Latest California Healthline Stories
Pelosi Praises Health Reform During Speech at S.F. Church
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday touted health reform legislation approved last week by Congress during an appearance at the Glide Memorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco. Pelosi said the legislation would provide health insurance to millions of uninsured and also would be a “job creator,” and she questioned efforts to repeal the law. San Francisco Chronicle, AP/San Jose Mercury News.
Editorial Criticizes State Efforts To Nullify Health Law
A Sacramento Bee editorial
argues that recent efforts by several states to nullify the federal health
reform law “won’t pass legal muster.” It concludes, “Rather than
skirmishing about the new law in the courts, proponents and opponents would do
better to settle this policy issue through a ‘keep it’ or ‘repeal it’ debate in
the normal election process.” Sacramento Bee.
Obama To Nominate Berwick To Head Up CMS, Officials Say
President Obama is expected to nominate Donald Berwick — a physician, health policy professor and quality and patient safety expert — to become the new CMS administrator. However, policy analysts say he will face strong pushback from Republicans during Senate confirmation hearings. Bloomberg et al.
Assembly Bill Would Increase Debt Break for Nurses
A bill by Assembly member Steve Knight would allow nurses to eliminate up to $40,000 in student loans if they work at a prison or veterans home for four years. Currently, nurses can eliminate up to $20,000 in student debt if they participate in the State Nursing Assumption Program of Loans for Education-Nursing State Facilities. The Assembly Higher Education Committee unanimously approved the bill. San Bernardino County Sun.
UC Forms Committee To Study Takeover of Prison Health Care System
The University of California’s Board of Regents has created a committee to study whether it should take control of the state’s prison health care system. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has endorsed the proposal of giving UC control of California’s prison health care system as a way to curb costs. AP/Ventura County Star et al.
Health Reform Law Steps Up Focus on Disease Prevention, Wellness
The recently approved health care reform law includes several provisions aimed at promoting disease prevention and healthy lifestyles. The law calls for the creation of a $15 billion fund for preventive care and wellness programs. Los Angeles Times.
President Obama Signs Order Preventing Funds for Abortion
President Obama quietly signed an executive order Wednesday that assures no federal money goes to abortion under health reform. The Obama administration proposed the order to win support from a group of House Democrats who argued that health reform language did not go far enough to prevent federal funding of abortion. AP/Los Angeles Daily News.
Opinion: Health Reform a Mixed Bag for Immigrants
Health reform will expand access to insurance for documented immigrants through new exchanges; however, many of them will be unable to afford such coverage and are not eligible for Medicaid, Sonal Ambegaokar, a health policy attorney at the National Immigration Law Center writes. She also notes that undocumented immigrants are not permitted to join insurance exchanges, nor are they able to purchase coverage with their own money. New America Media.
Busier Hospitals Have Lower Mortality Rates, Study Finds
Hospitals that treat heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia more often had lower mortality rates for these conditions than smaller hospitals, according to a study published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine. For the study, researchers analyzed Medicare claims from 2004 through 2006. AP/Ventura County Star.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of March 26, 2010
The regional branch of the Service Employees International Union recently ratified a contract with 1,200 workers at California Pacific Medical. Meanwhile, officials have decided to close the 35-bed Kingsburg District Hospital because of financial and quality issues.