Latest California Healthline Stories
CMS Announces State Medicaid Grants
The federal government will provide $150 million in grants for states to design programs to improve the quality and efficacy of their Medicaid programs. CQ HealthBeat.
Specialty Hospitals Can Increase Health Care Costs
A study in the journal Health Affairs attributes the cost increase in part to full-service hospitals’ raising prices in profitable service lines. Orlando Sentinel et al.
Access Baja Director Discusses Benefits of Cross-Border Health Plans
KPCC’s “Patt Morrison” on July 24 as part of a special two-hour program examining U.S.-Mexico border issues included an interview addressing the benefits of cross-border health plans. Audio.
Angelides: Schwarzenegger Should Declare Emergency
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides called on the governor to declare a state of emergency to better deal with the public health threat caused by an ongoing heat wave. Los Angeles Times.
Immigration Reform Could Limit Elder Care Workers
Lack of job security, few benefits, high turnover rates and low wages associated with elder care deter many U.S. citizens from considering working in the field, but many immigrants pursue such careers. Wall Street Journal.
Biotech Executives Discuss Stem Cell Concerns
Pending lawsuits and uncertainty about the rules regarding stem cell research funded by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine have made some biotechnology executives cautious about becoming involved in the program. San Jose Mercury News, Oakland Tribune.
Health Access Plan Receives Final Approval
The San Francisco Health Access Program will take effect July 1, 2007, but opponents of the ordinance say legal challenges are likely. San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner.
Executive Order Addresses ED Fees
An executive order signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger is intended to prevent balance billing, in which a patient is charged for emergency department services their insurance company refuses to reimburse. Sacramento Bee et al.
Governor Discusses Proposition 187, Healthy Kids Funding
In an interview with La Opinion, Gov. Schwarzenegger said his vote in favor of a ballot measure to bar undocumented immigrants from receiving publicly funded health care and other services was “wrong” and discussed his proposal to fund county Healthy Kids programs. Sacramento Bee.
Congress Likely To Prevent Physician Reimbursement Reduction
Several House members have called for an end to formula used to calculate Medicare physician reimbursements, a formula that calls for a reduction in reimbursements in 2007. AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer et al.