Latest California Healthline Stories
Stark Announces Plans To Introduce Health IT Bill
House Ways and Means Subcommittee Chair Pete Stark (D-Calif.) said Thursday that he plans to introduce his own health information technology bill. The legislation would use Medicare incentives to encourage health care providers to adopt health IT and would aim to protect patients’ privacy. CongressDaily.
Stanford Hospital Selling Lab; Employees Could Be Laid Off
Stanford Hospital soon will announce the completion of the sale of its Palo Alto laboratory, Stanford spokesperson Gary Migdol said. The sale of the facility could result in the lay-offs of more than 300 employees, according to officials. San Jose Mercury News.
Report: Rx Costs Higher Under Medicare Drug Benefit Than Medicaid
A House committee headed by California Rep. Henry Waxman released a report projecting that Medicare paid as much as 30% more for medications than Medicaid would have paid for the same prescriptions. The report focused on people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Los Angeles Times et al.
Monterey County Delays Plan To Merge Hospital With Health Department
Local not-for-profit groups and other health care stakeholders requested more time to weigh in on the proposal to merge Natividad Medical Center with the county health department. Natividad leaders say the merger will save at least $3 million annually. Monterey County Herald.
Corona-Based Foundation Immunizes Kids at No Cost
The Foundation for Community and Family Health’s Children’s Center allows children in the Corona area to enroll or stay in school by providing shots and tuberculosis skin tests at no-cost to thousands of students each year. Demand for the foundation’s program is increasing as more area families are uninsured or underinsured. Riverside Press-Enterprise.
Sutter, Health Insurer Fail To Reach Contract Agreement
Sutter Regional Medical Foundation, a physician’s group in Solano County, and Western Health Advantage, a not-for-profit owned by NorthBay Healthcare, UC-Davis Health and Catholic Healthcare West, were unable to reach a contract agreement, forcing 308 employer groups and 2,791 patients in Solano County to reconsider their health insurance options. East Bay Business Times.
Attorney General Brown Backs Union Elections at Hospital Chain
Attorney General Jerry Brown participated in a rally as part of a weeklong series of events by United Healthcare Workers intended to highlight their efforts to organize workers at St. Joseph Health System. The hospital chain has facilities in California and Texas. Orange County Register.
Retail Health Care Clinics Expand Scope, Services
Mary Kate Scott, an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and author of two California HealthCare Foundation white papers, discusses the future of retail health care clinics and the challenges they pose for family physicians. AAFP News Now.
Bloomberg, Gates Team Up To Spend $500M To Combat Tobacco Use
The Bloomberg Family Foundation will contribute $250 million to fight tobacco use, on top of a donation of $125 million announced in 2006. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation also will contribute $125 million to the effort, focused largely on developing nations. Wall Street Journal et al.