Latest California Healthline Stories
Study Questions Link Between Geography, Higher Costs
On Thursday, the American Hospital Association released a report that questioned the link between geographic variations in health care spending and rising health costs. AHA said that a study by Dartmouth Atlas, which often is cited by policymakers, did not factor in some reasons for higher health costs within certain regions, such as the number of uninsured residents or number of residents with chronic illnesses. HealthLeaders Media.
Opinion: House Bill Leaves Reform Only ‘Half Done’
Although Democrats should be “salut[ed]” for passing the House health reform bill, the legislation leaves “the job half done” because it does little to control rising health care costs, argues syndicated columnist David Broder. Broder concludes that unless lawmakers come up with better ways to pay for the bill and to control costs, “Congress could end up condemning our children to a far worse financial future than they deserve.” Sacramento Bee.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of November 13, 2009
Santa Clara County supervisors announced a deal to purchase the site of the former San Jose Medical Center for $28.3 million. Meanwhile, UC-Davis Medical Center reported a net income of $55 million last fiscal year, up from $45 million the previous year.
Officials in the Dark About H1N1 Vaccine Availability
Yesterday, California health officials said the state has received 4.5 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine from CDC, far fewer than the 18 million doses needed to cover all of the children and adults in the state who are most vulnerable to the virus. Health officials say they cannot predict when more doses will become available. KPCC’s “KPCC News.”
Groups Take Opposing Stances on Health Plans’ Age Rating Practice
AARP has endorsed the House health reform bill’s 2-1 age rating ratio, meaning that insurers could charge seniors no more than twice what they charge younger enrollees for premiums. Meanwhile, America’s Health Insurance Plans is lobbying lawmakers to support a 5-1 ratio. CQ HealthBeat.
Study: Changing Payments Best Way To Control Costs
The most effective method of controlling health care costs is to bundle payments to all providers who treat a certain procedure, according to a study by RAND that is published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study also recommended other ways to control health spending, including adopting electronic health records, implementing chronic disease programs and widening use of lower-cost providers, such as nurse practitioners. United Press International.
Gov. Submits Plan To Boost Inmate Health by Easing Prison Crowding
Gov. Schwarzenegger has complied with a federal court order to create a plan for reducing the state’s prison population by about 40,000 over two years. Judges previously ruled that the overcrowded prisons led to inadequate inmate health care. San Francisco Chronicle et al.
Hospital Profits Decline to $17B in 2008, AHA Says
The 5,010 community hospitals in the U.S. had profits of $17 billion in 2008, down from $43.1 billion in 2007, according to the American Hospital Association’s 2010 Statistics Guide. The report found that community hospitals claimed revenue of $643.6 billion versus total expenses of $626.6 billion. AHA also reported that community hospital admissions in 2008 increased by 400,000 over 2007, to 35.8 million. HealthLeaders Media.
County Health Agencies Get Boost From Federal H1N1 Protection Funds
Recent federal legislation allocates about $150 million to help local California health agencies combat H1N1 influenza. Several counties are hiring new health workers to help operate vaccine clinics in the region. Capital Public Radio’s “KXJZ News.”
Schwarzenegger Admin. To Submit New Prison Plan
The administration of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger faces a deadline of Thursday to submit to a panel of three federal judges a plan to reduce the number of prison inmates in California by 44,000. The administration submitted a plan earlier this year, but the judges ruled it was inadequate and ordered the administration to submit a new plan. KPCC’s “KPPC News.”