Latest California Healthline Stories
Tobacco Industry, Health Groups Face Off Over Prop. 29
In total, the tobacco industry and its allies have contributed about $42.6 million toward a campaign to defeat Proposition 29, a June ballot initiative that would increase California’s tax on cigarettes by $1 per pack to raise funds for cancer research and smoking cessation programs. Meanwhile, supporters of the tax hike proposal, led by a national health coalition, have spent nearly $9 million to advocate for the ballot initiative. Capitol Weekly.
Legislation Seeks To Boost Health Care Cost Transparency
Reps. Michael Burgess and Gene Green have introduced legislation that would require states to establish laws mandating that hospitals publicly disclose the cost of inpatient and outpatient services. The measure also would require health insurers to provide enrollees with estimated out-of-pocket costs for health care services. Becker’s Hospital Review, AHA News.
IRS Seeks To Raise Awareness About Overhaul Tax Credit
On Tuesday, a Treasury Department official said the Internal Revenue Service is taking steps to raise awareness about the federal health reform law’s small business tax credit. The announcement follows the release of a Government Accountability Office report finding that the credit is not big enough to incentivize businesses to offer health benefits. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch.”
Judge Denies Release of TB Patient Jailed for Halting His Treatment
A San Joaquin County Superior Court judge has denied the release of a tuberculosis patient who was arrested last week for failing to comply with TB treatment orders. The patient has entered a not guilty plea, and the trial is set to begin in June. Stockton Record.
S.F., Sacramento Among 50 Fittest U.S. Cities, Study Finds
San Francisco and Sacramento are ranked fourth and sixth, respectively, among the 50 fittest major U.S. metropolitan areas, according to the American College of Sports Medicine’s American Fitness Index. An ACSM news release said the rankings are based on a composite of preventive health measures, levels of chronic diseases, health care access and community resources and policies for physical activity. Sacramento Business Journal.
Calif. Sees Spike in Confined Workplace-Related Fatalities
In 2011, seven California workers died while working in a confined space, compared with two deaths annually between 2008 and 2010, according to a report by the occupational health and safety advocacy organization Worksafe. Experts attribute the rise in fatalities to low awareness about the dangers of working in confined spaces and inadequate emergency rescue plans. California Watch.
Second Insurer Joins Probe of Lap-Band Surgery Centers
Anthem Blue Cross is working with authorities to investigate the business practices of weight-loss surgery centers associated with the 1-800-GET-THIN marketing initiative, making it the second insurer to conduct a probe into possible medical fraud related to the Lap-Band weight-loss surgery. In January, Aetna announced that it is conducting a similar investigation. KPCC’s “KPCC News.”
Study: Most Individual Health Plans Fall Short of Reform Law Standards
A new Health Affairs study finds that more than half of all currently available individual health insurance policies do not meet the coverage standards established by the health reform law. However, most job-based health plans meet the federal standards. New York Times et al.
Voter Support Declining for Tobacco Tax Hike Initiative, Poll Finds
A new poll finds that voter support for Proposition 29 has decreased from 67% in March to 53% this month. Experts say that advertisements funded by tobacco companies have contributed to the decline. AP/Sacramento Bee, San Jose Mercury News.
Study Highlights Benefits of Trained Medical Interpreters
Trained medical interpreters make half as many clinically significant interpreting errors as “ad hoc interpreters,” such as family members, according to a study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. According to the study, professionally trained interpreters with at least 100 hours of training had a 2% proportion of errors with clinical significance, compared with 12% for professional interpreters with fewer than 100 hours of training and 22% for ad hoc interpreters. Kaiser Health News/Washington Post.