Latest California Healthline Stories
Voters Uncertain About Health Care Costs Under Various Reform Plans
Older U.S. voters are uncertain about the future health care costs they would face under various Medicare reform proposals. Meanwhile, GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney is taking heat over his comments that nearly half of all U.S. residents feel “entitled to health care.” New York Times‘ “Well” et al.
Columnist Urges Open Dialogue on Health Care Costs
In a Contra Costa Times opinion piece, columnist and Bay Area physician Kate Scannell argues that physicians and patients should “learn to speak explicitly about health care costs so that we can obtain better value for our money” and “make better health care decisions in the clinic” and “better choices in the voting booth.” She writes that “several public initiatives are launching to encourage and enable us” to discuss ways to reduce health care costs, including a campaign by the American Board of Internal Medicine that “focuses on reducing overuse of specific medical tests or procedures.” Contra Costa Times.
Calif. Health Providers Receive More Than $743M for EHR Use
About 18,000 state health care providers have received more than $743 million in federal payments for meeting meaningful use of electronic health records. State officials say EHRs will improve care. Sacramento Business Journal, Capital Public Radio’s “KXJZ News.”
CHA Chief Defends Consolidation Amid Investigation by State AG
Duane Dauner, president and CEO of the California Hospital Association, is defending consolidation between hospitals and physician groups in response to a state investigation into whether it leads to higher health care costs. Modern Healthcare et al.
S.J. Valley Takes Aim at Doctor Shortage Ahead of ACA
Two new family medicine residency programs in Fresno and Visalia that are set to begin training in 2013 could help San Joaquin Valley prepare for an influx of newly insured residents. Up to 900,000 uninsured Valley residents are expected to gain coverage in 2014 through the Affordable Care Act. Experts say residency programs are a proven way to attract and retain physicians. Fresno Bee.
Columnist: Bankruptcy Ruling Could Affect Pensions
Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Walters asks, “Could bond insurers force Stockton” — which filed for bankruptcy this summer — “to reduce its retirees’ pensions?” In August, a judge in the Stockton case “declared that federal bankruptcy law trumps” California’s constitutional “ban on ‘impairing the obligation of contracts,'” Walters notes. He concludes, “If it happens, long-held assumptions about the sanctity of California’s public pensions will change.” Sacramento Bee.
Automatic Budget Cuts Would Affect Health Programs, Report Finds
A report from the White House Office of Management and Budget predicts that Medicare and certain health reform law programs would lose about $11 billion in 2013 if the automatic cuts outlined in last year’s budget act take effect as scheduled on Jan. 2. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch” et al.
Pertussis Vaccine’s Protection Gradually Wanes, Study Finds
The effectiveness of the five-shot vaccine against whooping cough, or pertussis, declines by 42% annually after the final dose, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last week. The study — by researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center in Oakland — mirrors the findings of a similar study by CDC. Los Angeles Times‘ “Booster Shots,” AP/San Francisco Chronicle.
L.A. County Providers Gripe About Medi-Cal Payments
Health care providers say they are encountering difficulties getting the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services to provide reimbursements or explain why their Medi-Cal claims have been rejected. The claims are part of the Healthy Way L.A. program, which began in 2011 in advance of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion. Payers & Providers.
Obama Leading Romney on Handling Medicare Issues, New Polls Show
Recent polls show that U.S. voters favor President Obama over Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney when asked which candidate would do a better job of handling Medicare. Most poll respondents said they support keeping Medicare in its current form. New York Times et al.