Latest California Healthline Stories
State Levies Most Severe Penalty on Nursing Home
On Wednesday, the California Department of Public Health announced that it issued a citation and a $100,000 fine to the Riviera Healthcare Center for violations that led to a patient’s fatal burns. Whittier Daily News.
Reiner Jumps In to Campaign Against Proposition 1D
Filmmaker Rob Reiner has contributed $150,000 and raised the possibility of additional donations to the campaign opposing Proposition 1D. The measure would shift funds allocated for First 5, which provides early childhood health care and education programs. Reiner spearheaded the campaign to create First 5 in 1998. Meanwhile, opinion pieces weigh in against the health care-related measures on the May 19 special election ballot. AP/Sacramento Bee et al.
Delay Reported in Vote on Sebelius HHS Nomination
This morning, Senate Minority Leader McConnell blocked Senate Majority Leader Reid’s push to vote today on Kansas Gov. Sebelius’ nomination as HHS secretary. See tomorrow’s California Healthline for complete details. Modern Healthcare, AP/Washington Post.
Editorial: State Must Work on Federal Health Reform Efforts
A San Bernardino County Sun editorial argues that “Schwarzenegger, the Legislature and business leaders need to get into this game, engaging California’s congressional delegation and helping to shape the nation’s new health care policy.” It concludes, “Having failed to solve this problem on its own, California needs to be part of the solution that Obama hopes to craft.” San Bernardino County Sun.
Public Health Agencies Weigh Cuts in Riverside, San Bernardino Counties
Riverside County will hold a public hearing in May to discuss plans to cut some services to shave $5 million from the public health department’s budget. San Bernardino County has cut 8% from its public health department budget without service cuts. Riverside Press-Enterprise.
Santa Clara County Rolls Out Electronic Health Records
Santa Clara County is rolling out electronic health records at all of its Valley Health Center sites. The county hopes the cost of the EHR system will be recouped through increased efficiency. It also plans to secure federal stimulus funding for inpatient EHRs at the county hospital. Sunnyvale Sun.
WellPoint, UnitedHealth See Drops in Earnings, Membership Numbers
Leaders of the two companies point to rising unemployment rates as contributing factors to a drop in their membership numbers, reflecting the recession’s impact on the health insurance industry. Meanwhile, hospital chain Tenet Healthcare has reported a drop in admissions of people with private coverage. Wall Street Journal.
California Bill Would Bar ‘Step Therapy’ in Plans for Chronic Pain Patients
Step therapy is intended to control costs and improve safety by starting patients with the safest and most cost-effective treatment first, and progressing to riskier, higher-cost options only if the first treatment is ineffective. Critics of the practice say it can compromise treatment for some patients. ABCNews.com.
3M Enrollees Use Kaiser’s My Health Manager PHR Tool
On Wednesday, Kaiser Permanente announced that more than 3 million of its about 8.6 million members use its My Health Manager online personal health record. According to Kaiser, My Health Manager is the most used PHR nationwide. San Francisco Business Times.
Union Opposition Raises Hurdles for Special Election Initiatives
Political analysts say that the propositions could face steeper odds at passage now that the Service Employees International Union and other labor groups are kicking in large sums of money to mount opposition campaigns. SEIU has donated $500,000 to campaign against a proposed state spending cap that it says could push the state to cut health care and education spending. Sacramento Bee et al.