Latest California Healthline Stories
Report: Preventable Deaths in Calif. Prisons Fell in 2009
Fewer preventable deaths occurred among California’s prison inmates in 2009, compared with the previous three years, according to a new report from the office of California’s federally appointed prison medical receiver. The report found that 46 preventable deaths occurred last year, down from 66 in 2008 and 68 in 2007. A preventable death refers to a case in which better medical care might have prevented or postponed the inmate’s death. AP/San Jose Mercury News.
Sebelius Warns Insurers Not To Blame Rate Hikes on Federal Reform Law
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has advised America’s Health Insurance Plans that insurers should stop citing the health reform law as the reason for increases in premiums. Insurers say the reform law is a major cause of increased costs for insurers. AP/Boston Globe et al.
Groups Accuse DHCS of Improperly Sharing Data on Patients With HIV
Three legal groups say the state Department of Health Care Services violated privacy laws by providing information about HIV-positive residents to a not-for-profit group. DHCS says it adhered to state and federal standards. AP/San Jose Mercury News, “California Watch Blog.”
Controller Chiang Says State Can Delay Issuing IOUs Until October
Yesterday, Controller John Chiang announced that California could avoid issuing IOUs until next month. However, the state already has started withholding billions of dollars in payments to health clinics and other groups. Sacramento Bee et al.
Chamber of Commerce Ad Touts Villines’ Business Stance
On Wednesday, the California Chamber of Commerce launched a $2 million television advertisement praising Assembly member Mike Villines — who is campaigning for the state insurance commissioner post — for supporting issues promulgated by the chamber. The ad does not specifically mention his campaign and therefore does not have to disclose who funded the advertisement. Villines’ opponent in the race, Assembly member Dave Jones, says the ad is misleading. Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert,” Los Angeles Times‘ “PolitiCal.”
Lucile Packard Hospital Fined $250,000 Over Data Breach
The California Department of Public Health has levied a $250,000 fine against Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford University for not reporting a data breach involving information on 532 patients. Lucile Packard also received two fines, each of $1,500, for two separate incidents involving breaches of medical records. HealthLeaders Media.
Court Issues Stay on Ruling To Limit Funding for Stem Cell Research
On Thursday, a federal appeals court granted the Obama administration’s request to lift an earlier ruling that placed a temporary ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. The stay will be in place while the Department of Justice appeals the ruling. New York Times et al.
Editorial Stumps for Bill To Start Nursing Doctorate Plan
Gov. Schwarzenegger should sign into law a bill that would “allow the California State University system to offer a doctorate of nursing practice program” to “train thousands more nurses and instructors” to help alleviate an estimated “registered nurse shortage of up to 59,000 full-time positions,” a Bakersfield Californian editorial states. The Californian adds that the program also would train “nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists and midwives,” concluding that “the bill will help improve the quality of California’s health care.” Bakersfield Californian.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of September 10, 2010
Clark Construction and McCarthy Builders have received a $451 million contract to construct a 500,000 square-foot hospital at the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base. Meanwhile, Alameda County Medical Center is moving forward on a $668 million project to rebuild Highland Hospital.
Health Insurance Exchanges Pose Challenges for States
The federal health reform law calls for states to build online health insurance exchanges, which will require levels of systems engineering and integration that most states have never attempted. To establish the exchanges, states will need to tackle several challenges, such as merging different health plan options with enrollment for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and other state-run services. Government Health IT.