Latest California Healthline Stories
LAO Analysis Finds Gov. Brown’s Budget Plan Mostly Balanced
A new Legislative Analyst’s Office report finds that Gov. Brown’s fiscal year 2013-2014 budget proposal is mostly balanced. However, LAO says that the governor’s proposal does not address unfunded obligations for retiree health care services. Sacramento Bee et al.
Steinberg Seeks To Boost Board’s Oversight of Risky Prescribing Habits
Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg says that he will help develop and support legislation that would give the Medical Board of California more investigators and broader authority to curb excessive prescribing habits. Los Angeles Times, KPCC’s “KPCC News.”
CalPERS Posts 13.3% Profit in 2012, Exceeding Projections
On Monday, CalPERS reported a 13.3% annual profit on its investments for the 2012 calendar year. The earnings are significantly higher than the 7.5% profit that the public pension fund had forecasted. It also marks a major improvement on the 1.1% return it reported in 2011. Capital Public Radio’s “KXJZ News,” Sacramento Bee.
Dignity Health Awards $741K to 28 Not-for-Profit Groups
Dignity Health has awarded $741,206 in grants to 28 not-for-profit organizations to support their efforts to boost access to health care and address the underlying causes of illnesses. The grants — which range from about $5,000 to about $50,000 — were awarded to groups in El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties. Modesto Bee.
Calif. Physicians Unsure of Timeline for Medi-Cal Pay Increases Under ACA
Advocates for California doctors say physicians do not know when to expect a Medi-Cal payment increase under the Affordable Care Act. State officials say that they are working quickly to implement the payment hikes and that the increases are retroactive to Jan. 1. Modern Physician.
CDC Says Flu Has Reached Epidemic Levels in U.S.
On Friday, CDC officials announced that influenza in the U.S. has reached “epidemic” levels, with 7.3% of deaths last week caused by pneumonia and the flu. CDC data show that as of Friday, flu activity was widespread in 47 states, up from 41 states the previous week. However, officials said there are signs the flu season might have reached its peak. Reuters et al.
UCLA Study Links Obesity in Kids to Greater Health Risks
Obese children are two times more likely to experience three or more health issues such as asthma, headaches, depression and developmental delays than healthy weight children, according to a UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities study to be published in the journal Academic Pediatrics. KPCC’s “KPCC News.”
HHS To Waive, Extend Deadline for Health Insurance Exchanges
The Affordable Care Act directed HHS to determine by Jan. 1 whether states were ready to run health insurance exchanges. However, HHS is extending or waiving the deadline for states running their own exchange or partnering with the federal government. New York Times.
Editorial: State Can ‘Do Much More’ To Improve Prisons
A Sacramento Bee editorial argues that although Gov. Brown believes federal oversight of California’s prisons should end, efforts to reduce prison overcrowding — which federal officials have linked with poor prison health care — “have plateaued.” According to the editorial, California officials “can do much more” to improve prisons, such as reforming the state’s Penal Code. Sacramento Bee.
MedPAC Urges Limiting Cuts in Fiscal Deal To Aid Hospitals
This week, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission urged the federal government to limit cuts required by the “fiscal cliff” deal so hospitals can obtain a 1% payment increase for inpatient and outpatient care in fiscal year 2014. The 1% payment bump technically would be a reduction from the scheduled 1.8% increase in inpatient payments and 2% increase in outpatient payments established by a pre-existing legislative formula. Modern Healthcare.