Latest California Healthline Stories
Concerns Raised Over Plan To Shift Emergency Services Funding
Opponents of a plan to move money from an emergency medical services fund to Medi-Cal argue that hospitals could be forced to cut back on services or close emergency departments. Lawmakers are seeking to transfer $55 million away from the fund. Los Angeles Times.
Senator Seeking Inquiry Into Hospitals’ Billing Practices
Senate Health Committee Chair Ed Hernandez has sent a letter to Howard Backer, interim state health director, asking the California Department of Public to conduct an investigation of Prime Healthcare’s Medicare claims. The hospital chain has been under scrutiny for reporting high rates of certain types of infection and malnutrition. California Watch.
HHS Official Defends Health Reform Law’s Long-Term Care Program
HHS Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee says the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports program will not launch until it is financially sustainable. A newly introduced bill would repeal the program because of funding concerns. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch” et al.
L.A. Care Sets Aside Funds for Adoption of Health IT
L.A. Care Health Plan — California’s largest managed care insurer for Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program — has allocated up to $2 million for its health care provider network to implement electronic health record systems. Payers & Providers.
State Legislature Approves Main Budget Bill, Dodges Tax Measure
State lawmakers have passed a primary budget measure that includes $14 billion in funding cuts, shifts and loans. The spending cuts hit some health care programs. Lawmakers have not reached an agreement on tax extensions. Sacramento Bee et al.
Generic Drug Programs Could Save Consumers, Gov’t $5.8B
U.S. consumers and the federal government could save an estimated $5.8 billion annually if every eligible individual switched to one of the increasingly available $4 generic drug programs, according to a study published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Under the programs, various pharmacy chains like Wal-Mart and Target offer a 30-day supply of certain generic medications — such as cholesterol-lowering and allergy drugs, antibiotics and antidepressants — for $4. Yuting Zhang, the study’s lead author, noted that the study did not seek to promote specific pharmacies’ generic drug programs, but to spur discussions between physicians and patients regarding the cost benefits of such programs. Reuters.
Congress Approves New Stopgap Budget Measure for Federal Government
On Thursday, the Senate voted to approve a new stopgap continuing resolution spending bill that would keep the federal government funded through April 8. The House-approved measure does not contain any provisions to remove funding from the health reform law. Roll Call et al.
Poll: Many Californians Deem Public Workers’ Pensions Too Generous
A Field Poll released on Thursday finds that California residents think public pensions for state and local government workers are too generous. Respondents agree with suggestions made by a state agency that pension benefits should be pared back. Riverside Press-Enterprise et al.
Heavy Smoking, Lung Cancer Rates Drop Significantly
The percentage of high-intensity smokers — defined as individuals who smoke at least one pack of cigarettes per day — in California dropped from 23.2% in 1965 to 2.6% in 2007, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Nationwide, the percentage of high-intensity smokers fell from 22.9% to 7.2% during the same time period. The study also found that California had a lung cancer rate of 77.1 per 100,000 people in 2007, 24% lower than the nationwide rate of 101.7 cases per 100,000 residents. The report credits the state’s tobacco-control programs with helping to lower high-intensity smoking and lung cancer rates. However, John Peirce — a UC-San Diego researcher and lead author of the study — noted that because California’s tobacco control efforts are funded through tobacco taxes and smoking is down, the programs now are receiving less money. Los Angeles Times‘ “Booster Shots” et al.
County Aims To Enroll More Kids in Public Health Plans
On Wednesday, Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan announced new efforts to expand health coverage to the estimated 13,000 county children who are eligible for publicly funded health coverage — such as Medi-Cal and Healthy Families — but are not yet enrolled. Among other efforts, Chan said the county will increase community outreach and begin using an online tool, called One-E-App, that allows families to electronically apply for health benefits. Oakland Tribune, San Lorenzo Patch.