Latest California Healthline Stories
Aetna Beats Out Health Net for $17 Billion Tricare Deal
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that it is awarding the contract to administer benefits through its Tricare program in 20 states on the East Coast and in the Midwest. The contract runs for one year and has five one-year extension options. Sacramento Business Journal.
CMS Plans Assessment of Nursing Home Compare Site
CMS plans to survey users of its Nursing Home Compare Web site to measure how well the site is meeting the public’s demand for information about nursing homes. There has been debate about information on the site since it started including ratings last year. Kaiser Health News/Washington Post.
Officials Call for More Medical Access in East Contra Costa County
Yesterday, a coalition of health care executives issued a briefing paper urging eastern Contra Costa County to expand medical access for low-income and uninsured residents. The report offers several recommendations and examples for increasing access to care. Contra Costa Times.
Investigation Uncovers Serious Delays, Lapses in Calif. Nursing Board
A new investigation from the Los Angeles Times and ProPublica finds that the state Board of Registered Nursing often takes more than three years to complete investigations into nurse misconduct. The Department of Consumer Affairs pledged to improve the board’s processes. Los Angeles Times.
House Dems Finalize Plan To Fund Health Care Reform With Surtax
House Democrats have agreed on a plan to impose a surtax on high-income U.S. residents to help fund health care reform, according to House Ways and Means Committee Chair Charles Rangel. However, Senate Democratic leaders indicated that they have concerns about such a proposal. New York Times et al.
UC Schools Plan Cuts To Make Up for Loss in State Financing
Next week, chancellors from individual UC campuses will present their proposals to address an $813 million reduction in state financing to the state Board of Regents. The plans include a combination of furloughs, deferred hiring and cuts in academic programs. UC-Davis Medical Center already has eliminated its liver transplant program. New York Times.
Editorial: Compromise Needed on Hospital Fee Legislation
“One of the least known but most important pieces of legislation being debated in California health care circles” is a bill by Assembly member Dave Jones to create a new hospital fee that the state would use to draw down additional federal funds for Medi-Cal, according to an editorial. It concludes, “The Legislature must find a way to compromise on capturing the matching funds to provide hospitals with needed relief while designating a portion of the money to do everything possible to keep the system whole in its time of crisis.” San Jose Mercury News.
Health Reform Unlikely To Be Complete by August Deadline
Lawmakers say the chances of Congress meeting the August deadline for health care reform are increasingly slim. Competing health reform proposals and Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor are contributing to the delay. AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution et al.
State’s Budget Problems Put Initiative Process in Spotlight
Many of California’s voter-approved initiatives are contributing to the state’s ongoing budget deficit. Some lawmakers are pushing for a proposal that would change the initiative process by requiring any initiative that costs money to include a new tax or some other mechanism to pay for it. NPR’s “Morning Edition.”
State Eligible To Receive $31M To Combat H1N1 Influenza
California is eligible to receive $31 million in federal grants to help prevent potential cases of H1N1 influenza, also known as swine flu, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said. Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle.