Latest California Healthline Stories
CalPERS OKs 2008 Premiums; Pressure Builds to Control Costs
Health insurance premiums for California public workers and retirees will increase by the smallest rate in almost a decade, but CalPERS members took stock of the trade-offs to get that deal: higher copays, fewer health plan options and, in some cases, more limited access to physicians. CalPERS leaders will meet in July to consider future strategies for controlling costs. Sacramento Bee et al.
Democratic Presidential Candidates Talk Health Care
Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards and Barrack Obama said that all U.S. residents should have access to health care. Obama and Edwards touted their own health insurance proposals, while Clinton said she will release her own plan soon. Washington Times.
Financial Hurdles Linger for California Hospitals, Report Finds
Low reimbursements from Medicare and Medi-Cal stand as significant obstacles to profitability for many California hospitals, ranking among the forces that contributed to the closure of 26 facilities in the state between 2001 and 2005. San Diego Union-Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle.
Kids in Rural California Face Challenges Getting Health Care
Most cities in California have initiatives that provide children with access to low-cost medical services, while children living in rural counties are more likely to have to pay out-of-pocket costs and travel longer distances for health care, according to an analyst affiliated with the study. Researchers also considered education and test scores. Sacramento Bee et al.
Public Employers Axing Domestic Partner Benefits
States — such as Michigan, Kentucky and Nebraska — prohibit public employers from offering health and other benefits to domestic partners. The Michigan Supreme Court soon will consider whether the move is constitutional. USA Today.
Report: Benefit Costs for Workers’ Comp Down in California
An advisory group found that workers’ compensation insurers’ payments to doctors fell by about $100 million last year but that such payments accounted for a greater percentage of insurers’ payouts than in previous years. Sacramento Business Journal.
Sutter Health Donates $1 Million to California Health Data Exchange
The donation to the California Regional Health Information Organization is the first of $8.5 million in grants that Sutter will award as part of its approval from the state for almost $1 billion in tax-exempt bonds for construction and equipment. San Francisco Business Times.
San Francisco Substance Abuse Funding in Jeopardy
A San Francisco program that refers transgender people to substance abuse programs risks closure if city supervisors cannot secure funding to maintain the program until a federal grant kicks in for the fifth straight year. San Francisco Chronicle.
Documentary Draws Support for Single-Payer Health Care
Filmmaker Michael Moore is appearing in Washington, D.C. with members of Congress to discuss his controversial documentary on health care. Moore’s recent stop in Sacramento helped shine a national spotlight on the California health care reform debate. NPR’s “Morning Edition” et al.
House Panel OKs Bills To Boost FDA’s Drug Oversight
The bills would enable FDA to require safety studies, limit distribution of certain prescription drugs and order label changes. The bills are part of a package of legislation that would reauthorize the Prescription Drug User Fee Act. Wall Street Journal et al.