Latest California Healthline Stories
Waxman Pushes for Deeper Savings From Drug Industry
Despite the drug industry pledging to find $80 billion in cost reductions over 10 years to fund health reform, Rep. Henry Waxman is pushing for additional savings through Medicare. In particular, Waxman is trying to recover what he calls a $3.7 billion “windfall” the drug industry received in the first two years of the Medicare prescription drug program. New York Times.
Small Businesses See Rising Employer Costs in Health Care Reform
Major health care reform proposals would require companies to provide employee health benefits or pay fees. Small business owners are expressing concern that such mandates would place significant strain on their finances, particularly during the economic downturn. Sacramento Bee.
Nursing Home in Tracy Fined $100K Over Patient Death
The California Department of Public Health has fined the New Hope Care Center in Tracy, Calif., $100,000 after an investigation found that the nursing home provided inadequate care that led to the death of a 78-year-old woman. Stockton Record.
Sen. Kennedy’s Death Prompts Questions About Implications for Reform
Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy died Tuesday, sparking many to reflect on his legacy on health care and other issues during his long career in the U.S. Senate. Supporters of Democratic health care reform plans say Kennedy’s death could help advance legislation. Roll Call et al.
H1N1 Flu Could Overwhelm Sacramento-Area Hospitals
Some physicians are concerned that the H1N1 influenza, also known as swine flu, could result in local health resources becoming overwhelmed. In the Sacramento area, some physicians have said that a surge in H1N1 flu patients could result in elective surgeries being delayed and more stable patients being shifted out of the intensive care unit to free up room for sicker patients. Sacramento Bee.
Opinion: Waiting on Reform Would Cost More Long-Term
Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s statement that the U.S. should wait to reform the health care system until the country addresses its budget deficit “is wrong” because it “could cost us a heck of a lot more over the long run,” columnist David Lazarus writes. He continues that extending health insurance to the nation’s estimated 47 million uninsured “will be expensive.” However, he asks, “It’s not worth borrowing some more to fix a system that everyone agrees is broken and that will only drive us deeper into debt if left unattended?” Los Angeles Times.
Republican Senators Discuss Efforts on Health Care Reform
In NPR interviews this week, Sen. Mike Enzi said that health care reform legislation would need 75 to 80 votes in the Senate to win public confidence, and Sen. Olympia Snowe said that negotiations should focus on efforts to control costs and ensure access to affordable coverage. Enzi and Snowe are part of a bipartisan group of Senate Finance Committee members participating in negotiations. NPR’s “Morning Edition,” NPR’s “All Things Considered.”
Hearing Scheduled for Sept. 1 Over Furloughs at State Fund
A lawsuit filed by the Service Employees International Union Local 1000 to exempt the about 5,000 employees of the State Compensation Insurance Fund it represents from state-mandated furlough days is scheduled for a Sept. 1 hearing. State Fund President Jan Frank last week filed a cross complaint in the case, seeking to exempt all State Fund workers from the furlough days. Sacramento Bee‘s “The State Worker.”
Healthy San Francisco Receives High Marks for Participant Satisfaction
A new Kaiser Family Foundation survey finds that about 94% of participants are at least somewhat satisfied with Healthy San Francisco. However, respondents also reported confusion about how the program operates and what costs they are required to pay. San Francisco Chronicle.
Stanislaus County Draws Attention to Health Care Option for Young Kids
Gearing up for the possibility of children being dropped from Healthy Families, Stanislaus County officials are publicizing a local program that provides primary care services to pregnant women and children ages five and younger. The program is funded with tobacco tax funds. Modesto Bee.