Latest California Healthline Stories
Opinion: WellPoint Plan Leads ‘Fee-for-Value’ Transition
WellPoint’s new $1 billion initiative to increase primary physician payments by nearly 10% for meeting patient management and medical cost goals is “groundbreaking,” Camden Groups executives Jay Warden and Teresa Koenig write in a Payers & Providers opinion piece. They write that it is one of several initiatives that acknowledge “the health reform-fueled transition from a fee-for-service to a fee-for-value world,” adding “It’s only a matter of time before integrated payer/provider organizations … are more common across the country.” Payers & Providers.
DHCS, UC-Davis Team Up for Public Health Overhaul Study
The California Department of Health Care Services recently announced a $4.25 million agreement with UC-Davis Health System’s Institute for Population Health Improvement to study techniques implemented by 17 public hospital systems for cutting costs and improving health outcomes for Medi-Cal patients. If proven successful, the techniques could serve as models for hospitals across the U.S. California Watch.
Panel Reaches Deal on Extension of Payroll Tax Cut, Medicare ‘Doc Fix’
Late last night, a congressional committee approved a 10-month deal to extend a payroll tax cut and delay scheduled cuts to Medicare physician payments. The “doc fix” would be offset through cuts to certain hospital payments and a public health fund. New York Times et al.
Judge Rejects Dismissal of Nursing Strike Lawsuit
On Friday, a federal judge rejected the California Nurses Association’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit that Kaiser Permanente filed against the union. The suit alleged that CNA violated a no-strike clause in its contract when it participated in a one-day strike in September 2011. The judge said the contract is “ambiguous” but declined to find that Kaiser lacks the right to file the suit. Sacramento Business Journal.
CalPERS: Brown’s Pension Plan Would Not Aid Budget, Workers
CalPERS has released a report saying that Gov. Brown’s pension reform proposal would cut benefits for new workers and would not significantly reduce state spending. The report was requested by the Legislature. Los Angeles Times‘ “PolitiCal” et al.
Health System Announces Data Breach at O.C. Hospitals
On Wednesday, St. Joseph Health System announced that the health records of 21,300 patients might have been accessible through Internet search engines because of faulty security settings on internal computers at Orange County’s Mission Hospital and St. Jude Medical Center. Officials said the compromised data did not include Social Security numbers, addresses or financial information. Orange County Register.
New GOP Proposal Aims To Overhaul Medicare, Increase Eligibility Age
Today, two Republican senators plan to unveil a proposal that would shift many Medicare beneficiaries into private coverage and gradually raise the program’s eligibility age. The plan also would impose higher premiums on middle- and high-income beneficiaries. AP/U-T San Diego.
Calif. Analysis Finds Care Quality Gap Between Rural, Urban Regions
Hospital data released by California’s Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development show that health care quality often is better in urban areas than in rural areas. However, researchers said they did not compile enough data to draw conclusions about the trend. Payers & Providers.
UCLA Medical School Offers First Bilingual Program
UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine has become the only medical school in the U.S. to offer a program solely for native Spanish-speaking students who can communicate with Latino patients. The International Medical Graduate’s program was designed to help the state address a shortage of bilingual and bi-cultural physicians. KPCC’s “KPCC News.”
LIVESTRONG Group Gives $1.5M To Support Tobacco Tax Increase
The LIVESTRONG Foundation has made a $1.5 million contribution to support a June ballot measure that aims to increase the state tobacco tax. Funding from the tax hike would aid research on smoking-related conditions such as cancer and heart disease. Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert” et al.