Latest California Healthline Stories
Senate Confirms Benjamin as U.S. Surgeon General
In a voice vote yesterday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Regina Benjamin as surgeon general. Earlier in the day, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid criticized Republicans for delaying a vote on the nomination amid the H1N1 flu outbreak. New York Times‘ “The Caucus.”
House Leaders Say CBO Estimate Meets President’s Limit on Costs
House Democrats emphasized that the net cost of the Democratic House health care reform proposal would be less than President Obama’s limit of $900 billion over a decade. The proposed Medicaid expansion was met with concern from hospitals and insurers. Roll Call et al.
Efforts Under Way To Expand Availability of One-e-App
The Center To Promote HealthCare Access is placing kiosks in schools in the Los Angeles Unified School district and trying other strategies to increase the use of One-e-App, a Web-based application system for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, food stamps and other programs. California and three other states currently use the system. NewsBlaze.
CalOptima Locates Missing CDs With Patient Information
CDs containing unencrypted information on as many as 68,000 members of CalOptima, Orange County’s Medi-Cal managed care plan, turned up in Atlanta this week. The discs went missing two weeks ago, prompting CalOptima to alert state and federal authorities. Orange County Register‘s “Healthy Living.”
Workers’ Comp Better for Insurers Since Overhaul
A study by the Workers’ Compensation Institute found that attorneys are involved in a smaller percentage of permanent disability claims since laws overhauling the system took effect in 2004. The study also found that payments for permanent disability claims have decreased by 6.5%. Sacramento Business Journal.
Nursing Home in Placerville Receives Most Severe Citation
The California Department of Public Health has issued an “AA” citation and a $100,000 fine to Placerville Pines Care Center for a patient’s death in 2006. The facility plans to contest the citation and fine. Sacramento Bee.
Federal, State Officials Stump for Changes in Health Care System
At the Southern California Health Care Summit, California Medical Association President Dev GnanaDev urged policymakers to boost Medi-Cal payments. Anne Haddix of CDC and National Coordinator for Health IT David Blumenthal also spoke during the event. Riverside Press-Enterprise.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of October 30, 2009
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation pledged as much as $100 million to the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital for its expansion project, and John Muir Health Foundation increased its fundraising goal from $56 million to $60 million.
Schwarzenegger Strays From GOP Criticism of House Reform Measure
Gov. Schwarzenegger did not join other Republican leaders this week in denouncing the House’s latest health care reform bill. Schwarzenegger has said he supports proposals that would expand insurance coverage without shifting excessive costs to states. KPCC’s “KPCC News,” Santa Cruz Sentinel.
California’s Stem Cell Agency Awards $230M for 14 Research Grants
Yesterday, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine announced that it will dole out $230 million to advance stem cell research on various diseases. CIRM said grant recipients should aim to conduct human clinical trials within four years. San Francisco Chronicle et al.