Latest California Healthline Stories
New Clinic Opens in Oakley for Underinsured, Uninsured
A new clinic in Oakley opened on Friday to provide basic health care services for uninsured and underinsured residents. The not-for-profit organization La Clinica operates the clinic, which is staffed by a physician, medical assistant and human services specialist, who registers patients and directs them to appropriate supplementary care services. The clinic plans to hire a second health care provider next spring and eventually implement an electronic health record system. Contra Costa Times.
Contra Costa County Informs Patients of Privacy Breach
On Friday, Contra Costa County officials mailed letters to county hospital patients whose names unintentionally appeared online in a public document. Officials said the incident involves patients who were relieved of medical debt last year by county supervisors. An agenda item posted online contained more than 5,000 patient names and financial records, but no medical information. County Administrator David Twa said that the names have been redacted and that the state Department of Public Health was notified. Twa added that the county started an internal investigation last week. Contra Costa Times.
Opinion: New Type of Homes Can Change Long-Term Care
“‘Green House’ homes — the first of their kind in California — will provide seniors with quality care [and] could revolutionize the way California cares for seniors who can no longer live independently,” Risa Lavizzo-Mourey — president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and a former member of the federal Task Force on Aging — writes in a Sacramento Bee opinion piece. Lavizzo-Mourey notes that the homes, which provide private rooms and bathrooms for up to 12 seniors, “look and feel like real homes” but also are fully equipped with “all the medical equipment and clinical apparatus” found in traditional nursing homes. She discusses construction under way in Pomona to build two Green House homes, adding that the Green House model “shows that it is possible to deliver the highest level of skilled to the most vulnerable members of society in a practical, affordable way.” Sacramento Bee.
Gov. Brown Defends His Pension Overhaul Proposal
During a meeting of the joint legislative committee on pensions on Thursday, Gov. Brown defended his 12-step plan to overhaul California’s public pension system, which would increase public employees’ contributions toward health care costs, raise the retirement age to 67 for most new employees who are not in public safety positions and implement a “hybrid” system featuring a traditional pension combined with a 410(k)-style investment. The Brown administration estimates that the plan would save the state $4 billion to $11 billion over 30 years. Brown said his plan and the projected savings are necessary to balance the state budget. Sacramento Bee, Los Angeles Times.
Study: Many Californians’ Mental Health Needs Are Not Being Met
A new report from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research concludes that nearly two million Californians have mental health conditions that need to be treated but that many do not actually receive the care they require. United Press International et al.
Hearing Focuses on Effect of Medi-Cal Cuts on Rural Care
At an informational hearing at Chico State University on Wednesday, state legislators from rural districts heard from health care providers and other stakeholders about how a pending 10% Medi-Cal payment cut could negatively affect health care access in the state. The hearing was organized by the California Legislative Rural Caucus. CMS has approved the 10% cut in Medi-Cal reimbursements, but several groups, including the California Medical Association, have filed a lawsuit to block the cuts from taking effect. At the hearing, stakeholders warned that the reimbursement cut could force doctors to stop accepting Medi-Cal patients and could lead to layoffs. Chico Enterprise-Record.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of December 2, 2011
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center plans to close its inpatient and outpatient psychiatry programs over the next year. Meanwhile, officials at St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo have postponed for six months a decision on whether to close the hospital’s obstetrics unit.
Premiums Down, Enrollment Grows in Medicare Advantage
Monthly premiums for Medicare Advantage plans declined by about 14% between April 2010 and April 2011, but beneficiaries were covered for additional benefits, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office. The report also found that even though the number of MA plans fell during the same period, MA enrollment increased from 7.9 million beneficiaries in 2010 to 8.4 million in 2011. Modern Healthcare.
Opinion: Workforce Growth Essential for Health Reform
“For years, researchers, economists and health providers themselves have warned that much of [California] will have too few health workers for patients who need care,” Catherine Dower — associate director of research at the Center for the Health Professions at UC-San Francisco — and Barbara Halsey, executive director of the California Workforce Association, write in a Capitol Weekly opinion piece. They note that under the federal health reform law, “four to six million more Californians are expected to have insurance starting in 2014,” which “will strain a system already struggling to keep up with demand for physicians, nurses and allied health professions.” Dower and Halsey offered several recommendations, such as creating programs in regions facing health care worker shortages, making full use of existing workers, boosting training retention and improving cultural competency. They conclude, “Health reform should force a conversation — and action — about the workforce storm clouds on our horizon.” Capitol Weekly.
Lawmakers Seek Information on Generic Version of Lipitor
On Wednesday, Sens. Max Baucus, Chuck Grassley and Herb Kohl sent a letter to drugmaker Pfizer, three pharmacy benefit managers and two health insurers asking them to reveal details about their agreements to block generic versions of the anti-cholesterol drug Lipitor and promote only Pfizer’s brand-name version. The inquiry coincides with the expiration of the patent for Lipitor, which generated about 16% of Pfizer’s revenue in 2010. Meanwhile, FDA granted approval to Indian drugmaker Ranbaxy Laboratories to begin marketing a generic version of Lipitor. New York Times et al.