Latest California Healthline Stories
Democratic Debt Panel Members Offer New Deficit-Reduction Plan
This week, Democrats on the debt panel offered a new plan to reduce the federal deficit by $2.3 trillion over a decade. The proposal calls for cutting about $350 billion from Medicare and cutting about $50 billion from Medicaid and the federal health reform law. Politico et al.
Survey: Medical Homes Help Coordinate Care, Reduce Medical Errors
A survey conducted on behalf of the Commonwealth Fund finds that chronically ill patients with access to medical home-style systems report better care coordination, fewer medical errors and greater satisfaction with care than those without such systems. Modern Healthcare, Reuters.
Fresno County Supervisors OK 10% Pay Cut for Nurses
On Tuesday, Fresno County supervisors approved an average 10.2% cut in pay for the county’s public nurses, ending months of negotiations between the California Nurses Association and the county. The board also approved reductions to nurses’ differential earnings and leave time. A union official called the pay cut “unconscionable” and promised to file a complaint with the state’s labor relations board. Fresno Bee.
California’s Child Obesity and Overweight Rate Down by 1%
A new report finds that the rate of overweight and obese children statewide fell by about 1% between 2005 and 2010. However, the rate of children who are overweight and obese continues to climb in many counties. Visalia Times-Standard et al.
Lawsuit Claims Pact by Pfizer Sought To Snuff Out Market Competition
Eleven California pharmacies have filed a lawsuit alleging that drugmakers Pfizer and Ranbaxy made a deal in which Ranbaxy agreed to market a generic version of a cholesterol drug only in foreign markets so Pfizer could control U.S. sales. Bloomberg, San Francisco Chronicle.
Kaiser Permanente Awards $17.3M in Community Grants
Last week, Kaiser Permanente announced it awarded $17.3 million in grants to 675 not-for-profit and community benefit organizations across California during the third quarter of 2011. Kaiser said the grants went toward efforts that promote healthy communities, expand access to health care and circulate information. San Francisco Business Times.
Audit: Few Small Businesses Claim Reform Law Tax Credit
In an audit issued this week, the Department of the Treasury’s office of the inspector general for tax administration reported that fewer than expected small businesses have taken advantage of a tax credit under the federal health reform law to help provide health coverage for employees. The credit is available to businesses with fewer than 25 full-time workers whose annual incomes average less than $50,000. It pays 35% of insurance premium costs for an eligible applicant, and not-for-profits are eligible for up to 25% off of their premium costs. By May 2011, only about 228,000 small-business owners had claimed the tax credit, the audit found. IRS anticipated that 4.4 million business owners would be eligible for the subsidies. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch.”
Study Links Climate Change to $14B in Health Care Costs
In the journal Health Affairs on Monday, researchers from UC-Berkeley, UC-San Francisco and the Natural Resources Defense Council reported that six events related to climate change that occurred between 2000 and 2009 led to nearly $14 billion in health care costs. The natural disasters they studied included the 2006 California heat wave, the 2003 Southern California wildfires and U.S. ozone air pollution between 2000 and 2002. According to the study, 95% of the health care costs were tied to the loss of life from those disasters, with about $740 million linked to “760,000 encounters with the health care system.” The researchers urged health care providers and insurers to consider climate change as part of their long-term planning process. Los Angeles Times‘ “Booster Shots,” Mother Jones.
Appeals Court Upholds Health Reform Law’s Individual Mandate
Yesterday, a U.S. appeals court ruled that the health reform law’s individual mandate is constitutional under the commerce clause. The ruling comes just days before the Supreme Court is expected to discuss whether to review cases challenging the law. Wall Street Journal et al.
LAO: Brown’s Pension Plan Is Step Forward, but Many Questions Remain
A new Legislative Analyst’s Office report concludes that Gov. Brown’s 12-point pension reform proposal represents a significant first step. However, the report questions the legality of certain changes and says the plan glosses over elements of health benefits. AP/San Jose Mercury News et al.