Latest California Healthline Stories
Kaiser Permanente Said To Consider Layoffs for Unionized Employees
Declining patient volume and waning membership have spurred Kaiser Permanente to explore various options for reducing company expenditures. The health system is meeting with union leaders to discuss possible layoffs and other cost-cutting measures. Sacramento Business Journal.
Sebelius: Health Reform Rare Chance To Improve Lives
Reforming the U.S. health care system is a “huge, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve the lives of all” U.S. residents by giving “every American access to quality, affordable health insurance so that if they do get sick, they have the best chance possible of getting better without bankrupting their families,” argues HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Washington Post.
Fresno County Agency Looks at Conflict-of-Interest Policy
Fresno County Behavioral Health Director Giang Nguyen and County Supervisor Henry Perea say the county’s Mental Health Board is breaking state law by including members who also have ties to agencies that do business with the county. County officials are examining the issue. Fresno Bee.
California Reps. Head Home To Discuss Reform Proposals
Congressional representatives from Inland Southern California have scheduled town halls, meetings of advisory panels and other events to get feedback on plans to overhaul the U.S. health care system. House leaders plan to hold a vote on the House’s proposal next month. Riverside Press-Enterprise.
California Has Fourth-Highest Rate of Uninsured in Nation
California has the fourth-highest rate of residents younger than age 65 without health insurance at 21.3%, according to new Census Bureau data. Only Florida, Louisiana and Texas have higher percentages of residents without health insurance. Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert.”
Judge Freezes Assets of Lender That Defaulted on Loans to Hospitals
Yesterday, a federal judge ordered Medical Capital Holdings to stop selling investments after the medical lender failed to make payments to an Orange County-based hospital group. Last month, the SEC sued Medical Capital for allegedly defrauding investors. Orange County Register.
CMS Announces Cuts for Skilled Nursing Facilities
On Friday, CMS announced Medicare would lower payments to skilled nursing facilities by 1.1%, or $360 million, in fiscal year 2010. HealthLeaders Media.
Researcher Argues for ‘Courage’ in Health Overhaul
Physicians, advocates, hospital administrators, insurers and state legislators “know how to fix” the “broken” U.S. health care system, but “[m]embers of Congress need to have the courage to join in the right side of this effort to transform the medical delivery system so that it works for us all,” argues Micah Weinberg, a senior research fellow in the California Program of the New America Foundation. Sacramento Bee.
San Jose Could Save $20M By Cutting Health Care Benefits
An audit finds that San Jose could cut into this year’s $90 million deficit by $20 million annually by scaling back city employees’ health benefits to make them more in line with plans offered by other governments and private employers. San Jose Mercury News.
Senate Finance Panel Pushes Back Deadline for Overhaul Proposal
Six senators who are members of the Senate Finance Committee have set Sept. 15 as the deadline for reaching an agreement on health care reform. Proposals have won approval in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and three House panels. Politico, CQ HealthBeat.