Latest California Healthline Stories
Study: 8.4M California Residents Lacked Health Insurance in ’09
UCLA researchers have found that 8.4 million California residents lacked health insurance coverage in 2009, up from 6.4 million in 2007. About 24% of individuals younger than age 65 did not have insurance at some point last year. Los Angeles Times‘ “L.A. Now” et al.
Deadline Looms for Passage of Health Care-Related Legislation
California’s legislative session is scheduled to end next week, meaning that lawmakers must act soon to advance bills to create a health insurance exchange and boost oversight of health insurers. San Francisco Chronicle, AP/Ventura County Star.
Kaiser Permanente Approves Grants for Health Programs
Last week, Kaiser Permanente in Riverside approved 16 community grants totaling nearly $190,500 for the second quarter of this year. The grants will go to programs focused on adolescent mental health, breast cancer, CPR education, dental care and healthy eating. Riverside Press-Enterprise.
Obama Administration Seeks To Strengthen Medical Privacy Rules
The Obama administration is working to enhance patient privacy guidelines after criticism emerged that the proposed rules failed to adequately protect patient data. HHS officials plan to release final rules on safeguarding patient medical information this fall. New York Times.
Whitman Unsure on Joining Health Care Reform Lawsuit
Meg Whitman, GOP gubernatorial candidate, is uncertain whether she would have California join a lawsuit against the health reform law’s individual mandate, which requires residents to obtain insurance or face a penalty. Darrel Ng, a campaign spokesperson, said Whitman will not say whether she would support the lawsuit until a ruling is made on a suit filed by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. San Francisco Chronicle.
Review: Prosecutions of Elder Abuse Down Under Attorney General Brown
A California Watch review finds that Attorney General Jerry Brown’s office has prosecuted fewer elder abuse cases than his predecessor. Officials in Brown’s office say there has been no conscious effort to downplay elder abuse cases. California Watch/San Francisco Chronicle.
Sutter Health Prices Exceed Competitors’, Analysis Finds
Prices at Sutter Health — a health care system that manages 24 hospitals and 3,500 physicians and has $8.8 billion in revenue — are higher than those at neighboring health care facilities because it controls more than a third of the market in about a dozen counties, according to an analysis of Sutter records and insurance executive statements. Sutter’s market power allows the system to charge prices that are 40% to 70% higher than its competitors. Bloomberg/San Francisco Chronicle.
Commission Considers Strategies To Maximize Long-Term Care in Calif.
The Little Hoover Commission, a Sacramento-based think thank, is developing recommendations on how the state could maximize long-term care services for seniors and residents with disabilities, while minimizing spending amid ongoing budget strain. Ventura County Star.
Deaf Advocates Blast Bill To Create Brochure for Parents
Deaf-advocacy groups are lobbying against a bill, by Assembly member Tony Mendoza, that would direct a 13-member panel to create an informational brochure for parents with a diagnosed deaf child. Advocates argue that the measure promotes cochlear implants and does not incorporate perspectives from the deaf community. The bill has passed the Assembly and is awaiting a vote in the Senate. Sacramento Bee.
Opinion Pieces Spar Over Nurse-to-Patient Ratios
In 1999, California enacted a law mandating specific numbers of nurses in various hospital departments, and the law “is likely the most significant patient safety reform in state history” because it “reduces patient deaths and assures nurses more time to spend with patients,” according to Geri Jenkins, a San Diego-based registered nurse and past co-president of the California Nurses Association. However, John Graham — director of Health Care Studies at the Pacific Research Institute — and Robert Hertzka — former president of the California Medical Association — write, “Such laws move responsibility for safe hospital staffing away from communities and local governments in favor of distant bureaucracies,” adding that the California law “has resulted in cases of reduced patient care.” San Diego Union-Tribune.