Latest California Healthline Stories
House Will Consider Raft of Health-Related Legislation This Week
Today, the House is expected to vote on bills to remove funding for state-based insurance exchanges and school-based health clinics. Later this week, the chamber is slated to vote on blocking federal funds for abortion services and to hold a hearing on HHS policy. CQ HealthBeat et al.
Senate Approves Contracts With Six Unions for State Employees
The Senate has passed a bill to ratify contracts with six unions representing more than 50,000 state workers. The measure aims to reduce state spending by about $350 million to help close California’s budget deficit. Contra Costa Times et al.
Agencies Release Guidelines on Marketing Food to Kids
Last week, CDC, FDA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Federal Trade Commission issued new guidelines on food industry marketing to children in an effort to reduce childhood obesity. The recommendations stipulate that food marketed to children should contain zero trans fat, one gram or less of saturated fat and no more than 13 grams of added sugar. New York Times et al.
Gov. Brown Continues To Work After Minor Surgery
On Friday, Gov. Brown underwent a medical procedure to
remove a cancerous growth from his nose. A Brown spokesperson on Sunday said
the governor will “continue to focus with laser intensity” on state
issues — including efforts to extend tax increases to close California’s
budget deficit — while he recuperates. San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee.
Anthem Proceeds With Premium Hikes Deemed ‘Unreasonable’ by State
The California Department of Managed Health Care has called Anthem Blue Cross’ health insurance rate hikes, which took effect Sunday, “unreasonable.” The action represents the first time the agency made such a designation of planned rate increases. Los Angeles Times et al.
Elder Care Budget Cuts Bring Uncertainty to Larger Reform
Budget reductions to local adult day health care centers could be undermining state and national efforts to keep elderly individuals out of more costly long-term care facilities. Medi-Cal pays an average daily rate of $173.34 for nursing home care, compared with $76.27 per day for adult day health care. According to Gregory Franklin — deputy director of health care operations at the Department of Health Care Services — the state could apply for a provision under the federal health reform law that would provide more matching funds for community- and home-based care services. San Jose Mercury News.
Contra Costa County Clinic Seeing More Need for Care
RotaCare Pittsburg clinic in Contra Costa County has started referring patients to other sites and is trying to recruit more primary care physicians. Barbara Hunt — development director at St. Vincent de Paul, which is a co-sponsor of the clinic — said the situation calls attention to the need for more health care services in the county, which has about 140,000 uninsured residents. The no-cost clinic opened in February. Contra Costa Times.
CBO Evaluates Effects of Defunding Health Exchanges
New legislation that would repeal mandatory funding in the federal health reform law for states to establish health insurance exchanges would cut the federal deficit by about $14 billion over 10 years, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis released last week. However, the legislation also would delay the operation of such exchanges, the report added. Reuters, Modern Healthcare.
California Health Care Personnel News Update for April 2011
Tim Moran — service area president for Catholic Healthcare West and president of Methodist Hospital of Sacramento — resigned on April 15. Meanwhile, David Carlisle plans to step down from his role as director of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development on June 1.
Court Lifts Ban on Federal Embryonic Stem Cell Research Funding
On Friday, a federal appeals court, in a 2-1 decision, sided with the Obama administration and lifted an injunction that prohibited the use of federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. The ruling sends the case back to Federal District Court in Washington, D.C. New York Times et al.