Latest California Healthline Stories
Sutter Among Six Applicants for Licenses To Run HMOs
Six applicants — including Sacramento-based Sutter Health — are seeking new licenses to operate an HMO, while 17 other applicants want to expand their health care services or offer new product lines in the state, according to Department of Managed Health Care Director Brent Barnhart. Sutter hopes to launch sales of its health plan next fall for coverage in 2014. Sacramento Business Journal.
Federal Judge Dismisses Prime’s Lawsuit Against Kaiser Permanente, SEIU
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by Prime Healthcare Services alleging that Kaiser Permanente and Service Employees International Union sought to diminish Prime’s business through various actions. Prime has 21 days to file a new complaint. California Watch.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of September 14, 2012
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center plans to cut about 370 jobs because of decreases in patient volume, revenue and profits. Public health officials are considering whether to administer antibiotics to eight infants exposed to tuberculosis at Methodist Hospital of Sacramento.
California Launches Probe Into Health System Consolidation
California’s attorney general is investigating whether health system consolidation is pushing up the cost of health care. Several large California health systems and insurers have received subpoenas as part of the investigation. Wall Street Journal.
Editorial: Brown Should Have Vetoed Pension Reform Bill
An Orange County Register editorial argues that Gov. Brown should have vetoed the “grossly inadequate pension reform measure” instead of signing it into law. The editorial states that the projected savings from the law “are a mere down payment on the state’s estimate[d] half-trillion dollars in unfunded pension obligations.” Orange County Register.
Cal eConnect Alerts Members About Possible Data Breach
This week, Cal eConnect — which is transitioning out of overseeing California’s health data exchange — announced that several laptops containing member contact information were stolen this summer. Officials said they do not believe the breach poses serious risks, but they advised affected individuals to change their email passwords. Modern Healthcare.
Study Finds Link Between Office Hours, Health Spending
Over the course of two years, patients whose doctors offered weekend and evening hours spent 10% less on health care than people whose physicians held only weekday hours, according to a study published in the Annals of Family Medicine. Researchers surveyed more than 30,700 U.S. residents and found that 36% said their doctor offered extended office hours. According to researchers, the longer hours did not necessarily cause lower spending and instead might be an indicator of a “more cost-conscious practice overall.” Reuters.
Medicare Spending Cuts To Lead to Loss of 766K Health Jobs, Report Says
A coalition of three major medical groups estimates that up to 766,000 health care jobs will be lost by 2021 if Congress fails to avert a 2% cut in Medicare spending included in the 2011 debt reduction agreement. The coalition urged lawmakers to take action to prevent the cuts. MedPage Today et al.
L.A. County Doctors, Patients Sue Health Net Over Denied Claims
Two patients and the Los Angeles County Medical Association have filed a lawsuit against Health Net for denying claims the insurer deemed medically unnecessary. Although the insurer has not commented directly on the lawsuit, Health Net has denied any wrongdoing. Modern Healthcare, Reuters.
Dispatchers Slow To Help 911 Callers Start CPR, Study Finds
A recent internal study concluded that Los Angeles Fire Department dispatchers waste valuable time asking pre-written questions before they start guiding 911 callers about providing life-saving CPR. Although irreversible brain damage can begin within four minutes of cardiac arrest, the study found that dispatchers sometimes took as long as seven minutes to get CPR procedures started. Los Angeles Times.