Latest California Healthline Stories
Private Market Wrong Model for Long-Term Care Coverage
In an opinion piece, two advocates call for eliminating private long-term care insurance and creating a new benefit under Medicare for such services. They tout their proposal as a way to ensure universal access to long-term care. San Francisco Chronicle.
House Sustains Bush Veto of Labor-HHS-Education Bill
Supporters of the $606 billion fiscal year 2008 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill fell two votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to override the presidential veto. More than 140 House Republicans have pledged to side with Bush on any vetoes of appropriations bills. Washington Post et al.
McNerney Pushes VA Mental Health Care in Livermore
The Department of Veterans Affairs has called for the closure of the Livermore VA medical campus, but Rep. Jerry McNerney said the facility should be used to treat Iraq war veterans with mental illnesses. A study this week found that many veterans experience mental distress several months after returning from war. Oakland Tribune.
As Costs Rise, Some Workers Turn to Private Insurance
Small-business workers are increasingly opting out of employer-based health care plans as rising health care costs have shifted more of the financial burden from employers to workers. Dow Jones/Ventura County Star.
House Republicans To Offer Final Proposal for Kids’ Health Bill
Republicans on Thursday plan to propose a final offer on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program bill, but Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus said talks will continue after the Thanksgiving recess if lawmakers cannot reach a consensus. CongressDaily et al.
Changes to National HIV Vaccine Study Hit Bay Area
Leaders of an experimental HIV vaccine study have decided to notify participants in a national study if they received the placebo or the actual vaccine after learning the vaccine might have raised the risk of contracting HIV. Of the 3,000 study participants, 137 live in the Bay Area. San Francisco Chronicle.
California Board OKs Rules for New Hospital Building Evaluations
Hospitals can use the new software to measure buildings’ seismic safety to determine if facilities will have to be rebuilt or retrofitted by a 2013 deadline. The tool is expected to reduce by about half previous estimates of high-risk hospitals. Contra Costa Times et al.