Latest California Healthline Stories
Safety-Net Facilities Expect To Take Hit Under Reform
Hospital officials across the state believe that health care reform’s cost-reduction efforts may harm the bottom lines of facilities that primarily serve low-income and elderly patients. Officials at safety-net facilities anticipate that billions of dollars in reimbursement funding will be cut from Medicare and Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, and that a larger insured population will not make up for reduced government payments. Fresno Bee.
Opinion: Peer Support Boosts Chronic Disease Management
Peer support is the “secret sauce” that contributes to the success of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, an initiative developed at Stanford University to help individuals learn how to manage chronic conditions, Frederick Ferrer, CEO of the foundation Health Trust, writes in an opinion piece. He concludes, “With the majority of the population becoming older, with all the health challenges that brings, chronic disease management is a simple idea whose time has come.” San Francisco Chronicle.
County Requests State Aid After Diverting Funds for Hospital
Last year, an audit found that Modoc County illegally supported Modoc Medical Center with funds set aside for other projects. The county now is seeking state assistance to pay off the $12.5 million it borrowed for the hospital. AP/Fresno Bee et al.
Genetic Tests Offer Few Real Benefits, Federal Investigation Concludes
A Government Accountability Office report finds that genetic testing kits could provide contradictory and misleading results for consumers. Test makers say their products are sensitive to different genetic markers, which could contribute to different results. CQ HealthBeat et al.
Insurance Officials Say Medical-Loss Regulations Could Come by August
By next month, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners plans to have rules in place to address how health insurers can spend money collected from premiums. Some lawmakers are calling for tight restrictions. CQ HealthBeat, The Hill‘s “Healthwatch.”
Opinion: CLASS Program Will Help Elderly Manage Care
By creating a public insurance program “without exclusion for pre-existing conditions” that “offers a lifetime benefit for people with serious difficulty performing daily living tasks,” the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act will allow enrollees “to age gracefully in the communities of their choice,” Bruce Chernof, president and CEO of the SCAN Foundation, writes in an opinion piece. The CLASS program, part of the health reform law, “creates a conceptual shift away from needing care in old age as an experience rooted in poverty toward one of independence, control and dignity,” he concludes. San Francisco Chronicle.
Report: Economic Status Back Up for Stand-Alone, Not-For-Profit Hospitals
After three years of declining financial reports, stand-alone, not-for-profit hospitals returned to pre-recession economic levels in 2009, according to a new report by Standard & Poor’s. Analysts predict that the trend will continue through 2010. HealthLeaders Media.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of July 23, 2010
An Alameda County Superior Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to halt Eden Medical Center’s rebuilding project. Meanwhile, Mee Memorial Hospital has joined UC-Davis School of Medicine’s rural physician training program, also known as Rural-PRIME.
Report: Medicaid Overspends on Brand-Name Prescriptions
Medicaid overspent by at least $271 million in 2009 on brand-name drugs when generic alternatives existed, according to a new report by the American Enterprise Institute. AEI researchers examined two-thirds of the $21.8 billion Medicaid spent overall on pharmaceuticals last year and found 20 brand-name drugs that Medicaid commonly bought despite the presence of lower-cost generic alternatives. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch.”
BCBS Surpluses Higher Than Recommended, Report Says
A majority of 10 not-for-profit BlueCross BlueShield insurance plans from across the country had more than triple the amount of surplus funds than regulators recommend to ensure plan solvency, according to a Consumers Union report published on Thursday. The report recommends that states cap not-for-profit insurers’ surpluses or consider large surpluses when deciding on potential rate increases. Reuters.