Latest California Healthline Stories
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of October 29, 2010
Nurses at Watsonville Community Hospital are expected to return to work today after holding a strike earlier this week. Meanwhile, a Superior Court judge has refused to block a central part of a controversial plan to reorganize City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte.
Survey: Nursing Home Costs Rising Across U.S., California
Although nursing home and assisted living costs increased significantly across the country last year, certain regions of California saw costs increase by nearly twice as much as national averages, according to a new market survey by MetLife. Over the last year, national average rates for private nursing home rooms rose by 4.6% and national average rates for private rooms in assisted living centers rose by 5.2%. In California — excluding Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco — average rates for private nursing home rooms rose by 8% and average rates for private rooms in assisted living centers rose by nearly 15%, according to the survey. Sacramento Business Journal.
Editorial Criticizes Dearth of Kids’ Issues in Governor Race
It is “appalling … that the major-party candidates for governor have so little to say” about issues relating to California’s children, a Sacramento Bee editorial states. The Bee states that Democratic candidate Jerry Brown and GOP candidate Meg Whitman have failed to describe how they would address issues such as childhood obesity, children’s health insurance coverage and racial disparities. “What would Brown or Whitman do on these issues? Voters have little or no idea,” the Bee argues. Sacramento Bee.
HHS ‘Early Innovators’ Program To Encourage Health Plan Exchanges
HHS is organizing an initiative that will recognize specific state efforts to set up health insurance exchanges, which are mandated under the health reform law. Participating states will be shown as a model for other states to follow in their work on the exchanges. Politico.
Budget Cuts Force Jacumba Community Clinic To Shutter
High Desert Family Medicine, which serves about 600 indigent residents in Jacumba, will close on Monday because of funding cuts associated with Gov. Schwarzenegger’s line-item vetoes in the recently passed budget package. The governor’s line-item vetoes removed $10 million from the Expanded Access to Primary Care program, which provided funding for community clinics across the state. San Diego Union-Tribune.
S.F. Commission Accepts City Health Services Master Plan
On Thursday, the San Francisco Planning Commission voted 5-1 to approve a proposal by Supervisor David Campos that would set up a health care services master plan. The measure requires medical facility construction projects and plans to adjust health care services to undergo a review process by city officials. The ordinance will take at least one year to take effect. San Francisco Chronicle.
Health Experts Criticize Fiorina’s Proposal To Rework Health System
Several health experts — including many with ties to the Obama administration — criticized Republican Senate candidate Carly Fiorina’s plan to repeal the federal health reform law and replace it with a different model. Los Angeles Times‘ “PolitiCal,” San Francisco Chronicle.
Loss of Funding Hurts Health Plan for Low-Income Children
The Healthy Kids Healthy Future insurance program is losing funding from the California Endowment and Blue Shield Foundation and will be forced to disenroll 680 children ages six to 18, according to Executive Director Jennifer Kwan. The program insures children in Colusa, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yuba counties. Sacramento Bee.
Doctor-Owned Hospitals Aim To Secure Medicare Certification by 2011
Physician-owned hospitals are moving quickly to open and obtain Medicare certification before 2011, when the health reform law bans such facilities from participating in the program. Critics say the law should not negatively affect any hospital models. Kaiser Health News/USA Today.
Plan To Grant Oversight of San Francisco Health Services Stirring Debate
A proposal by San Francisco Supervisor David Campos calls for health organizations to demonstrate that any proposed medical facility construction projects or changes in health care services align with a citywide Health Services Master Plan. San Francisco Chronicle.