Latest California Healthline Stories
House Postpones Vote on Health Reform Repeal After Arizona Shooting
The House has postponed indefinitely legislation that would repeal the federal health reform law following the Arizona shooting in which Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was critically injured. On Friday, the House voted to allow the bill to move forward to a final floor vote. CQ Today et al.
Poll: Small Businesses More Likely To Provide Coverage
Small business owners say that tax benefits offered through the federal health reform law will make them more likely to provide health insurance to their employees, according to a poll by Small Business Majority, a not-for-profit small business advocacy organization. According to the poll, one-third of employers that currently do not offer insurance said they would be more likely to offer it because of the tax credits. San Diego Union-Tribune.
Sebelius Details HHS’ Health Reform Priorities in Interview
In an interview with the New England Journal of Medicine, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius discussed the department’s priorities in implementing the federal health reform law. Sebelius said HHS is striving to promote affordable health insurance coverage, change the Medicare payment formula, address the shortage of primary care providers and boost preventive measures. New England Journal of Medicine.
Health Affairs Pieces Examine Reform Law’s Calif. Impact
A Health Affairs article estimates that the federal health reform law can extend coverage to 3.4 million additional California residents in the coming years. The journal also includes a commentary from Kim Belshé, former secretary of the state’s Health and Human Services Agency and member of the California Health Benefit Exchange. KQED’s “The California Report.”
GOP Governors Seek To Axe Reform Provision on Medicaid Enrollment
Today, 33 Republican governors and governors-elect are expected to send a letter to the Obama administration asking officials to remove a provision of the federal health reform law that cuts federal matching funds for states that reduce Medicaid enrollment. Wall Street Journal.
CBO: Repeal of Reform Law Would Contribute to Uninsured Rolls, Deficit
A report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that GOP legislation to repeal the health reform law would add $230 billion to the national debt by 2021 and leave 32 million U.S. residents without health insurance coverage. Los Angeles Times et al.
Kelso Defends Efforts To Improve Prison Health Care
A recent article describing a contract between the California Prison Health Care Services and Health Net Federal Services “does not reflect the story behind the Receivership’s efforts to control costs and improve the standards of health care in California’s 33 state prisons,” J. Clark Kelso, the state’s federally appointed receiver for prison health care, writes in a Capitol Weekly opinion piece. Kelso writes that during fiscal year 2009-2010, officials “implemented substantial changes to improve quality of care while simultaneously reducing unnecessary costs,” and the contract represents “another initiative designed to further improve access to health care.” Capitol Weekly.
BMJ: Study Linking Vaccine to Autism Used Faulty Data
A 1998 study linking vaccines to autism was based on fraudulent data and has caused widespread damage to public health, according to a new report published in the British Medical Journal. For the report, journalist Brian Deer compared the study subjects’ hospital records with reported diagnoses and found that researchers had altered patient data. David Amaral, a research director at UC-Davis, said the “most destructive” result of the study is that it undermined the “public’s confidence in the integrity of science.” AP/NPR et al.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of January 7, 2011
A judge recently ordered Marin General Hospital Corporation into arbitration over its claim that Sutter Health illegally diverted $120 million in profits from the hospital. Meanwhile, Anthem Blue Cross has threatened to terminate its agreement with Washington Hospital in Fremont.
Counties Gear Up To Boost Enrollment Under Waiver
California’s five-year, $10 billion waiver for Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, will let counties apply for additional funding to insure more residents. Counties that already have or are planning to start certain coverage programs can apply for funds through February, and officials are expected to disburse funds in June. Ventura County Star.