Latest California Healthline Stories
Recommended Increase in Medicare Pay Lower Than Expected Cost Hike
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission is recommending that Congress increase payments for inpatient hospital care by 1.5% next year even though the panel expects costs to increase by 2.5%. The difference is expected to make up for recent overpayments. CQ HealthBeat, HealthLeaders Media.
Editorial Chides Move To Cut California Mammogram Effort
California should not go through with plans to suspend enrollment in the Every Woman Counts program and tighten coverage standards for mammograms, an editorial states, adding that the timing of the decision calls into question what role recent mammogram recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force had on the decision. Ventura County Star.
California Clinics Win Funds in Round of Stimulus Grants
Santa Clara Valley Health and Hospital System and Contra Costa County clinics are among the beneficiaries of more than $500 million in federal economic stimulus grants that President Obama announced yesterday. The awards will be used for clinic construction and health information technology efforts. Contra Costa Times, San Jose Mercury News.
New Patient Safety Effort Sets Sights on Public Hospitals
This week, the National Patient Safety Foundation, the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems, and Kaiser Permanente kicked off a two-year effort aimed at boosting patient safety in 85 facilities nationwide. Six California hospitals are participating in the first phase of the project. HealthLeaders Media.
Mills-Peninsula Palo Alto Medical Foundation To Merge
On Wednesday, 88% of the doctors in Mills-Peninsula Medical Group voted to approve a merger with Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Earlier this year, Mills-Peninsula Health Services and PAMF united their hospitals under a single governance structure under Sutter Health, the organizations’ parent company. San Jose Mercury News.
H1N1 Response Underscores Effects of Recent Budget Cuts
As public health agencies nationwide have shifted staff and other resources to respond to H1N1 flu outbreaks, officials have had to scale back other efforts as a result of staffing cuts over the past year. Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties offer examples of trade-offs public health officials are making. Wall Street Journal.
State Intends To Switch Contractors for Medi-Cal Claims Management
After 20 years of contracting a Hewlett-Packard subsidiary to manage Medi-Cal claims processing, California has announced plans to award a 10-year, $1.4 billion contract to Affiliated Computer Services. HP is weighing whether to appeal the contract change. Sacramento Bee.
CMS Awards California Almost $2.5 Million for Electronic Records Effort
Yesterday, CMS announced $16 million for states’ Medicaid information technology planning grants aimed at helping states prepare to administer incentive payments under the federal economic stimulus package. California’s share is about $2.48 million. Government Health IT, CMS release.
Report: U.S., California Backsliding in Spending on Anti-Tobacco Efforts
A new Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids report finds that California spends less than 18% of CDC’s recommended amount for smoking prevention efforts. The report also notes that California has the 32nd-lowest cigarette tax nationwide. Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert,” New York Times.
U.S. Court Sides With California Counties Over Rx Price Data
Yesterday, a federal court ruled that 10 major pharmaceutical companies will need to share the data they use to set prices. Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties sued the firms after a 2005 inspector general report said inadequate oversight of contracts with drugmakers let the firms overcharge public hospitals and safety-net clinics by as much as $41 million monthly. San Jose Mercury News.