Latest California Healthline Stories
Analysis Finds Civilian Contractors Face Hurdles Receiving Health Care
A new investigation by the Los Angeles Times and ProPublica indicates that civilian contractors who worked in Iraq and Afghanistan are facing significant delays in having claims for health care and psychological services approved. In some cases, contractors are going without care or delaying treatment. Los Angeles Times.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of April 17, 2009
Brotman Medical Center in Culver City has secured enough funding to emerge from bankruptcy protection. Meanwhile, Sutter Health has withdrawn funding from its San Carlos Hospital project and is reviewing whether it will pursue construction.
San Diego Stem Cell Group Gets $43M in State Funding
This week, the California Pooled Money Investment Board approved putting $43 million in an escrow account for the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine’s planned $115 million facility, alleviating concerns that the state would not be able to come through on its promise of a $43 million grant. The consortium still needs to borrow an additional $60 million to $65 million to build the new facility. San Diego Union-Tribune.
Single-Payer Health Care Legislation Clears Calif. Senate Health Panel
The party-line vote is reminiscent of legislative votes to approve previous bills that aimed to create a state-run, single-payer health care system in California. Gov. Schwarzenegger has twice vetoed single-payer bills. Marin Independent Journal.
Laid-Off Workers Get Access to COBRA Health Plan Subsidies
Employers and health insurance plans must inform laid-off employees by Saturday about new COBRA health insurance subsidies made available under the federal stimulus package. The federal government has allocated $25 billion to help an estimated 7 million laid-off workers keep their health coverage. Sacramento Bee.
California Counties Would See Medicare Pay Hike Under Plan
Calif. Rep. Sam Farr plans to introduce legislation in the coming weeks that calls for increased Medicare reimbursement rates for physicians in at least seven California counties. The counties maintain that doctors who practice there are underpaid, creating obstacles to care for Medicare beneficiaries. Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Editorial: State Needs Voice in Federal Health Reform Efforts
A San Jose Mercury News editorial argues that California needs to be part of national health care reform efforts. It adds that “the president and members of Congress could learn useful lessons from Schwarzenegger’s failed attempt to make 2007 ‘the year of health care.'” 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 Jose Mercury News.
National County Group Holds Final Hearing on Health Care Reform
The National Association of Counties’ Large Urban County Caucus was in Sacramento this week for its annual meeting and held a hearing yesterday to solicit ideas for what the groups should lobby Congress to include in a national health care reform package. Sacramento Bee.
Kaiser To Pay $1M in Kidney Transplant Settlement
Kaiser Permanente has agreed to pay $1 million to settle arbitration claims filed on behalf of five patients over allegations that Kaiser mishandled its transplant program, putting patients in danger and causing deaths. Kaiser shut down its transplant program in 2006 after state regulators found mismanagement of the program had endangered patients. Los Angeles Times et al.
S.F. Chamber of Commerce Endorses Ballot Measures
This week, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce endorsed all of the budget-related ballot measures up for vote in the May 19 special election, including two propositions that affect health care funding. San Francisco Business Times.