Latest California Healthline Stories
HHS Will Release Original Report on U.S. Health Care Disparities, Secretary Tommy Thompson Says
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson on Tuesday said that his department had erred in rewriting the first annual National Health Care Disparities Report, and he plans to release the original version of the report, according to CongressDaily.
House leaders may move a “long-stalled” bill that would allow lower-income families that do not qualify for Medicaid to purchase coverage for children with severe disabilities through the program, CongressDaily reports.
Employers Can Help Reduce Obesity Rates Among Workers, Report Finds
California employers can help reduce obesity among workers by offering healthier food choices and improving access to physical activity in the workplace, according to a Department of Health Services report, the Stockton Record reports.
Rep. Bill Thomas ‘Not Surprised’ by Higher Cost Estimate for New Medicare Law
During a House Ways and Means Committee hearing Tuesday, Chair Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) said that he is “not surprised” that the Office of Management and Budget cost estimate of the Medicare law (HR 1) is higher than the estimate from the Congressional Budget Office, CongressDaily reports.
Garamendi Releases Plan To Reduce Employers’ Workers’ Compensation Insurance Costs
Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi (D) on Tuesday unveiled a plan to reduce employers’ workers’ compensation insurance costs, which he said would “reduce costly lawsuits and get benefits more quickly to injured employees,” the AP/Los Angeles Times reports.
Assembly Democrats on Tuesday agreed to eliminate as much as $1 billion in funding from the fiscal year 2003-2004 budget, but they did not approve cuts to health care programs included in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) proposal for $1.9 billion in midyear reductions, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Ventura County Board of Supervisors Approves Plan To Expand Discounts for Uninsured Patients
In response to the increasing number of uninsured residents, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a proposal to expand “steeply discounted rates” that Ventura County Medical Center offers to low-income patients to include some higher-income uninsured patients, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Alameda County Medical Center Retains Consulting Firm To Implement Turnaround Plan
Alameda County Medical Center on Friday hired Tennessee-based consulting firm Cambio Health Solutions to develop and implement a plan to reduce the hospital network’s estimated $71 million budget deficit, the Oakland Tribune reports.
Single-Payer Health Care System Supported by Many Massachusetts Physicians, Survey Finds
Most physicians in Massachusetts support a national single-payer health care system and would accept a 10% reduction in fees in exchange for less paperwork, according to a survey published Tuesday in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the Boston Globe reports.
House Republicans Launch ‘Media Counteroffensive’ in Response to Criticism of Medicare Law
In response to criticism of the new Medicare law (HR 1) from some Democrats, the House Republican Conference is launching a “media counteroffensive” in the form of public service announcements to highlight certain changes under the legislation, Roll Call reports.