Latest California Healthline Stories
Challenges of End-of-Life Care Fuelling Discussion
A panel of experts on hospice, death and aging will examine how social, ethical and economic influences impact decisions regarding end-of-life care in a forum at California Pacific Medical Center’s Health and Healing Library. KQED’s “Forum.”
Lower State Medicaid Spending Contributes to Budget Surpluses
Many of the 40 states experiencing budget surpluses plan to use the extra revenue to increase health insurance coverage for residents. Some states are pushing wider eligibility for public insurance programs, and others are pursuing employer mandates. New York Times.
Agreement in Rx Pricing Lawsuit Wins Tentative OK
Consumers and health insurers could save billions of dollars under the terms of the settlement because it would recalculate the figure most health care payers use to determine what they will reimburse for medications. Wall Street Journal.
Public Agencies Face Rising Retiree Health Care Costs
A key challenge facing California’s public agencies is that they fund retiree benefits on a pay-as-you-go basis and only recently have begun estimating the cost of future obligations. Even if public agencies start setting aside money to pay for future retirees’ benefits, research projects that health care costs will rise faster than investment earnings. Los Angeles Times.
Automakers Mull Options for Health Care Benefits
The Big Three automakers are considering establishing an independent health care fund to cover benefit costs for workers and retirees. The companies faced a combined $12 billion in health care costs in 2006. Bloomberg/Detroit News.
Efforts To Improve Efficiency in Health Care Face Hurdles
A series of articles considers obstacles to boosting the performance of the health care sector, including programs seeking to align incentives to encourage physicians to use electronic health records and efforts to require health insurance coverage. New York Times.
Hispanics Face Barriers to Health Services, Coverage
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists is using a discussion on health insurance to kick off its annual meeting as part of an effort to further discussion of the issue. San Jose Mercury News.
Opposition Building to Bush Surgeon General Nominee
Democratic senators are speaking out against President Bush’s nomination of James Holsinger as surgeon general after gay-rights groups challenged Holsinger’s views on homosexuality. A Senate committee is expected to begin confirmation hearings this month. CQ Today et al.
Documentary Part of Health Care Reform Debate in Sacramento
Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez and the California Nurses Association will hold screenings of a documentary by Michael Moore looking at health care in the U.S., asserting that the film provides examples of why reform is needed. Contra Costa Times et al.
Health Care-Related Bills Win Approval in Legislature
The Senate and Assembly approved measures dealing with nutrition, tobacco exposure, HIV testing and the state chiropractic board after passing other bills intended to reform health care in California. San Francisco Chronicle et al.