Latest California Healthline Stories
Prison Health Care Reformer Opposes Building Project
A report commissioned by California prison medical receiver Robert Sillen recommended against a plan by state officials to build new beds in prisons where the rate of valley fever is rampant. The plan aims to reduce overcrowding. Sacramento Bee.
CalPERS Weighing Pitch To Hire Single Health Plan Administrator
Consultants will prepare a proposal to have one outside organization administer health care benefits for CalPERS as part of an effort to increase negotiating power and control health care cost increases. Sacramento Bee.
San Diego County OKs New Disease Management Effort
County officials hope to enroll 3,000 people in the program and will focus outreach efforts on hospital emergency departments. San Diego County is funding the program with its share of $540 million in federal grants intended to expand preventive care and chronic disease services. San Diego Union-Tribune.
Bush’s Veteran Health Care Reform Plan Faces Resistance
Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chair Daniel Akaka dismissed the idea of combining President Bush’s proposal to revamp veterans’ health and disability systems with other bills already under consideration in Congress. CQ Today et al.
Governor Signs Bill To Reform Nursing School Admissions
The bill requires community colleges with more applications than available slots in their nursing programs to adopt a new admissions process based at least partly on merit. Forty-two community colleges use a lottery system or a first-come, first-served basis to admit nursing students. Modesto Bee.
Dental, Vocational Nursing Consumer Boards To Expire
In total, five consumer oversight boards are set to expire in June 2008 because legislation extending their terms was not passed out of the Legislature. In the case of the dental board, Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill to extend the board’s term because he opposed a provision that would have established a separate oversight board for dental hygienists. Sacramento Bee.
Groups Urge Congress To Stay Out of Anemia Drug Decision
In a letter to Congress, a coalition of consumer groups said that lawmakers should not intervene in a decision by CMS to limit Medicare coverage for the use of certain anemia medications in cancer patients. The Hill, CongressDaily.
House Appears Unlikely To Override Bush’s Veto of Kids’ Health Bill
While at least five Democrats who previously voted against the State Children’s Health Insurance Program bill have indicated a change in position, the House still needs 12 to 15 more votes to override President Bush’s veto. The Hill et al.
Unions Square Off With Governor Over Revised Health Reform Plan
The California Teachers Association warned that Gov. Schwarzenegger’s plan to lease the state lottery and use the proceeds to fund health care reform could lead to wider budget problems, especially for programs financed by the state general fund. Meanwhile, labor unions began vigils statewide to oppose the governor’s revised health care overhaul plan. San Diego Union-Tribune et al.
Private Health Care Advocacy Grows as Career
Private health care advocacy professionals work to help patients and their families cut through bureaucracy to find the services they need. While most health care advocates work alone or in small firms, some work for insurers or hospitals or contract with employers as an employee benefit. San Francisco Chronicle.