Latest California Healthline Stories
Assembly Subcommittee Votes Against Fingerprinting
An Assembly Budget Committee’s subcommittee on Wednesday voted against a plan to spend $8.2 million this year to photograph and fingerprint beneficiaries of the In-Home Supportive Services program as an anti-fraud measure. A Senate Budget Committee subpanel also has voted against the plan, which aimed to prevent recipients from enrolling in more than one county or using a different name to enroll in multiple programs. Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert.”
Calif. Hospitals Weighing Creation of Foundations To Employ Physicians
The Hospital Association of Southern California’s plan would create a joint medical foundation to contract with physician groups. City of Hope Medical Center also is considering a plan to create a foundation to employ physicians. Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Daily News.
Opinion: Prevention Efforts Could Improve Fiscal Health
Taking steps to invest in prevention activities could not only improve the health of Californians but also the state’s fiscal health, state Controller John Chiang and Larry Cohen, executive director of the Prevention Institute, write in a San Jose Mercury News opinion piece. They add that a recent study by the institute and the Trust for America’s Health found that if California invested $10 per person in prevention activities, it could reduce the state’s health spending by $1.7 billion over five years. San Jose Mercury News.
L.A. County Falling Short on Juvenile Inmate Health Care
Los Angeles County officials say they are unlikely to meet the U.S. Department of Justice’s deadlines for complying with a mandate to improve the health and safety of youth in detention facilities. DOJ released a report last month finding that more than 2,000 juveniles faced unsafe conditions or experienced substandard levels of mental health care. Los Angeles Times.
Senate Panel Shelves Soda Tax That Aimed To Curb Childhood Obesity
The Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee put SB 1210 on hold because of its potential effect on the state budget. The bill, by Sen. Dean Florez, would have taxed sugar-sweetened beverages to raise funds for childhood obesity prevention programs. Los Angeles Times‘ “PolitiCal.”
Experts Tell Lawmakers About Health Reform’s Challenges for California
During a joint session of the Assembly and Senate health committees, health policy experts outlined some of the difficulties California will face in expanding coverage and implementing other provisions of the health reform law. San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee.
Wireless Health Institute Gets $20M To Boost Production
A $20 million donation from San Diego philanthropists Gary and Mary West will help the West Wireless Health Institute recruit more engineers to work on wireless technology that will help patients monitor their health conditions and remember to take medications. The Wests in 2009 gave $45 million to launch the institute. San Diego Union-Tribune.
GOP Launches Criticism of Berwick’s Nomination as CMS Administrator
Republican leaders argue that Donald Berwick’s work with comparative effectiveness research and the United Kingdom’s National Health Service suggest that he supports care “rationing.” President Obama recently nominated Berwick for CMS administrator. Boston Globe et al.
Health Net Will Continue To Administer TRICARE Benefits
The Department of Defense has decided to retain Health Net for one of its three regional contracts for TRICARE, the health insurance program for military personnel, their dependents and retirees. The department initially planned to award the $16 billion contract to Aetna but re-evaluated Aetna’s bid after Health Net appealed. Under the contract, Health Net will administer health benefits for three million beneficiaries in 22 Eastern and Midwestern states and Washington, D.C. Sacramento Bee.
IHSS, Healthy Families Could Face Elimination in Budget Plan
Tomorrow, Gov. Schwarzenegger is expected to release a revised budget plan that could dismantle California’s In-Home Supportive Services program and Healthy Families. Previous efforts to scale back the programs have been overturned by federal courts, but officials say the courts might lack the authority to reverse a wholesale elimination of the programs. Los Angeles Times et al.