Latest California Healthline Stories
Justice Department Files Formal Appeal in Ruling Against Health Reform
On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice formally filed an appeal of a judge’s ruling that voided the entire health reform law. The case moves to a court of appeals in Atlanta, where judges will hear arguments on the lawsuit beginning in late summer or early fall. New York Times et al.
Editorial Warns Budget Cuts Would Harm State Safety Net
Proposed reductions in programs like Medi-Cal — California’s Medicaid program — and CalWORKS — the state’s welfare-to-work program — “have ugly implications for all state residents, not just the poor and disadvantaged,” a Los Angeles Times editorial states. The Times writes that reductions to Medi-Cal “would cause doctors and hospitals to pass on more of their costs to patients with private insurance, leading to higher premiums,” concluding that “shrinking California’s safety net” is not “a solution to the state’s budget problems; it’s just laying the groundwork for something worse.” Los Angeles Times.
Most Nursing Homes Have Employed People With Prior Convictions
A new report by the HHS Office of Inspector General finds that 92% of U.S. nursing homes have employed at least one person with a prior criminal conviction. California does not publicly report arrest records for nursing assistants. HealthLeaders Media, California Watch.
Columnist: Planned Medi-Cal Cuts Face ‘Stiff Opposition’
“The history of Medi-Cal,” California’s Medicaid program that was set up in the 1960s, “is another case study of what happens when politicians and voters create open-ended ‘entitlements’ without any thought to long-term consequences,” Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Walters writes. “Nearly a half-century later,” Gov. Brown’s proposed budget cuts to the program face “stiff opposition from advocates for Medi-Cal recipients and their medical providers, and reluctance among Democrats to make deep cuts.” Sacramento Bee.
GOP Senators Declare Impasse in Negotiations on State Budget
On Monday, five Republican senators announced that state budget discussions had stalled. Gov. Brown had sought to reach a budget deal by this Thursday so his proposed tax extension measure could go before voters on a June ballot. Sacramento Bee et al.
Reports Examine Health Disparities in East San Francisco Bay Region
Alameda and Contra Costa counties recently released reports identifying health disparities among certain communities. According to the reports, residents of low-income neighborhoods have shorter life expectancies than those in higher-income areas. Contra Costa Times.
Supreme Court Declines To Review Case Over Generic Drug Deals
The U.S. Supreme Court will not review a lawsuit challenging the practice that allows drug companies to pay competitors to delay manufacturing of generic drugs. Opponents of the deals say they translate to billions in additional costs for consumers. San Francisco Business Times, Reuters.
Health Center Head Warns of Proposed Funding Cutbacks
“The House of Representatives recently passed a budget calling for large reductions in spending, including $1.3 billion that supports nearly a thousand [community health centers] across the United States,” C. Dean Germano — CEO of the Shasta Community Health Center in Redding — writes in a Redding Record Searchlight opinion piece. Germano continues that because “CHCs are the only source of health services” in many “remote areas” of the state, the proposed federal funding reduction would “be felt immediately.” He concludes that “the loss of this income could mean the complete elimination of health services with a lot more collateral damage.” Redding Record Searchlight.
Report Lists Salary Data for District Hospital Employees
About 8.5% of employees at three of Sonoma County’s public hospitals received more than $100,000 in annual compensation in 2009, according to a report released last week by the California State Controller’s Office. The report lists salary information for public employees, including those employed by public hospital districts. Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Stockton Faces $544 Million in Medical Costs Over 30 Years
The city of Stockton might have to pay as much as $544 million across the next 30 years for medical benefits for workers and retirees, according to a report by actuary firm Bartel Associates. The city is dealing with a projected general fund deficit of $27 million this year, which is equal to the annual amount that would be required to fund retirees’ health care obligations. Stockton Record.