Latest California Healthline Stories
Hospitals Lag in Meeting State Earthquake Safety Structural Requirements
Some California hospitals are far from meeting state seismic safety standards. Some of the non-structural changes that facilities need to make to comply with state earthquake safety mandates include securing battery power and adjusting plumbing systems. San Bernardino Sun.
Blue Shield of California To End Coverage of Avastin for Breast Cancer
Blue Shield of California will stop covering Avastin as a breast cancer treatment. The move comes after an FDA panel advised the agency to withdraw approval of the drug because it did not significantly benefit patients and had adverse side effects. New York Times, Reuters.
Poll: Older Adults Concerned About Long-Term Care Costs
About two-thirds of baby boomers said they would be somewhat or very likely to encounter difficulty paying for long-term care if they or a spouse required it, according to a recent poll conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health. The poll also found that many pre-retirees older than age 50 are taking steps to ensure that they are in good health when they stop working. However, some experts warn that baby boomers might be underestimating the financial and health issues they could face in retirement. NPR’s “Morning Edition.”
Columnist: Reform Law Contributing to Rising Costs
San Francisco Chronicle columnist Debra Saunders writes that a new Kaiser Family Foundation survey — which showed that premiums for employer-based coverage have “more than doubled” over the last decade and are “biting into workers’ paychecks” — lends credibility to Republicans’ plans to “repeal and replace” the federal health reform law. Provisions in the law, “such as a requirement that employers offer coverage of adult children up to the age of 26, … must be a factor in the cost spurt,” Saunders argues, adding, “Democrats complain about employers choosing to sit on their money and not hire. But their health care mandates serve as a tax on hiring workers.” San Francisco Chronicle.
Democrats Pushing for Ethics Probe of Supreme Court Justice Thomas
Twenty House Democrats are calling for an ethics investigation of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, arguing that Thomas repeatedly failed to report the income of his wife, who has been a vocal opponent of the federal health reform law. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch,” Roll Call.
Panel Releases Budget Plan That Would Block Reform Law Funding
On Thursday, a House subcommittee released a $153.4 billion draft budget for fiscal year 2012 that would block funding for the federal health reform law until all legal challenges are settled. The budget also would prohibit federal funding from going to Planned Parenthood. Washington Times et al.
Breast Tissue Notification Bill Could Benefit Device Maker
A bill awaiting Gov. Brown’s signature could be a financial boon for U-Systems, a breast screening equipment manufacturer located in bill author Sen. Joe Simitian’s district. The measure would require health care providers to notify women if they have high-density breast tissue, which can obscure the presence of cancerous tumors. After the Legislature passed the bill, Simitian said he had never heard of U-Systems. The company has influenced similar breast tissue notification bills in other states by encouraging breast cancer survivors to advocate for the measures. Los Angeles Times.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of September 30, 2011
VacaValley Hospital is awaiting state approval for a $118 million renovation effort that would double the hospital’s size. Meanwhile, a consulting group recently presented a report suggesting that Contra Costa County should continue operating Contra Costa Regional Medical Center.
Sacramento Co. Ordered To Pay for Services for Indigent Health Care
A judge has ruled that Sacramento County must pay UC-Davis Medical Center for care provided to low-income residents under the Medically Indigent Services Program. The county stopped paying for such care in 2008 following the termination of a contract. Sacramento Bee, ABC’s “News 10.”
Lawmakers Push Debt Panel on Cost-Cutting Proposals
Sens. Joe Lieberman and Tom Coburn are calling on members of the federal deficit-reduction panel to consider their June proposal to cut more than $500 billion in Medicare spending over 10 years. In addition, Rep. Allyson Schwartz wrote a letter urging House colleagues to press the panel to recommend a permanent fix for the Medicare sustainable growth rate formula, which determines physician reimbursements. Meanwhile, the debt panel reportedly is considering proposals to cut spending for individuals who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. The Hill et al.