Latest California Healthline Stories
Regulators Hear Limited Complaints on ‘Gender Rating’ in California
Nine people have called the California Department of Managed Health Care to complain about insurance companies that charge women higher premiums than men for individual coverage. The legislature is considering bills that would ban the practice. Sacramento Bee.
California Officials Question Union’s Role in Federal Stimulus Ruling
California officials contend that the Service Employees International Union might have had an inappropriate impact on an Obama administration decision to deny billions in economic stimulus funds for the state because of its scheduled wage cut for home health care workers. Los Angeles Times.
CIRM President Welcomes NIH Stem Cell Research Guidelines
In a San Diego Union-Tribune opinion piece, Alan Trounson — president of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the state’s stem cell agency — argues that NIH’s recent release of draft guidelines for researchers seeking federal funding for embryonic stem cell research “was a rapid first step in making good on the Obama administration’s promise to remove restrictions that had severely limited a critical line of research into treatments for serious and deadly diseases.” San Diego Union-Tribune.
Challenge to Medi-Cal Cuts for Some Health Centers Heads to Court
Last month, the California Primary Care Association and two clinic networks sued to block Medi-Cal from eliminating coverage of some services at rural health centers and federally qualified community health centers. The cuts are scheduled to take effect July 1. Redding Record Searchlight.
GE Initiative To Focus on Lower-Cost Health Products
On Thursday, General Electric announced a new health care initiative aimed at developing more lower-cost products. As part of its new initiative, GE will spend $3 billion to develop at least 100 product and service innovations by 2015. New York Times.
Rural Areas Nationwide Face Physician Shortages
Nationwide, physician shortages in rural areas are blamed largely on the areas’ high rate of uninsured residents. For example, more than one in three residents in San Joaquin Valley received Medi-Cal, but only 10 doctors accept it, according to Steve Jacobs, physician recruiter for the Kaweah Delta Health Care District. HealthLeaders Media.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of May 8, 2009
Kaiser Permanente opened a medical office building and cancer treatment center in Oakland this week, and Alameda Hospital reached a tentative deal with one of its employee unions. The proposal calls for an 18% across-the-board pay raise for hospital workers.
State Halts Prison Visits After H1N1 Flu Case Reported
On Sunday, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation suspended all visits in its 33 adult prisons and six juvenile facilities after a suspected case of H1N1 flu was reported at Cantilena State Prison in Imperial. The case later was confirmed and more than a dozen other suspected cases now are being tested. Los Angeles Times.
California Could Lose Stimulus Money Over Home Health Wage Cut
Federal health officials say lawmakers’ move to reduce California’s contribution to wages for home health care workers violates provisions in the economic stimulus package. The state could lose $6.8 billion if it doesn’t rescind the cuts. Los Angeles Times.
Centrist Democrats Tout Cost-Control Proposals
Centrist Democrats in both houses of Congress on Thursday expressed support for a variety of health reform policy proposals that emphasize cost reduction, with Sen. Ben Nelson arguing that controlling costs and making the health care system more efficient should be major priorities for health care reform efforts. The Hill.