Latest California Healthline Stories
Obama Defends Health Law in Public Comments on Supreme Court Case
Yesterday, President Obama said he is confident that the Supreme Court will uphold the federal health reform law, saying that striking down the law would be an “unprecedented” step. The comments mark Obama’s first public discussion of the Supreme Court case. New York Times et al.
CalOptima REC Hits Goal of Enrolling 1,000 Physicians
Last week, officials at the CalOptima Regional Extension Center — which serves the Orange County area — announced that the REC has reached ahead of schedule its goal of enrolling 1,000 primary care providers to help them transition to electronic health records. Healthcare IT News.
Kaiser Permanente Announces Tie in Hospital Design Contest
Kaiser Permanente has selected three architecture firms as joint winners of its “Small Hospital, Big Idea” competition, which sought design ideas for a smaller, environmentally friendly Kaiser hospital in Southern California. Mazetti Nash Lipsey Burch; Perkins + Will; and Aditazz, Gresham Smith and Partners were the winning firms. Payers & Providers.
Sacramento Residents Line Up for No-Cost Health Clinic
Volunteer health care providers — including physicians, dentists and optometrists — are providing medical care to uninsured Sacramento residents during a four-day no-cost clinic at Cal Expo. The event was organized by the not-for-profit Remote Area Medical Foundation. Sacramento Bee et al.
Calif. GOP’s Budget Plan Would Cut Deficit With Health-Related Funds
State Republican legislators have released a budget plan that seeks to eliminate the deficit in part by taking funds from mental health and childhood development programs. The plan includes some proposals favored by Gov. Brown, but it does not seek new tax revenue. Sacramento Bee.
Federal Regulators Opt Not To Prohibit Use of Chemical Additive BPA
On Friday, FDA announced that it does not have sufficient scientific evidence to ban the use of the chemical bisphenol-A. However, agency officials say they are hopeful that FDA will release a more definitive ruling on the use of the additive later this year. Wall Street Journal et al.
California Health Care Personnel News Update for March 2012
Laura Landry is taking on the role of CEO at Cal eConnect — the agency that oversees health information exchange in California — after Ted Kremer withdrew from the position. Meanwhile, Earl Greenia resigned from his post as CEO of the Gold Coast Health Plan last month.
Oakland School District Eyes Universal Health Access
By the end of the year, the Oakland Unified School District could become the first major urban U.S. school district to provide universal access to primary health care to all students. Since 2010, nine new school-based health care centers have opened or are scheduled to open this year, for a total of 26 centers in the district. The $18 million initiative is funded primarily by the city of Oakland, Alameda County and Kaiser Permanente. HealthyCal.
Editorial: GOP Reform Plans Would Bar Preventive Care
Republicans have argued for repealing and replacing the federal health reform law, but the law “has gotten too little credit for already improving the lives of millions of Americans,” according to a San Jose Mercury News editorial. The editorial states that, under Republican health reform proposals, “more Americans would be stuck with high-deductible plans that discourage them from getting preventive care.” The editorial notes, “This will lead to poorer health, lost productivity and even greater reliance on costly emergency room care.” San Jose Mercury News.
State Officials Consider Ways To Continue Health Reform in Calif.
California officials are examining ways to continue health reform if the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the federal overhaul. Supporters say an individual mandate is necessary to spread the risk and lower health care costs. Los Angeles Times.