Latest California Healthline Stories
Demand for Pharmacists Continues To Increase
More pharmacists are graduating from pharmacy schools, but demand nonetheless outpaces the number of professionals entering the field. California now has eight pharmacy schools, and plans are in the works for a ninth school. Sacramento Bee.
Leaked Draft Report Critical of Proposed Prison Health Upgrades
The Sacramento Bee obtained a copy of a draft report by the state corrections department that blasted elements of prison health care receiver J. Clark Kelso’s proposal to upgrade the state’s inmate medical system. Kelso maintains the report is based on an outdated plan. Sacramento Bee.
Support Exceeds Opposition on California Health Initiatives
Support for Proposition 4 — which would require a parent to be notified before a minor could undergo an abortion — has declined from 49% in September to 45% in late October, but support among likely voters continues to surpass opposition, according to the most recent Field Poll. Support for Proposition 3, which would issue $980 million in state bonds for children’s hospitals, also leads in the polls. Los Angeles Times et al.
Health Care Reform News Around the Nation for the Week of Nov. 3
The governor of Connecticut postponed plans to transfer some Medicaid beneficiaries to new health plans. Meanwhile, Medicaid applications have soared in New York state, and advocates in Virginia are voicing concerns about potential cuts to health care programs because of a growing budget deficit.
Opinion Piece Blasts San Francisco Health Care Effort
John Graham, director of health care studies at the Pacific Research Institute, argues that San Francisco’s effort to provide access to health care for all uninsured residents largely is a tax hike to fund an expansion of the city Public Health Department. San Francisco Business Times.
California Health Care Personnel News Update for October 2008
Catholic Healthcare West and Stanford Hospitals & Clinics both tapped new chief operating officers in October, and Gov. Schwarzenegger appointed a new member to the Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee for the state stem cell research agency.
Oversight Problems Extend to Licensed Vocational Nurses
An investigation last month identified instances in which California regulators had not taken action against registered nurses with histories of criminal convictions. A continuing look into state oversight of nursing professionals uncovered similar problems in the state board that oversees licenses for licensed vocational nurses, sparking concerns about California’s licensing process. Los Angeles Times.
AARP Health Plans Drawing Scrutiny From U.S. Senate
Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Charles Grassley is sending more than a dozen questions to AARP CEO Bill Novelli about health plans AARP offers. Grassley maintains that AARP does not accurately describe the plans’ benefit caps. USA Today.
Study Finds Sharp Jump in Kids’ Medication Use for Chronic Illnesses
New research published in the journal Pediatrics indicates that the number of children taking medications for diabetes more than doubled from 2002 to 2005, while the number of kids taking asthma medications jumped by almost 50%. USA Today, Baltimore Sun.
Workers’ Comp Insurers Weigh Options on Rate Hikes
Experts say workers’ compensation insurers are working to compute rates for policies written or renewed after Jan. 1, 2009, after Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner advised dramatically lower rate increases than what an industry-sponsored advisory group recommended. San Francisco Business Times.