums Will Vary by State, RAND Study Predicts
The Affordable Care Act’s effect on health insurance premiums will vary by state, according to a RAND study commissioned by HHS. RAND estimated that out of 10 representative states, premiums in the individual market in 2016 likely would increase in three states, would decrease in two states and would remain unchanged in five states. The study also predicted that the ACA will significantly decrease the number of uninsured residents. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch,” NPR’s “Shots.”
Study: 93% of California Beaches Earned ‘A,’ ‘B’ Grades
An estimated 93% of the 445 California beaches tested for bacterial pollution received “A” and “B” grades, according to a Heal the Bay study. The annual study found that California’s coast this past summer was one of the cleanest on record. Thirty-two locations statewide received low water-quality grades. Sacramento Bee.
California Regulators Seek To Curb Toxic Flame Retardants
Last week, the California Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation proposed new rules that would overturn a 1975 state rule that requires furniture foam to withstand an open flame, which critics say has increased the amount of toxic flame retardants in furniture and other consumer goods. Some say the law has prompted manufacturers to infuse upholstery foam with chemicals linked to health problems such as infertility, cancer, hormone disruption and learning disabilities. The proposal would require furniture only to resist a burning cigarette, which stage regulators say would ensure fire safety without the use of toxic chemicals. U-T San Diego.
North San Francisco Bay Centers Propose ACO
Several health centers in the North San Francisco Bay Area have applied to form an accountable care organization under the Affordable Care Act. The centers are Santa Rosa Community Health Centers, Petaluma Health Center, West County Health Centers, Alliance Medical Center in Healdsburg, Clinic Ole in Napa County and Coastal Health Alliance in Marin County. Naomi Fuchs — CEO of Santa Rosa — said that the centers hope to receive approval to form the ACO by January 2014. North Bay Business Journal.
A U-T San Diego editorial argues that between Gov. Brown’s plan to comply with a federal court-ordered reduction of the state prison population and California Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg’s proposal to curb the number of state inmates, the latter has drawn interest from “prisoner-rights activists who sued the state” over the issue years ago. It adds, “This interest is likely to kick off a welcome policy debate on recidivism.” However, the issue requires “decisive action” because next year nearly 10,000 felons could be released if lawmakers do not agree on a plan, the editorial concludes. U-T San Diego.
States Launching Initiatives To Curb Health Costs Amid ACA Work
As they work to implement the Affordable Care Act, several states are experimenting with innovative initiatives to curb rising health care costs. For example, Oregon has implemented a unique model of delivering care through Medicaid via “coordinated care organizations,” which seek to integrate mental, physical and dental care. AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of August 30, 2013
Loma Linda University has been accredited as a receiving center for patients with certain myocardial infarctions. Marin General Hospital and UC-San Francisco Medical Center have agreed to form a pediatric partnership that will place UCSF perinatologists and neonatologists at Marin General. This week, the electronic health record system used at seven East San Francisco Bay hospitals crashed.
More Employers To Offer Only Consumer-Driven Health Plans in 2014
A new National Business Group survey finds that 22% of large employers plan to only offer consumer-driven health plans in 2014, up from 19% this year. The appeal of such plans is that they are less costly for employers to offer than traditional ones. Modern Healthcare, NBGH release.