Latest California Healthline Stories
Obama Administration Releases Three Proposed ACA Rules
The Obama administration has proposed three rules that outline Affordable Care Act provisions related to insurance coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions, essential health benefits and employer-based wellness programs. Washington Post et al.
San Bernardino Releases Proposal To Renegotiate Payments to CalPERS
San Bernardino’s new budget plan includes a proposal to delay repayment of its CalPERS debt. Under the proposal, the city would begin repaying its pension obligations in the next fiscal year and renegotiate future payments to save about $1.3 million annually. Sacramento Bee.
Construction on Prison Health Care Facility Ahead of Schedule
Construction on a prison health care facility in San Joaquin County is ahead of schedule, according to the project manager. The manager says that the $900 million, 1.2 million square-foot health facility will have 1,722 beds and will employ about 2,800 full-time workers. Stockton Record.
Valley Fever Cases Climbing, Not Drawing Research Funds
Diagnosed cases of valley fever — also known as coccidioidomycosis — across the U.S. increased from 1,200 in 1995 to more than 20,000 in 2011, according to a study to be published this month in CDC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal. George Rutherford — professor of epidemiology and preventive medicine at UC-San Francisco — said that the disease has not drawn significant federal or private research funding, despite its widespread health effects. Stockton Record.
Test Finds That Only 31% of Calif. Students Passed All Fitness Measures
Only 31% of fifth-, seventh- and ninth-graders in California passed all of the fitness measures included in the 2012 Physical Fitness Test. A state public school official says the recent findings highlight a growing public health problem. AP/San Francisco Chronicle, North County Times.
California Schools Face Off in Federal Nutrition Standards Competition
At a California School Nutrition Association meeting, 11 school districts competed in a cooking contest to highlight new federal nutrition standards. The new standards require that schools offer more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and avoid trans-fats. Los Angeles Times.
52,000 More Doctors Needed by 2024, New Study Finds
Population growth, increasing numbers of older U.S. residents and more access to health insurance under the Affordable Care Act will create demand for 52,000 more U.S. primary care physicians by 2025, according to a study published in the Annals of Family Medicine. Researchers estimated that U.S. residents made 462 million visits to PCPs in 2008 and will make 565 million visits by 2025. The additional visits will require a 3% increase in the health care provider workforce, according to researchers. Reuters.
State Governors Say They Need More Information on Exchanges
Some state governors have sent letters to the Obama administration saying that they do not have enough information to decide whether they will implement their own health insurance exchanges under the federal health reform law. Kaiser Health News‘ “Capsules” et al.
CHCF Invests $1.5M in S.F. Cardiac Monitor Startup
On Monday, the California HealthCare Foundation announced that it has invested $1.5 million in San-Francisco startup iRhythm Technologies as part of a larger effort to boost health care innovation. The firm’s Zio cardiac rhythm monitoring device “has the potential to increase access to timely diagnosis and care for patients in both rural and urban environments,” Margaret Laws — director of CHCF’s Innovation for the Underserved program and manager of its Health Innovation Fund — said. San Francisco Business Times.
Pomeroy To Step Down as UC-Davis Medical School Dean
On Monday, Claire Pomeroy — dean of the UC-Davis School of Medicine and vice chancellor of health and human services at the university — announced that she will step down on June 30. Pomeroy said the decision is not connected to an ongoing federal investigation into two UC-Davis neurosurgeons. Pomeroy said she plans to seek a broader role in national health policy. Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento Bee.