Latest California Healthline Stories
House Approves Federal Budget Measure; Senate Expected To Pass Bill
The House has passed a measure to fund the federal government for three more weeks, and the Senate also is expected to approve it. Several Republicans opposed the GOP-led bill because it omitted provisions to block funding for the health reform law. Los Angeles Times et al.
Assembly, Senate To Hold Floor Votes on Budget Proposal Today
Democratic leaders announced that both houses of the Legislature would hold floor votes on budget legislation today. Meanwhile, a new Field Poll finds that most California voters support Gov. Brown’s tax extension plan. San Francisco Chronicle et al.
Opinion: Calif. Must Address Rising Health Care Costs
In a Capitol Weekly opinion piece, Patrick Johnston — president and CEO of the California Association of Health Plans — attributes high insurance premiums to the rising cost of medical care. He writes, “As the cost of providing services increases, so do insurance premiums. The only way to shrink the impact on consumers is to bring down the rising cost of medical services.” He adds, “With health care costs rising so rapidly, the conversation needs to begin with the prices charged long before Californians receive their premium bills or see the deduction for health insurance on their paycheck.” Johnston concludes, “Change must focus on the underlying costs of hospitalization, doctors’ care, prescription drugs and all the other ingredients that make up 87 cents out of every $1 in premium prices.” Capitol Weekly.
Mass. Health Plan Gets High Marks From Most Residents
Eighty-four percent of surveyed Massachusetts residents say they are satisfied with the state’s health coverage law, which requires most adults to have health insurance and resembles the federal health reform law, according to a poll released by the Massachusetts Health Connector. The poll also found that low-income individuals used the emergency department roughly the same amount as other residents. Reuters.
State’s Diversion Program for Nurses Comes Under Fire
On Monday, Elinore McCance-Katz — a psychiatrist and medical director for the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs — told a Senate panel that a state diversion program for nurses is an “untenable and, in some cases, dangerous situation.” McCance-Katz, who resigned as a volunteer consultant to the program, said Maximus Health Services — the contractor that helps run diversion programs — has caseloads that are “far too high … to effectively monitor clients” and “appears to have no medical director.” Meanwhile, Brian Stiger — director of the California Department of Consumer Affairs, which oversees the Board of Registered Nursing and other health care boards — called for an outside auditor to examine all of the state’s health care diversion programs. Los Angeles Times.
Health Net Reports Data Breach Affecting 1.9M Current, Past Enrollees
Health Net reported that nine server drives containing personal and financial data on about 1.9 million current and former policyholders have gone missing from its data center in Rancho Cordova. The breach affects about 845,000 California residents. San Diego Union-Tribune et al.
FDA To Oversee Johnson & Johnson Plants After Recalls
FDA will oversee three Johnson & Johnson manufacturing plants following multiple quality lapses that resulted in a string of recalls over the last several months. FDA filed a consent decree last week to gain authority over J&J’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit, saying recent “inspections have confirmed that violations persist and additional work is needed to fully address the deficiencies and achieve sustained compliance with the law.” Reuters, NPR’s “Shots.”
Demand for Direct Care Staff To Rise; Wages Remain Low
Demand for direct care workers — such as personal care attendants, home health aides and nursing assistants — is expected to continue to grow as the U.S. population ages and efforts to curb spending on nursing homes and hospitals heighten. However, a new PHI report finds that nearly half of direct care workers earn wages close to the poverty level. According to the report, the nationwide average wage paid to a direct care worker in 2009 was $10.58 an hour. The health reform law requires states to examine whether they have an adequate direct care work force to meet future demands. Worcester Telegram.
State Budget Talks Stall, But Steinberg Gears Up for Senate Floor Vote
Gov. Jerry Brown and GOP lawmakers have reached another impasse in budget negotiations. Despite the lack of bipartisan agreement, Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg aims to hold a floor vote in the Senate this week. Los Angeles Times‘ “PolitiCal,” Sacramento Bee.
GAO: Rx Drug Prices Rose Faster Than Other Medical Goods, Services
A new Government Accountability Office report finds that prescription drug prices have increased more quickly than costs for other medical goods and services. According to the report, brand-name drug prices rose by a yearly average of 8.3% over the last four years. Reuters/Los Angeles Times, National Journal.