Latest California Healthline Stories
Sonoma County Approves Plan To Reduce Retiree Health Benefits
As part of an effort to reduce a nearly $400 million retiree health care liability, Sonoma County will reduce contributions to retirees’ health insurance premiums and eliminate retiree benefits for future workers. Under the plan, the county will pay a set dollar amount per retiree. Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Hospitals Step Up Informed Consent Compliance Efforts
Under recent CMS guidelines, hospitals could lose Medicare eligibility if they do not adopt more patient-friendly procedures for gaining informed consent. Research shows that more than half of patients who read informed consent forms do not understand them. Wall Street Journal.
Kaiser Grant Could Boost Access to Specialty Care in Ventura County
A team of doctors in Ventura County will use a $150,000 planning grant from Kaiser Permanente to determine how to ease the shortage of specialists for underserved residents. Kaiser could award the county up to $900,000 if it supports the team’s solutions. Ventura County Star.
Regulators Faulted for Altering State Law on HMO Guidelines
According to doctors and consumer advocates, the Department of Managed Health Care has allowed HMOs to create their own standards for ensuring timely access to care, ignoring a 2002 state law that required the state to adopt uniform guidelines. Los Angeles Times.
Chain Drug Stores Plan Promotional Ad Campaign
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores will launch a series of ads this spring to promote awareness of the role that pharmacies play in health care. NACDS officials said the group is looking to increase its profile ahead of the presidential election. The Hill.
Study: State’s Uninsured Pay More Hospital Fees Than Government Payers
A study by RAND and USC found that California hospitals collected more of their charges from uninsured patients than from Medicare beneficiaries from 2001 to 2005, a period in which Medicare increased its payments to hospitals by 13%. San Francisco Chronicle.
Hospitals Promote Preventive Care for Immigrant Patients
Hospitals are working to encourage immigrants and minorities to seek preventive care by targeting patients through outreach programs in their own language and culture. The programs aim to reduce emergency department admissions by emphasizing the need for regular checkups. Washington Post.
Proposed Changes Would Ax Some Children From Medi-Cal
As part of his plan to reduce California’s $14.5 billion budget shortfall, Gov. Schwarzenegger is proposing that families of children enrolled in Medi-Cal report their income four times annually, a move that a health official said would eliminate thousands of children from the program. The planned Medi-Cal cuts sparked criticism from Senate lawmakers. San Diego Union-Tribune‘s “Newsblog.”
Proposal Would Limit Retiree Health Benefits To Trim S.F. Deficit
A San Francisco supervisor wants to increase requirements for city employees to qualify for retiree health benefits to reduce the city’s $4.2 billion deficit for retiree health care. If approved by supervisors, the measure would appear on the June 3 ballot. San Francisco Chronicle.
Opinion Pieces Cite Flaws in Failed Health Reform Bill
Carmela Castellano-Garcia of the California Primary Care Association questions why lawmakers haven’t pushed for increased investment in California’s community clinic system. Meanwhile, Sen. Leland Yee details how funding problems doomed Gov. Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Núñez’s health reform plan. San Jose Mercury News, San Francisco Chronicle.