Latest California Healthline Stories
Opinion: Bill Would Prevent Taxing of Health Benefits
In a Fresno Bee opinion piece, Assembly member Henry Perea writes that he introduced a bill to “prevent the value of health benefits from being considered taxable income by the state of California.” Perea notes that the legislation already has cleared the Assembly. He writes, “In the next few weeks it will head to the Senate, where it is my hope, and the hope of many, that we will continue the momentum in providing this straightforward tax relief.” Fresno Bee.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of March 8, 2011
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recently approved up to $50 million in funding for the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital. Meanwhile, UC-San Francisco officials have announced that a new $15 million robotic pharmacy at UCSF Medical Center is partly operational.
Review Finds That Health IT Has Benefited Patient Care
The implementation of health IT has had an overall positive effect on health care providers, according to a new analysis published in the journal Health Affairs. Researchers with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT analyzed 154 recent studies and found that 92% reached conclusions suggesting that health IT has benefited patient care. Officials said the findings help affirm the benefits of health IT for large and small medical practices. Government Health IT et al.
Auditor: Grant Medical Parole to Inmates To Save Millions
California stands to save tens of millions of dollars if Gov. Brown chooses to commute the sentences of medically incapacitated prison inmates, according to a set of budget recommendations submitted by state Auditor Elaine Howle. The medical costs of such inmates who are released from custody would shift to their families or other government programs. Los Angeles Times.
Lawmakers Might Seek Compromise on 1099 Tax-Reporting Measure
Lawmakers are attempting to reconcile differences between House and Senate versions of legislation that would eliminate the 1099 tax-reporting provision contained in the health reform law. The disagreement arises from how to offset lost revenue. National Journal et al.
District Hospital CEOs Earn Less Than Peers at Non-Public Facilities
Data from the state controller’s office show that CEOs of California’s district hospitals receive an average of $230,876 in base compensation. The figure is significantly lower than the average base compensation for CEOs at non-public, not-for-profit facilities. Payers & Providers.
Officials Say Proposed Cuts to Medi-Cal Have Ripple Effects
To help address California’s budget deficit, Gov. Brown has proposed reducing Medi-Cal payments to health care providers and establishing copayments for visits to physicians and hospitals. Officials and experts warn that if the proposed cuts take effect, health care providers might refuse to see Medi-Cal beneficiaries. Medi-Cal patients then might seek care at emergency departments and consequently raise costs for hospitals. Riverside Press-Enterprise.
Op-Ed: State ‘Well-Positioned’ To Implement Health Reform
California’s enrollment system that provides access to Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program; CalFresh, the state’s food stamps program; and CalWORKS, the state’s welfare-to-work program, “remains the only successful statewide automation of the three major health and human services programs in the state’s history,” Bruce Wagstaff — administrator of the Sacramento County Countywide Services Agency and former deputy director of the California Department of Social Services — writes in a Capitol Weekly opinion piece. Wagstaff adds that this system “has set California up to be well-positioned and ahead of the game … to implement the federal Affordable Care Act, including … a new Health Benefit Exchange.” Capitol Weekly.
Report: Calif., Other States Cutting Mental Health Care
States have cut a total of $1.8 billion in mental health spending since 2009 in an effort to address budget shortfalls, according to a report by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Over the last two years, California had cut more than $587 million in state spending on mental health services, the largest cut among U.S. states. USA Today et al.
Brown Calls for Lawmakers To Delay Votes on Budget Proposal
Although Gov. Brown initially set today as the deadline for approving his budget plan, he has asked lawmakers to delay voting so negotiations can continue. The delay could push back the date of a possible June special election. Contra Costa Times et al.