Latest California Healthline Stories
Editorial: S.F. Should Accept $1.1B for Medical Services
San Francisco officials ought to accept a $1.1 billion offer from the California Pacific Medical Center “to provide health care for low-income and uninsured people in San Francisco over the next 10 years,” a San Francisco Examiner editorial states. CPMC is seeking to secure city approval to build a 555-bed hospital on Cathedral Hill and to renovate St. Luke’s Hospital. “And none of this will cost San Francisco taxpayers one dime,” the editorial adds, concluding that city officials should “stop playing chicken with their constituents’ health and lives.” San Francisco Examiner.
AARP Report: California Residents Provide $47B in Unpaid Care Annually
An AARP report estimates that Californians provide $47 billion worth of unpaid care annually for ailing family members or friends. According to the report, more than 40 million U.S. residents provided about $450 billion worth of unpaid care in 2009. San Francisco Business Times et al.
House GOP To Seek Fall Vote To Repeal Medicare Payment Advisory Panel
House Republicans are gearing up to vote this fall on a bill to repeal the health reform law’s Independent Payment Advisory Board. The panel is tasked with making recommendations to Congress on reducing Medicare spending growth. CQ HealthBeat, AP/Sacramento Bee.
Promised Benefits Protected, CalPERS Analysis Finds
A legal analysis conducted by CalPERS concludes that pension promises made to current and retired members of the public pension fund are a “vested right” that is protected by state and federal laws. For the analysis, CalPERS looked at more than 12 California appellate cases over the last 70 years. According to CalPERS, pension reform proposals would have to meet the requirements of the state constitution’s contract clause. It adds that even if an amendment to the state constitution is passed, the contract clause of the U.S. Constitution offers similar protections. Sacramento Business Journal.
Employers Give High Ratings to Kaiser, UnitedHealthcare
Kaiser Permanente received the highest employer satisfaction rating among fully insured health plans in the 2011 Employer Health Insurance Plan Study by J.D. Power and Associates. The annual study, which evaluates employer satisfaction with health plans, found that UnitedHealthcare received the highest rating among self-insured plans. Sacramento Business Journal.
House Republicans To Hold Vote on ‘Cut, Cap and Balance’ Bill
House Republican leaders say they intend to hold a floor vote early this week on legislation that aims to cut the federal deficit, cap government spending and establish a constitutional amendment to require a balanced budget. Wall Street Journal et al.
Proposed Cuts to Medicaid Shortsighted, Editorial Argues
“Any politicians eager to find savings by denying poor people access to Medicaid should recognize that they will be harming the health and financial well-being of highly vulnerable Americans,” a New York Times editorial states. While “[e]xpanding Medicaid will increase spending in the short run, … the nation will benefit from a healthier, more productive population that, in the long run, may have less need for costly medical services,” the editorial concludes. New York Times.
Report: Independent Hospitals’ CEOs See Bigger Salary Increase
An annual report from consulting firm Hay Group finds that overall compensation for CEOs at independent hospitals increased by 6% in 2011, while overall compensation for CEOs at integrated health systems increased by 3.1%. Fierce Healthcare, Crain’s Health Pulse.
Uncertainties Surround Fate of California’s Adult Day Health Care Centers
The future of about 300 adult day health care centers in California remains in limbo as Gov. Brown weighs whether to sign a bill to create a scaled-down version of ADHC. Meanwhile, a lawsuit is challenging the state’s elimination of the program. San Francisco Chronicle et al.
New Federal Memo Takes Aim at Medical Marijuana Use
A recent memo from Deputy U.S. Attorney General James Cole notes that state laws “are not a defense” from federal prosecution, adding that “Congress has determined that marijuana is a dangerous drug,” and distributing it “is a serious crime.” Some state officials say the new memo contradicts an October 2009 memo from Deputy U.S. Attorney General David Ogden that said that federal authorities would not target the legal use of medical marijuana in states where it is permitted. Department of Justice officials said the new memo aims to offer “guidance” to states that allow the use of medical marijuana and does not indicate a shift in federal policy. Sacramento Bee, New York Times.