Latest California Healthline Stories
Senate Committee Mulls Alternatives to Taxing Health Care Benefits
After a proposal to pay for health care reform by taxing employer-sponsored health care benefits received overwhelmingly negative feedback, the Senate Finance Committee began considering alternative mechanisms to raise $320 billion over the next decade. Politico et al.
SEC: IOUs Should Be Treated as Investment Securities
On Thursday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recommended that California’s IOUs be treated as securities under the federal securities law. A regulated market would help add order and reduce the risk of fraud, according to state officials. Since last Thursday, California has issued more than $350 million in IOUs and plans to issue $2.5 billion more by the end of the month. Sacramento Bee, Sacramento Business Journal.
Conservative Democrats’ Complaints Delay House Health Reform Plan
After receiving a letter in which members of the House Blue Dog Coalition argued that health reform legislation needs to do more to rein in health care costs, House leaders pushed back the release of their health care reform package until Monday at the earliest. AP/Google et al.
Early Estimates Point to Medicare Savings Under House Reform Proposal
A preliminary Congressional Budget Office report on the House Tri-Committee health care reform proposal indicates that elements of the plan would save Medicare more than $500 billion over 10 years. Other elements of the plan have not been evaluated. CQ HealthBeat.
South Bay Hospitals Get In on Growing Trend for Hospice, Palliative Care
Many hospitals in the South San Francisco Bay area are tapping into an emerging national movement emphasizing hospice and palliative services during end-of-life care. El Camino Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital, Valley Medical and others have implemented programs. San Jose Mercury News.
Hospital Deal on Health Reform Sparks Pushback in Some Circles
Vice President Biden discussed an agreement hospital groups reached with lawmakers on a plan to control cost increases as part of an effort to fund health care reform, but the deal is sparking pushback from some health care stakeholders and other legislators. Sources said the White House and House are not bound by the agreement. Washington Post et al.
Coalition Helps Reopen Community Clinic in Sacramento County
Sacramento County’s Oak Park clinic has reopened with support from a growing group of community health centers and donations from private organizations. The county closed three of its community clinics over the past year because of budget limitations. Sacramento Bee.
Advocate Criticizes Focus on CBO Score of Reform Plans
In a blog posting, Health Access California Executive Director Anthony Wright asserts that the media and officials should be more concerned with the implications of health care reform on individual families than on the Congressional Budget Office’s cost projections. The New Republic‘s “The Treatment.”
House Democrats Weigh Options for Funding Health Care Overhaul
One of the options for covering the cost of health care reform that Democratic representatives are studying is a federal income tax surcharge. Other proposals would rely on a tax or fee for businesses that don’t offer employees health benefits and a tax on sugary drinks. AP/San Francisco Chronicle.
Watchdog Argues for Changes at Calif. Stem Cell Institute
In an opinion piece, Daniel Hancock, chair of the Little Hoover Commission, highlights recommended changes to the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine that were included in a report the commission released last month. Hancock said the changes are needed to ensure the success of the agency. Sacramento Bee.