Latest California Healthline Stories
ACA Defunding Plan Gaining GOP Support; Some Members Still Wary
A Republican plan to defund the Affordable Care Act through the annual budget process is gaining support among GOP lawmakers. However, many GOP members oppose the strategy, saying it is a reckless move that could result in voters holding Republicans responsible for the government shutting down. The Hill‘s “Blog Briefing Room” et al.
Accreditation Denied for Clinic Tied to 1-800-Get-Thin Campaign
A Beverly Hills surgical center associated with the 1-800-GET-THIN marketing campaign has been denied accreditation by the Joint Commission. The center will be unable to perform many surgeries without the commission’s accreditation, but it remained open this week. An attorney for the center says that officials disagree with the decision and are evaluating their options. Los Angeles Times, AP/U-T San Diego.
Solano County Nurses Earn Most in U.S., Study Finds
Nurses in Solano County are the highest paid in their occupation in the U.S., according to the 2013 Easy NCLEX study. Researchers examined salaries of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses and compared the data to the cost of living in each region or state. The study found that RNs in Solano County earn an average annual salary of $119,000, compared with an annual cost of living of about $71,000. Liz Jacobs — spokesperson for the California Nurses Association — said that the study is misleading because it presupposes that the nurses who work in Solano County also live there. Vallejo Times-Herald.
Sacramento Joins S.F. in Seeking Compensation for Nev. Patient Care
The Sacramento city attorney is working with San Francisco officials to seek compensation for the care and housing of patients with mental illnesses who were bused to California from a Nevada psychiatric hospital. Meanwhile, a CMS notice says that a second Nevada psychiatric facility improperly sent patients to California between 2007 and 2012. Reno Gazette-Journal/USA Today, AP/U-T San Diego.
Calif. Farmers Worry About Cost of Insuring Workers Under the ACA
Employers in California’s agricultural industry are facing higher costs under the Affordable Care Act, which will require them to offer health insurance coverage to thousands of field workers. Minimum coverage under the ACA could cost the agricultural industry about $1 per worker for every hour that the employee works in the field, according to estimates. New York Times/Kaiser Health News.
Opinion: ACA Outreach Challenging When Few Understand How Law Functions
In a Payers & Providers opinion piece, Jim Lott — executive vice president of talent development and external affairs for COPE Health Solutions — argues that outreach for the Affordable Care Act to groups that lack health insurance — such as Latinos — is challenging when few people understand how the law will function. He writes, “Such a lack of interest would be tragic in California, where some 7 million people lack insurance,” adding, “Nearly a third of the state’s Latinos lack insurance, compared to just 14% of whites. Language and cultural barriers can serve as formidable obstacles in getting the word out to these groups that health insurance is obtainable.” Payers & Providers.
Palo Alto To Begin Installing 52 External Defibrillators
This month, Palo Alto will begin to install 52 automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, in police cars and at public places, such as City Hall, libraries, parks and soccer fields. In April, the Palo Alto City Council voted to spend $92,000 to purchase 37 AEDs, but the city was able to acquire 52 through a competitive bidding process, according to public safety officials. San Jose Mercury News.
ACA Uncertainty, Economic Factors Spur Part-Time Hiring
Concern about the effects of the Affordable Care Act has spurred an increase in hiring part-time employees, according to staffing and payroll experts. Nearly 75% of this year’s one million hires have been for part-time positions. Employers cite concern about a stagnant economy, along with worries that the ACA will drive up business costs, for the hiring decision. Reuters.
Study: Kaiser Initiative Helps Lower Blood Pressure Rates
From 2001 through 2009, Kaiser Permanente Northern California nearly doubled the percentage of patients whose blood pressure rates were lowered to healthy levels, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. For the program, researchers distributed to all Kaiser clinics a list of best practices developed by the most successful facilities. In addition, Kaiser regularly updated participating physicians with evidence-based guidelines on blood pressure medications. Researchers also offered patients no-cost follow-up visits with medical assistants that could be scheduled at flexible times, among other strategies. San Francisco Chronicle et al.
Many Young Adults Eligible for ACA Coverage Subsidies, Study Says
A new Commonwealth Fund report finds that up to 82% of young uninsured U.S. adults will be eligible for federal subsidies to purchase health coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s insurance exchanges or for Medicaid. However, only 27% of young adults are aware of the new insurance marketplaces, according to the report. Reuters et al.