Latest California Healthline Stories
Kindred To Buy Calif.-Based Home Health Firm for $51M
Kentucky-based Kindred HealthCare will purchase Walnut Creek, Calif.-based Professional HealthCare for $51 million in cash. Professional HealthCare provides home health, hospice and private duty nursing services, as well as durable medical equipment. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of the third quarter. San Francisco Business Times.
Editorial Lauds Housing Plan for Those With Health Issues
The recent opening of Renaissance at Trinity — a 20-unit apartment complex for homeless individuals with mental health and medical issues in southwest Fresno — “is a major step forward,” a Fresno Bee editorial states. “While Trinity is not a treatment facility, it will provide supportive services for those with serious mental illness,” the editorial notes, adding that many individuals with mental illness “need help … in managing their treatment issues.” The editorial concludes, “The Housing Authorities’ commitment to this segment of the homeless population is to be commended.” Fresno Bee.
Audit: Calif. Might Have Lost $3B in Stimulus Funding
In a report sent to Gov. Brown and the Legislature last week, state Auditor Elaine Howle said that the state might have lost up to $3 billion in federal stimulus funding because it failed to spend the money in time. According to the report, California has been awarded $38.8 billion in stimulus funding, with spending deadlines ranging from September 2010 to September 2013. As of March 31, $8.6 billion — or 22% — of the funding was unspent. The report notes, “Any unspent funds for these grants after the respective deadline must revert to the federal government.” San Francisco Business Times.
California Agencies Win HHS Grants To Boost CHIP, Medicaid Rolls
HHS has awarded funding to a number of California groups to help increase enrollment in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The grants will be used in areas such as community health centers and school-based clinics. Health Data Management et al.
Calif. Court Upholds $13.8M Award Against Philip Morris
On Wednesday, a three-judge panel at a state appellate court in California voted 2-1 to uphold $13.8 million in punitive damages against tobacco manufacturer Philip Morris USA for the addiction and death of a Newport Beach, Calif., resident. The judges said that Philip Morris’ decades-long practice of withholding information and lying about the dangers of smoking was “extremely reprehensible.” Philip Morris argued that the punitive damages amount is “unconstitutionally excessive.” The company likely will ask the state Supreme Court to review the case. San Francisco Chronicle.
Poll: Californians Worried About Affordability of Long-Term Care
A UCLA and SCAN Foundation poll finds that many Californians are concerned they cannot afford long-term care as they age. Two-thirds of those polled say they could not afford more than three months of nursing home care. Kaiser Health News‘ “Capsules” et al.
Many Malpractice Suits End With No Payment to Plaintiffs
Although most physicians face at least one malpractice claim during their careers, three out of every four of those lawsuits are resolved with no payment to plaintiffs, according to a New England Journal of Medicine study. The study also found that malpractice claims varied by specialty and that 75% of physicians in lower-risk specialties face at least one malpractice claim before retirement. In addition, the study showed little correlation between the likelihood of being sued for malpractice and the size of payouts. MedPage Today, AP/Washington Post.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of August 19, 2011
California Pacific Medical Center has modified the design of the nine-story medical office building it plans to open in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Kaiser Permanente recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new 280,000 square-foot hospital complex in Redwood City.
Employers Expect Rise in Health Costs; Many To Pass Costs to Workers
A National Business Group on Health survey finds that U.S. employers expect their health care costs to increase by an average of 7.2% next year. More than half of the businesses surveyed said they plan to pass on some of the extra costs to workers. Modern Healthcare et al.
State High Court Rules Victims Can Claim Only Paid Costs in Injury Suits
California’s Supreme Court has ruled that individuals involved in accidents who sue for damages can recover the amount the insurer paid to health care providers, not the amount health care providers billed for the actual cost of care. San Francisco Chronicle et al.