Latest California Healthline Stories
Nurses Union, Mills-Peninsula Reach Tentative Agreement
On Tuesday, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United and Mills-Peninsula Health Services reached a tentative three-year agreement on a new contract for about 750 registered nurses. The groups did not release terms of the deal, but the union said the agreement involves the hospital withdrawing more than three dozen reductions in patient care protections, economic and contract standards and staffing improvements. A vote to ratify the deal will be held next week. Sacramento Business Journal, Contra Costa Times.
Leaders Commit To Boosting Sacramento Health System
At a Sacramento Region Health Partnership meeting on Thursday, community and health care leaders committed to strengthening the region’s health care system by 2014, when the demand for health care will increase as an estimated 225,000 residents gain insurance under the Affordable Care Act. The Sierra Health Foundation pledged $3 million to boost the efforts, which experts said should include raising clinical staff levels and capacity, and community outreach. Sacramento Bee.
Pilot Boosts Emergency Health Data Access in Marin County
In June, Marin County’s fire departments launched a yearlong pilot project to test the benefits of providing residents with no-cost, tech-enhanced quick response stickers that direct emergency responders to residents’ online medical profiles. About 1,100 residents have already enrolled in the HIPAA-compliant pilot. Government Technology.
Sacramento County Approves Retiree Premium Assistance
On Tuesday, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to provide retired county workers with support for paying health insurance premiums. Under the decision, county retirees earning less than $2,000 monthly in pension payments are eligible for $40 in monthly assistance for health insurance premiums. Sacramento Bee.
Poll Finds More Support for GOP Medicare Plan Among Younger Voters
A Kaiser Family Foundation poll finds that younger voters are more likely than older voters to support a GOP plan to turn Medicare into a premium support program. The poll also finds that voters are starting to view the Affordable Care Act more favorably. Kaiser Health News et al.
Large Firms Announce Significant Changes to Health Care Benefits
Two large U.S. employers — Sears Holdings and Darden Restaurants — are changing their health benefits to give workers a fixed amount to buy coverage through an online exchange. The move, which could signal a trend, is being watched closely by other U.S. firms. Wall Street Journal.
Editorial Welcomes State-Run Retiree Savings Plan Study
A Sacramento Bee editorial argues that it is “appropriate” for SB 1234 — a bill passed by the Legislature that would “create a state-administered retirement savings plan for private-sector workers funded with an automatic 3% payroll deduction” — to “require the state to study the feasibility of such a plan.” California “cannot afford to commit to a high-risk retirement plan without absolute assurance the state won’t be left with a serious liability if the fund goes belly up,” it argues. Sacramento Bee.
Panel: Doctors Should Screen Adults for Alcohol Misuse
Health care providers should screen adult patients to determine if they are misusing alcohol and provide counseling to those who are, according to new recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The recommendations fall into the category of no-cost services and treatments that health insurers must provide their members under the Affordable Care Act. The draft guidelines are open for public comment until Oct. 22. New York Times et al.
Sacramento County Can’t Be Sued Over Death, Court Says
Earlier this month, California’s 3rd District Court of Appeal overturned a superior court’s 2011 ruling that Sacramento County can be sued over a 2008 fatal assault of an Oak Park group home employee by a patient with schizophrenia. The employee’s husband filed a $14.5 million wrongful-death lawsuit, stating that the county conservator did not notify the group home about the potential danger of the patient. Sacramento Bee.
Stakeholders React to Warning on EHR Use for Medical Bill ‘Upcoding’
Health care groups have responded to federal warnings against hospitals’ use of electronic health record systems to inflate medical bills. Stakeholders say that federal officials should provide more guidance on medical billing with EHRs. Politico et al.