Latest California Healthline Stories
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of August 26, 2011
Kaiser Permanente has opened a five-story, 217-bed tower as part of an expansion of its South Sacramento Medical Center. Meanwhile, Moody’s Investors Service has placed Rancho Mirage’s Eisenhower Medical Center on its watch list for a possible debt-rating downgrade.
Opinion: Calif. Mental Health Programs Misspending Funds
In a Capitol Weekly opinion piece, DJ Jaffe — founder and executive director of Mental Illness Policy Org. — and Mary Bernard — an attorney for Mental Illness Policy Org. — write that many county mental health departments have accepted state mental health funding through Proposition 63 but “have intentionally diverted funds away from severe mental illness.” Jaffe and Bernard offer examples of counties that use Prop. 63 funds for programs that do not target people with severe mental illnesses. They write, “Laws and regulations should be put in place to ensure services that help the severely ill … go to the front of the funding line, rather than the back.” Capitol Weekly.
Sacramento Health Program Trims ED Visits, Expenses
The Sacramento-based community health program T3 has helped Sutter Medical Center Sacramento lower its emergency department patient visits by 65% and inpatient bed days by 37% and generate $2.3 million in cost savings, according to hospital data. T3 — which stands for triage, transport and treatment — was launched in 2007 through a partnership between Sutter and the Effort, a Sacramento community health clinic, to reduce pressure on the region’s EDs by redirecting non-emergency patients to the Effort’s clinics and community services. T3 has been expanded to Sutter Memorial Hospital, and last year the American Hospital Association recognized T3 as an innovative model program for other hospitals and clinics. HealthyCal.
Consumer Group Pushes Public Insurance Option for State Ballot
Consumer Watchdog is trying to advance a ballot initiative that would let voters decide to have a public health insurance plan option. The group plans to raise $6 million to put the measure on the November 2012 state ballot. San Francisco Chronicle.
CBO Projects $1.28T Deficit in FY 2011 if Debt Deal Is Carried Out
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the federal deficit will reach $1.28 trillion in fiscal year 2011 if savings from the debt deal are realized and if scheduled Medicare payment cuts occur. The new debt projection is lower than CBO’s estimate from March. Roll Call et al.
AB 52 Would Boost Consumer Protection, Editorial Argues
Although it is “worth considering” some of the criticism against a bill that would allow state regulators to block health insurance rate hikes, “lawmakers shouldn’t lose sight of the basic problem the bill would address: the inability of regulators to do anything but complain about unreasonable increases in premiums,” a Los Angeles Times editorial states. The editorial argues that the measure “would significantly strengthen the state’s consumer protection efforts,” adding that legislators “should keep it moving through the Senate and to the governor’s desk.” Los Angeles Times.
HHS Designing State-Federal Plan for Insurance Exchanges
On Tuesday, Marguerite Salazar — a regional director at HHS — told lawmakers in Montana that the department is designing a new partnership model that would give states another chance to run their own health insurance exchanges if they are facing difficulties establishing one or have decided not to set one up. Salazar said the partnership model could be implemented without the need for federal authorization. Details of the plan will be discussed at a meeting with state agency heads in Washington, D.C., next month. AP/San Francisco Chronicle.
Tentative Court Ruling Denies Quick Resolution of Autism Therapy Issue
A Sacramento Superior Court judge has issued a preliminary ruling blocking a move by the California Association of Health Plans to obtain a quick resolution on whether health plans must cover a certain treatment for children with autism. Sacramento Business Journal.
Survey: 9% of Employers Plan To Drop Coverage Because of Reform Law
A new survey finds that about 9% of midsize and large businesses intend to eliminate health insurance coverage for their workers when state health insurance exchanges launch in 2014 under the federal health reform law. Modern Healthcare, AP/San Francisco Chronicle.
Bill Would Ban Certain Items From Mental Health Hospitals
The Assembly and Senate unanimously have approved a bill by Sen. Sam Blakeslee that would make it a misdemeanor for a visitor to bring contraband into state mental health hospitals. Under the measure, visitors who bring unauthorized wireless communication devices, tobacco products or currency into such facilities would receive a $1,000 fine for each item. The measure is before Gov. Brown. San Luis Obispo New Times.