Latest California Healthline Stories
Two Firms Land Contract for Prison Hospital Construction
On Tuesday, California officials announced that a joint venture of Clark Construction Group and McCarthy Building would receive a contract worth about $512 million to build the second phase of a new prison medical facility in Stockton. The planned California Health Care Facility is expected to begin operating in 2013. Once open, the 1.2 million square-foot prison hospital would provide long-term care services for about 1,722 inmates. Stockton Record, Central Valley Business Times.
Foundation Awards Grants To Boost Health in Placer County
On Tuesday, Placer Community Foundation announced plans to award a total of $339,000 in grants to 23 not-for-profit organizations for efforts to promote wellness among Placer County residents. The grants will go toward programs focused on alcohol misuse, health care, fitness, nutrition and other wellness areas. Sacramento Business Journal.
Physical Therapy Legislation Fails To Win Panel’s Approval
A bill — which would have allowed medical corporations to directly employ physical therapists and let physicians make referrals to their employees — did not receive sufficient support to pass out of the state Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development. The California Medical Association supported the bill, saying that current circumstances limit patients’ ability to receive comprehensive, integrated care. The California Physical Therapy Association opposed the measure, arguing that it would have reduced patient choice and created a conflict of interest among physicians. Sacramento Business Journal.
States Face Large Liabilities for Pensions, Retiree Health
U.S. states face a combined total of $689.5 billion in unfunded pension liabilities and an additional $418 billion in retiree health care obligations, according to an Associated Press analysis. The analysis notes that states with the highest per capita number of Medicaid beneficiaries were among those with the largest budget deficits. AP/San Francisco Chronicle, Politico.
CalPERS Panel Calls for Hiking Health Premiums by an Average of 4.1%
A CalPERS committee has recommended a rate package that would raise health insurance premiums for members by an average of 4.1% starting Jan. 1, 2012. The proposal goes before the full CalPERS board today. Sacramento Bee, Sacramento Business Journal.
Opinion: Mental Health Must Be Part of Health Policy Plans
In a San Francisco Chronicle opinion piece, Eduardo Vega — executive director of the Mental Health Association of San Francisco and commissioner on the state Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission — writes that Gov. Brown’s plan to restructure oversight of state mental health hospitals “may make sense, but wholesale dismemberment of the Department of Mental Health threatens to throw us back to an era of institutionalizing the mentally ill.” Vega adds that “a discussion of health care policy and social welfare is incomplete without thinking of the community’s mental health needs.” San Francisco Chronicle.
U.S. Lags Behind Many Nations for Average Life Expectancy, Study Finds
A new study finds that the average U.S. life expectancy has increased, but it remains lower than life expectancies in many other countries. According to the study, the average Californian lives longer than the average American. California Watch, AP/San Francisco Chronicle.
Prison Receiver Says Inmate Medical Care Needs Reform
Despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling ordering California to reduce its prison population, the state still requires thousands of new prison hospital beds to care for the most seriously ill inmates who will remain in state custody, according to a report from federally appointed prison receiver J. Clark Kelso. The report also noted that California’s new medical parole law is unlikely to have a significant effect on the number of beds needed. AP/San Francisco Chronicle.
Policy Brief Pinpoints Health Risks for Rural Californians
A UCLA Center for Health Policy Research policy brief found that older Californians living in rural areas are more like to have heart disease, be overweight, and experience falls and food insecurity. About 710,000 California residents ages 65 and older live in rural areas. The study recommended implementing policies to increase access to health care, transportation and healthy food. Capital Public Radio.
Report: Publicly Traded Managed Medicaid Plans Have High Clerical Costs
A Commonwealth Fund report finds that publicly traded, for-profit Medicaid managed care plans spend more on administrative costs than similar non-publicly traded plans. The report comes as Medicaid managed care plans grow in popularity. CQ HealthBeat, Modern Healthcare.