Latest California Healthline Stories
Attorney General’s Office Rejects Sale of Anaheim Memorial Medical Center
Pacific Health had sought to buy the not-for-profit hospital, but the attorney general’s office raised concerns about Medicare and Medi-Cal fraud investigations at two Pacific Health facilities. It is the third sale of Anaheim Memorial to collapse. Orange County Register, Los Angeles Times.
Tightened Medi-Cal Eligibility Rules Could Drive Up Premiums
New research says that California families with health insurance can expect to see their premiums jump by almost $300 annually as a result of Medi-Cal eligibility changes that Gov. Schwarzenegger has proposed. The premium hikes will come from health care providers shifting more costs to insured patients. Sacramento Bee.
Group To Recommend 16% Workers’ Comp Rate Increase
On Wednesday, the Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau said it plans to recommend a 16% rate increase for new and renewal of workers’ compensation policies starting Jan. 1, 2009. Increased medical costs account for about 10.8% of the increase, while 2.8% is due to increased loss-adjustment expenses and 1.8% to other factors. San Francisco Business Times.
White House Won’t Push Kids’ Insurance Directive
On Thursday, the Bush administration said that states do not face an immediate threat of losing funding if they do not comply with a directive that would tighten enrollment policies. California and other states had filed lawsuits to block the directive. AP/USA Today.
Future of Medicare Raises Questions About Reform
Considering Medicare’s outlook in 2031, a member of Congress, an economist and an advocate ponder what steps might be needed to preserve the program. KPCC’s “Patt Morrison.”
Committee Defeats Bill To Limit Chemical Exposure
On Thursday, a Senate committee defeated a bill that would have increased protections for workers exposed to cancer-causing chemicals. Chemical manufacturers, grocers and restaurants opposed the bill, arguing that the state standards board already is addressing the issue. San Francisco Chronicle.
Loans Help Clinics Maintain Operations During Impasse
An editorial praises not-for-profit financial groups in the state that have donated funding to offer stop-gap loans to community clinics and health care centers to help them “stay afloat until the state budget is approved and Medi-Cal payments restored.” Pasadena Star-News.
Largest U.S. Mental Facility Housed in L.A. County Jail
In the second of a three-part series on U.S. prisons, NPR’s “Morning Edition” highlights Los Angeles’ Twin Towers, a mental health facility housed in a county jail. Twin Towers is the largest mental institution in the country, housing 1,400 patients. NPR’s “Morning Edition.”
Emergency Response in San Francisco Still Plagued by Delays
San Francisco has hired a new contractor to help respond to emergency calls from people who don’t speak English and has taken other steps in hopes of improving emergency response times. However, ambulances still fell short of city response time goals in May and June. San Francisco Chronicle.
Experts Discuss State Efforts To Limit Abortion Access
Experts discuss initiatives in California, Colorado and South Dakota that would limit women’s access to abortion. They also discuss a new report from the American Psychology Association on abortion and mental health. WAMU’s “The Diane Rehm Show.”