Latest California Healthline Stories
Cigna Reports Q1 2009 Decline in Enrollment
On Thursday, Cigna announced that rising unemployment has led to a 3% decline in enrollment in Q1 2009. WellPoint and UnitedHealth also reported declines in enrollment since the start of the year. AP/San Francisco Chronicle.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of May 1, 2009
Marin Healthcare District is gearing up to take over administration of Marin General Hospital and has contracted for a new computer system for the hospital. Meanwhile, Riverside County Regional Medical Center received a grant to improve its collection of patient satisfaction information.
Local Health Agencies Struggle With Costs of Responding to Flu
Drops in tax revenue have led to budget and staffing cuts at county public health departments statewide. In the rush to respond to H1N1 flu virus, local public health officials say they are concerned that they are not adequately prepared for an extended outbreak. AP/San Jose Mercury News, Riverside Press-Enterprise.
Chrysler Bankruptcy Gives Employee Health Trust Majority Stake
A health care trust fund set up to cover the health care costs of retired autoworkers would own 55% of Chrysler stock under a bankruptcy plan that the Obama administration helped develop. The Italian automaker Fiat and the U.S. and Canadian governments also would have stakes in Chrysler. Washington Post et al.
Data Shows Lax Infection Prevention in Some Hospitals
Data from a new Consumers Union report show that during a one-year period, nearly half of all hospitals in Riverside and San Bernardino counties did not comply with some key measures aimed at preventing surgical infections. Riverside Press-Enterprise.
Kaiser Permanente Announces $13 Million in Community Grants
The grants will help fund efforts aimed at shoring up the health care safety net and improving health care for seniors. The grants include five awards that continue Kaiser’s leadership in the California Specialty Care Access Initiative. San Francisco Business Times.
Stem Cell Institute Awards $67.7M in Research Grants
The California Institute of Regenerative Medicine has awarded 15 grants worth a total of $67.7 million as part of its Early Translational Research Awards program. The grant program aims to move promising research from labs to clinics. San Francisco Business Times, San Diego Union-Tribune.
Editorial: New Data Shows Need for Health Care Reform
A Stockton Record editorial argues that a recent UCLA study that found that one in four residents under age 65 is uninsured for at least part of the year “makes clear that health reform is urgently needed.” It concludes, “With it eating such a big hole in the nation’s GDP, putting off reform just allows the problem to grown, both in size and complexity.” Stockton Record.
Lawsuit Aims To Derail Medi-Cal Cuts Scheduled To Kick In July 1
The California Primary Care Association is leading an effort to exclude federally qualified health centers and rural health centers from plans to eliminate Medi-Cal reimbursements for adult dental care and other services. The federal government considers the benefits optional for Medicaid programs, but the suit asserts that they are core services for FQHCs and RHCs. Ventura County Star.
State Begins Distributing Anti-Viral Drugs for Swine Flu
On Wednesday, the California Department of Public Health started distributing anti-viral drugs to counties as a precaution should the swine flu outbreak worsen. Half of the state’s 58 counties have requested the drugs, and state health officials said there are enough doses for about 9 million people, or about a fourth of the state’s population. Sacramento Bee.