Latest California Healthline Stories
San Francisco Weighs Health Coverage for Taxi Drivers
A recent study found that uninsured taxi drivers cost the city up to $3 million annually in visits to public hospitals and clinics. The city’s Taxicab Commission estimates it would cost $12 million annually to provide coverage to the approximately 4,000 cabdrivers without insurance. San Francisco Chronicle.
U.S. Should Fix Health Care System by Reducing Costs
The director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute in a USA Today opinion piece writes that the U.S. must first curb health care costs in order to expand access to care. He adds that expanding coverage through government regulation would make matters worse. USA Today.
Assembly GOP Leader: Voters Will Reject Health Reform Tax
Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines said he isn’t convinced California voters would support a ballot initiative raising taxes to expand health insurance. Meanwhile, Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez questioned a news story on the health reform plan he and the governor are developing. The plan reportedly calls for a ballot initiative to determine how to fund reform. Sacramento Bee.
Humboldt County Health IT Group Reports Progress
A health information technology committee in Humboldt County in its first year completed a project that linked a 5,000-patient diabetes registry and all the major laboratories in the county. The committee also has planned information sessions for clinicians on electronic health records. Eureka Reporter.
Garamendi Stumps for Single-Payer Health Care System
Lt. Gov. John Garamendi said that health care reform legislation will be passed this year but that it remains unclear what type of legislation it will be. He added that the next week will be vitally important for efforts to rework California’s health care system. Fresno Bee.
Blue Cross Bonuses for Pay For Performance Largest Ever in State
Blue Cross of California’s $69 million in pay-for-performance bonuses to 167 physician groups in 2006 is believed to be the largest ever by a single insurer in California. The insurer in 2005 paid $66 million in bonuses. San Francisco Business Times.
New Regulations on Health Plan Cancellations Delayed
The Department of Managed Health Care said it was almost ready to unveil new regulations aimed at insurers retroactively canceling individual health insurance policies. The rules were expected to be finished by spring but the process has been delayed. Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee.
Editorial Gives Medicare Drug Benefit Mixed Review
A New York Times editorial states that while the Medicare prescription drug benefit has helped reduce the percentage of older U.S. residents without drug coverage, many beneficiaries “were less protected against high drug costs than their counterparts in other plans.” New York Times.
Stem Cell Agency Must Look for Responsible Leadership
The chair of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine’s governing board says the search for a permanent president “requires more time than we would wish” because of the complexity of the role, while a stem cell researcher calls for the agency to ensure transparency and responsibility in its grant operations. Sacramento Bee.
Hospitals Tap Picture Boards To Reduce Language Barriers
Patients who cannot speak English can select icons on picture boards to indicate their symptoms and the affected parts of their bodies. The picture boards also can help patients who are deaf, mute, hearing impaired or unable to speak because of a medical condition. AP/USA Today.