Latest California Healthline Stories
House Passes Republican Budget Bill; ‘Gang of Six’ Releases New Proposal
Yesterday, the House passed the GOP’s “cut, cap and balance” bill as part of efforts to create a fiscal year 2012 budget. Meanwhile, the Senate’s “Gang of Six” released a new deficit-reduction proposal that calls for changes to health programs. AP/San Francisco Chronicle et al.
Editorial: Protest Shows Need for Better Prison Health Care
A San Jose Mercury News editorial states that the ongoing hunger strike at Pelican Bay prison should be considered “a wake-up call to expedite changes” outlined in a U.S. Supreme Court ruling calling for California to reduce its prison population. The editorial continues that California “has a moral and legal obligation to avoid cruel and unusual punishment,” adding that the state prison system “is already afoul of that admonition because of poor health care and overcrowding.” San Jose Mercury News.
NIH Awards $112M to UCSF for Translational Research
On Monday, UC-San Francisco announced that its Clinical and Translational Science Institute has received $112 million in renewed funding from NIH for its efforts to link medical research to clinical care improvements. UCSF is one of 10 institutions nationwide to receive the renewed NIH funding, which will be spread out over a five-year time period. San Francisco Business Times.
California Hospitals Added RNs in Response to Nurse Staffing Law
A Health Affairs study finds that California hospitals have hired more registered nurses and expanded access to nursing care since the state started mandating new nurse-to-patient ratios in 2004. Sacramento Business Journal, United Press International.
Opinion: Refusing Vaccines Puts Public Health at Risk
People who decline vaccination for themselves or their children “put the public at risk by fueling the resurgence of nearly eradicated diseases,” David Ropeik, instructor at Harvard University, writes in a Los Angeles Times opinion piece. Ropeik continues, “It is appropriate, and urgent, that we act to protect public health from those whose choices about vaccines are putting the rest of us at risk: We make them stop.” Los Angeles Times.
UC-Davis Study: Costs Cut With Patient-Centered Care
Patient-centered care can help eliminate or reduce unnecessary testing and lower medical costs, according to a UC-Davis Health System study published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. Researchers tracked for one year more than 500 patients who received care by family physicians and internists and found that personalized discussions and persuading patients to take a more active role in their health led to fewer specialty care visits, hospitalizations and diagnostic services, as well as lower total associated health care charges. Stockton Record, American Medical News.
CMS Releases Proposed Rule on Not-for-Profit Health Plan Co-Ops
On Monday, CMS unveiled a proposed rule on the creation of government-funded co-ops, which are private, not-for-profit health plans mandated by the federal health reform law. Some experts say the co-ops could have difficulty competing against larger insurers. Modern Healthcare et al.
Labor Board Could Call New Union Election for 43,500 Kaiser Workers
The National Labor Relations Board could call a new election after an administrative law judge found grounds for recommending that officials revisit an October 2010 vote to represent about 43,500 Kaiser Permanente workers. Contra Costa Times, San Francisco Business Times.
Coburn Unveils Deficit Plan; Obama Would Veto Other GOP Budget Bill
Sen. Tom Coburn has issued a $9 trillion deficit-reduction proposal as lawmakers weigh federal debt-limit and budget plans. Meanwhile, the White House issued a statement saying President Obama would veto the House GOP’s “cut, cap and balance” legislation. The Hill et al.
Poll: Most U.S. Residents Support Public Smoking Ban
Fifty-nine percent of U.S. residents support government efforts to ban smoking in public places, according to a Gallup poll released last week. The finding marks the first time a majority of U.S. residents have endorsed a public ban since Gallup began the survey in 2001, when 39% were in favor. The survey also found that 19% of respondents would support a law that would prohibit smoking altogether. The three-day telephone survey began on July 7 and included a random sample of 1,016 U.S. residents ages 18 and older. Politico, Reuters.