Latest California Healthline Stories
Array of Factors Will Contribute to Increased Loss of Health Coverage
A report by the Institute of Medicine indicates that the economic downturn, rising health care costs and a decline in employer-sponsored coverage will translate to a jump in the number of uninsured Americans. The report advocates federal legislation to expand health insurance coverage. Reuters et al.
California Doctors Slow To Transition to E-Prescriptions
California physicians have been slow to adopt electronic prescribing technology because of the cost and steep learning curve. According to the California HealthCare Foundation, just 1.2% of prescriptions clinics and doctors in private practices wrote in 2007 in California were filed electronically.. Sacramento Bee.
California Faced With $48 Billion in Retiree Health Care Costs
State Controller John Chiang released a report indicating that the cost of providing health care and dental benefits to retired California workers is increasing faster than expected and now has passed $48 billion. Chiang is urging the Legislature to begin setting aside money in advance to cover future benefit costs. Sacramento Business Journal et al.
California Officials Come Under Fire for Action on Autism Treatments
The founder of a consumer advocacy group has threatened to sue the California Department of Managed Health Care over potential changes to state guidelines governing health insurers’ coverage of autism treatments. Los Angeles Daily Journal, Los Angeles Times.
State Budget Will Hit Health Care Services in Marin County
The budget agreement that Gov. Schwarzenegger signed last week will translate to cuts for Marin County’s mental health and public health departments. Some funds for the county could be preserved if voters reject measures to reallocate funds from Proposition 63. Marin Independent Journal.
Kaiser Permanente Moves To Boost Finances After Major Losses
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals lost almost $800 million in 2008, largely because of major drops in investments. To shore up its bottom line, Kaiser is freezing executive salaries and will cut staff in some areas. San Francisco Business Times.
Editorial Stumps for UC-Merced Medical School
A Modesto Bee editorial argues that plans for a medical school at UC-Merced “don’t belong on the shelf, no matter the state of the economy.” The editorial notes, “Money is the biggest obstacle to getting the medical school going, but there will be other challenges, such as balancing the valley’s dire need for practicing physicians with the UC faculty’s emphasis on research.” Modesto Bee.
New ‘Economic Security’ Standard Accounts for California Cost-of-Living
Researchers took into account the cost of health care, housing, transportation and other basic needs in each California county when they developed the Elder Economic Security Standard. Using the standard, researchers found almost half of California seniors are economically insecure. San Jose Mercury News et al.
Governors Meeting Includes Panel on Health Care Reform
C-SPAN featured coverage of a panel discussion on health care reform that was held during a session of the National Governors Association’s annual winter meeting. C-SPAN.
New California Case Draws Attention to Assisted Suicide
On Friday, San Joaquin County prosecutors brought criminal charges against a woman they allege assisted in the suicide of her brother, who had become increasingly disabled after a series of strokes in 2006. The California Legislature has not approved bills to legalize assisted suicide. Stockton Record, Sacramento Bee.