Latest California Healthline Stories
Report: Members of Military Need Annual PTSD Screenings
According to an Institute of Medicine report released Friday, military servicemembers should be screened annually for post-traumatic stress disorder. The report, funded by the Pentagon, also recommends that the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs expand access to PTSD treatments. The report found that as many as 20% of the 2.6 million servicemembers who have fought in Iraq or Afghanistan might have PTSD and that only slightly more than half of servicemembers who have been diagnosed with PTSD have received treatment. New York Times‘ “At War.”
Opinion Piece Says California Should Reject Tax Hike Plan
In a Sacramento Bee opinion piece, former state agencies spokesperson Margaret Bengs writes that Gov. Brown’s compromise tax hike initiative would “take effect just as taxpayers could be hit” with a “nearly $500 billion federal tax hike” resulting from the expiration of federal tax breaks. She adds, “California should reject Brown’s tax hike,” which could prompt state officials to concentrate on creating jobs. Sacramento Bee.
FDA Tracked Staff Emails on Medical Device Review
As part of a secret surveillance effort, FDA officials tracked personal emails sent by former and current scientists and staff to individuals and the media about concerns with the agency’s medical device review and approval processes, records show. FDA officials acknowledged that the monitoring effort involved members of Congress, journalists and other individuals but added that it was limited to communications from five scientists whom they suspected of leaking confidential information about the safety and design of medical devices. New York Times et al.
UCLA Students Staff Mobile Clinic for Homeless Residents
For the past decade, a group of volunteer UCLA medical, public health and law students has been running the Mobile Clinic Project, a weekly no-cost health clinic and legal help center for West Hollywood’s homeless residents. The initiative, which is funded through grants and donations, provides students with important training. Los Angeles Times.
CalPERS Reports 1% Profit, Falls Short of Previous Estimates
CalPERS has reported a 1% annual profit on its investments during the last fiscal year, falling short of an estimated 7.5% profit. The earnings likely will prompt the fund to impose higher contribution rates on the state, which could affect public agencies. Sacramento Bee et al.
Gov. Makes Appointments to New Prison Oversight Agency
On Friday, Gov. Brown appointed Santa Cruz County Administrator Susan Mauriello and Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Bacca to serve as director and member, respectively, of the Board of State and Community Corrections. The new state agency was created to monitor the return of thousands of inmates — who have been serving sentences at out-of-state facilities under a prison realignment initiative — to prisons in the state’s 58 counties. All appointments to the board require Senate approval. KPCC’s “The Latest.”
Federal Exchanges Cannot Offer Subsidies, Paper States
Federally run health insurances exchanges under the federal health reform law cannot legally provide subsidies to help U.S. residents purchase coverage, according to a paper to be published in Health Matrix: Journal of Law-Medicine. In May, the Internal Revenue Service issued a rule allowing both state-based and federally run exchanges to administer the subsidies. However, the paper states that the “IRS rule is illegal,” adding, “It is not authorized by [the reform law], nor can it be justified on other grounds.” Politico.
Stakeholders Ask CMS To Halt Pilot Program for Dual-Eligible Enrollees
Some health care organizations are urging CMS to halt a demonstration program aimed at improving care for beneficiaries eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare. The stakeholders say that higher-than-expected enrollment effectively has turned the program into a waiver. Politico.
Safety-Net Hospitals Stand To Lose Funding Under Reform Law
An Archives of Internal Medicine study finds that the health reform law could negatively affect safety-net hospitals. The law’s payment models reward facilities that score higher on certain performance measures, but safety-net hospitals often score low on such criteria. Reuters.
Study: Blacks in Calif. Concerned About Mental Health Treatment
A new report finds that black residents in California have expressed concern over inadequacies in their mental health assessments and diagnoses. Experts say physicians without cultural understanding sometimes misdiagnose black patients. California Watch.