Latest California Healthline Stories
S.F. Supervisors Get Proposed Bond Measure To Rebuild Hospital
The nearly $900 million bond measure is needed for a replacement facility for San Francisco General Hospital to meet state seismic safety regulations. Total costs are expected to exceed $1 billion. The measure could go before voters in November. San Francisco Chronicle et al.
Assembly Member Calls for Increased Action on Cancer
Assembly member Sandré Swanson writes in an opinion piece that his younger sister’s experience with breast cancer taught him “the crucial need for awareness and the importance of early detection.” He added, “We need to extend that awareness, along with better access to cancer prevention information, to all Californians.” Swanson concludes, “Cancer does not discriminate — and neither should our efforts in giving people every tool possible to fight the disease.” San Francisco Chronicle.
L.A. City Council Considers ‘Patient Dumping’ Ordinance
Hospitals are mounting a stiff opposition to a proposal before the Los Angeles City Council that would impose $25,000 fines on hospitals that discharge patients anywhere but their residences without their written consent. The ordinance is modeled on a bill that Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoed last year. Los Angeles Daily Journal.
Study: Paid Sick Leave Law Would Aid Public Health
A study from UC-Berkeley’s Center for Labor Research and Education found that an Assembly bill that would require most employers to offer paid sick leave would improve public health in California. KPBS’ “KPBS News.”
Commonwealth Fund Outlines Plan To Expand Health Care Coverage
The not-for-profit advocacy organization maintains that a plan to let individuals and small businesses buy health insurance through a “connector” program could dramatically reduce the number of uninsured Americans in its first year. CQ HealthBeat, Reuters.
State Says Kaiser Members Not Responsible for Bills
Prime Healthcare Services hospitals have sent bills to about 6,000 Southern California Kaiser Permanente members as part of a billing dispute between the hospital chain and Kaiser. Sending the bills is not illegal, but state officials say that consumers are not financially responsible for treatment covered by their health plans. Orange County Register.
Lawmaker Touts Importance of Hepatitis B Awareness
Assembly Majority Whip Fiona Ma in an opinion piece writes that Hepatitis B Awareness Month “has special meaning to me as a California official, an Asian-American and a person living with chronic hepatitis B.” She concludes, “Until viral hepatitis is broadly recognized as a serious public health concern, it will continue to threaten the health of Americans in San Francisco and across the United States.” San Francisco Chronicle.
State Report Finds More People Involved in UCLA Data Breaches
The number of staff members and workers affiliated with UCLA Medical Center who violated patients’ medical records now stands at 68 after a state report found that 14 more people improperly accessed electronic records for celebrities and co-workers. A California health official says the state will work with UCLA to address the privacy lapses. Los Angeles Times.
Kaiser To Offer Self-Funding Health Insurance Plans
Beginning next year, Kaiser Permanente plans to offer self-funding health insurance programs in which employer groups would pay Kaiser a fee for administering the claims but would pay employee claims themselves. Safeway has used a self-funding plan for years, and Sutter Health is currently switching to a self-funding plan. East Bay Business Times.
Audit: California Stem Cell Agency Complies With Proposition 71
Some lawmakers and taxpayer groups have criticized the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine’s handling of grant applications, spending and conflicts of interest, but an audit found the agency is in compliance with the law that created it. San Francisco Business Times.