Latest California Healthline Stories
CSU To Offer Doctorate in Nursing at Some Campuses
On Wednesday, California State University’s Board of Trustees voted to create a doctorate in nursing practice at several CSU campuses. The doctorate degree will be offered through a joint program of San Jose State University and Fresno State University, a joint program of CSU’s Fullerton, Long Beach and Los Angeles campuses, as well as through a stand-alone program at CSU’s San Diego campus. San Jose Mercury News.
New HHS Report Touts Health Reform Benefits for Consumers, Retirees
A new HHS report finds that consumers who obtain health insurance through state-based exchanges mandated by the health reform law will spend less on premiums than if the law did not pass. The report also says early retirees will benefit from the law. Politico, CQ Today.
Wall Street Journal Publisher Sues for Medicare Data Access
On Tuesday, Dow Jones, publisher of the Wall Street Journal, filed a lawsuit seeking access to data about how much Medicare funds individual physicians receive. The issue concerns access to a database — known as the Carrier Standard Analytic File — that includes information on physicians and other health care providers participating in Medicare who are paid on a fee-for-service basis. The American Medical Association maintains that such data should be kept private, while the Journal argues that prohibiting access to the data limits its ability to report on fraud and abuse in Medicare. AP/San Francisco Chronicle, Wall Street Journal.
Officials Urge Parents To Take Advantage of New Children’s Coverage Law
At a conference this week, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones and Assembly member Mike Feuer encouraged parents to enroll their children in health plans under a new state law that requires private insurers to offer children’s coverage under all policies. Los Angeles Times.
Lawmakers Hear Testimony on Brown’s Proposed Health Cuts
This week, Senate and Assembly subcommittees heard from health care advocates who testified about the possible effects of Gov. Brown’s planned cuts to Medi-Cal, the Multipurpose Senior Services Program and other health services. San Francisco Chronicle et al.
CIRM Study Says Stem Cell Grants Helping To Boost State’s Economy
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine is slated to release a report predicting that the $1.1 billion in stem cell research grants it has awarded since 2006 will generate thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue. Sacramento Bee, San Diego Union-Tribune.
Obama Administration Re-Nominates Berwick for CMS Administrator
The White House has re-nominated Donald Berwick as CMS administrator. The Senate now must confirm the nomination. Berwick has held the post since last July, when President Obama used a recess appointment to sidestep the traditional nomination process. Politico.
S.F. Struggles To Integrate Mental Health, Primary Care
San Francisco faces numerous challenges in integrating mental health and primary care services within the San Francisco Department of Public Health, according to a new report from the city Office of the Controller. San Francisco DPH Director Barbara Garcia said the department aims to have a mental health care professional in each of its primary care clinics by the end of the current fiscal year. San Francisco Chronicle.
Number of Dialysis Workers Dwindling Across California
The number of certified dialysis technicians in California has declined from about 5,200 to about 3,800 in recent months, according to a spokesperson for the state Department of Public Health. The decline in certified workers likely stems from a new federal mandate requiring all dialysis technicians to pass a test by April 2010 to continue providing services. California Watch.
Columnist: Regulators Lack Power Over Premium Hikes
A provision in the federal health reform law aims to “keep health insurers from unreasonably running up premiums before 2014, when they’ll come more fully under federal oversight,” Los Angeles Times columnist Michael Hiltzik writes. He adds that although the reform law allows HHS to “set standards as to what constitutes an ‘unreasonable’ increase,” it “doesn’t give federal or state regulators any new powers to reject a proposed premium increase before it’s implemented.” Los Angeles Times.