Latest California Healthline Stories
Brown & Toland Medical Group Reports Drop in Profit
Brown & Toland Medical Group, San Francisco’s largest independent practice association, last week reported $10.2 million in operating profit on revenue of $236.3 million in 2008. The group’s profit was down 15% from 2007, when it brought in $12 million in operating profit. San Francisco Business Times.
Ventura County Leader Warns of Jump in Uninsured
At a county budget hearing, Ventura County Health Care Agency Director Mike Powers said that $22 million in potential state budget cuts could result in a 15% increase in patients using county health clinics. Ventura County Star.
Report Calls for Medicare Reform To Improve Efficiency, Cut Costs
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission said changes to the Medicare provider payment system are needed to coordinate care more effectively and cut unneeded spending. The report advocated organizing care providers into groups that would be eligible for incentive payments. Washington Post et al.
Obama Makes Case for Reform to American Medical Association
President Obama told the American Medical Association that a proposed public plan is not a “Trojan horse” for a single-payer health care system. AMA has raised concerns that a public plan would reimburse physicians at Medicare rates, which are lower than private insurers’ rates. Chicago Tribune et al.
CBO: Health Reform Plan by Senate HELP Panel Would Cost $1 Trillion
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that a reform proposal put forward by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee would cost $1 trillion over 10 years and reduce the number of uninsured Americans by about a third. AP/Boston Globe et al.
July 1 Cutoff Looms for Dental Benefits for Adults in Medi-Cal
As part of a state budget deal approved in February, legislators and Gov. Schwarzenegger approved the elimination of dental benefits for adult Medi-Cal beneficiaries in fiscal year 2009-2010. Health experts say the cuts will cost the state federal matching funds and send more patients to hospitals with dental emergencies. KQED’s “The California Report.”
Panel Rejects Schwarzenegger’s Proposal To Cut Healthy Families
Yesterday, a joint legislative panel turned down several of Gov. Schwarzenegger’s budget proposals, including eliminating Healthy Families and Adult Day Health Care, cutting HIV/AIDS programs and borrowing money from local governments. Assembly Democrats also released their own plan to mend the budget gap by raising revenue through fees and tax increases. Los Angeles Times et al.
Santa Cruz County OKs 20% Cut to Health, Other Services
On Monday, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved a tentative 20% cut to not-for-profit organizations, including some that provide health services to local children, elderly and low-income residents. The cut will be included in the county budget, which the board is scheduled to consider next week. Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Bill Attempts to Combat Meth Labs by Requiring Cold Drug Prescriptions
The California Senate recently approved SB 484, which attempts to curb methamphetamine production by requiring consumers to obtain prescriptions for over-the-counter drugs containing pseudoephedrine. The measure is now before the Assembly. Sacramento Bee.
Stanford Runs Drive-Through Triage Experiment
On Friday, Stanford Hospital ran a “drive-through triage” experiment to test whether it could be an expedient and effective way to handle a pandemic influenza outbreak. Stanford physicians believe the method could help contain the spread of infection and limit emergency department overcrowding. San Jose Mercury News.