Latest California Healthline Stories
Ventura County OKs Funding for Health Worker Training
On Tuesday, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors voted to provide $52,000 in funding and equipment to help the Conejo Valley Adult School launch training programs for radiology and surgical technicians. Supervisor Peter Foy cast the lone no vote, arguing that the county should save funding for its own health programs. Ventura County Star.
Biotech Firms Exempt From S.F. Payroll Taxes Until 2014
Biotechnology companies operating in San Francisco will be exempt from city payroll taxes until August 2014 under an extension approved Tuesday by supervisors. Supervisors first approved the exemption in 2004 as a way to make San Francisco attractive to such companies. San Francisco Business Times.
Sutter Health Awards $1.48M to Community Health Clinics
Sutter Health has awarded grants totaling $1.48 million to 18 community health clinics and Northern California. According to Sutter Health, the grants will go toward equipment purchases or upgrades, increasing clinic capacity or hours of operation and launching disease prevention or management programs. Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal.
Leahy Amendment Would Repeal Antitrust Exemption for Insurers
Yesterday, Sen. Patrick Leahy introduced an amendment to financial regulatory legislation that would repeal the federal antitrust exemption for health insurers. Opponents of the measure argue that eliminating the exemption could lead to consolidation of the insurance industry. CQ Today.
San Diego Care Providers Get $15.3M Grant for Health IT
Vice President Biden and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Tuesday announced $220 million in federal grants for 15 groups around the nation to improve health information technology, including $15.3 million for a consortium of San Diego County hospitals and community clinics. The funds come through the Beacon Community program, and the San Diego consortium will use the money to linking electronic health records within each provider’s network. San Diego Union-Tribune.
Bill Would Require Calif. Hospitals To Pay for Work-Related Injuries
A bill making its way through the Legislature would make nurses and other health care workers with certain conditions or injuries eligible for workers’ compensation benefits unless hospitals can prove that the conditions were not work-related. The bill would apply to more than 350,000 workers. Sacramento Bee.
Sebelius Urges States To Re-Examine WellPoint’s Rate Hikes for Errors
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius sent a letter urging state officials to re-examine any WellPoint health insurance rate hikes in their states. The move comes after auditors in California found that WellPoint subsidiary Anthem Blue Cross’ rate hikes were based on flawed calculations. Wall Street Journal.
House Minority Leader Says GOP Will Repeal Health Law
House Minority Leader John Boehner said Republicans will repeal the new health reform law if his party gains a congressional majority in November. He said the GOP would replace the reform law with “common-sense steps” to lower health insurance costs. NPR’s “Morning Edition.”
VA Mulls Lowering PTSD Threshold To Expedite Claims
Seeking to expedite disability claims processing for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, the Department of Veterans Affairs has proposed lowering the burden of proof for the condition. However, some experts have said that doing so could increase the likelihood of fraud within the system. Meanwhile, House Veterans Affairs Committee Chair Bob Filner has requested that the next funding bill for the war in Afghanistan dedicate 15% of its total cost to mental health care for veterans. AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, CongressDaily.
Specialists Make Twice as Much as Primary Care Doctors, Study Finds
A new study published in the journal Health Affairs finds that amount of money medical specialists accumulate over their careers is twice as high as that of primary care physicians. Lower compensation could make primary care a less desirable profession for medical students. Wall Street Journal et al.