Latest California Healthline Stories
House Subcommittee Debates Private Disease Management Programs in Medicaid
Members of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee on Wednesday discussed the impact on costs and quality of care in the Medicaid program of implementing disease management plans and debated whether private companies should be involved in such programs, CongressDaily reports.
Hispanics Workers Least Likely To Have Health Insurance Coverage, Study Finds
Hispanic workers are the least likely of all ethnic groups to have health insurance, according to a report released Thursday by the Commonwealth Fund, the Denver Post reports.
Union Alleges Improprieties in 1998 Sutter Health Purchase of Davies Medical Center
The Department of Justice will begin an inquiry into Sutter Health’s 1998 purchase of Davies Medical Center in response to alleged improprieties by the Service Employees International Union Local 250, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Federal Government To Raise Medicare Premiums for Part B 13.5% Next Year
Premiums for Medicare Part B, which covers physician visits and outpatient care, will rise next year by 13.5% to $66.60 per month from $58.70 per month — “one of the largest increases in the history of the program,” the New York Times reports.
Los Angeles City Council Considers Ordinance To Ban Smoking on Beaches
Los Angeles City Council member Jack Weiss (D) on Tuesday introduced a motion that would ban smoking on all Los Angeles beaches, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Southern California Unions Sue Ralphs, Albertsons Over Grocery Store Employee Lockout
Seven Southern California unions filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday against Albertsons and Kroger’s Ralphs grocery store chains, alleging that the companies locked out their employees without giving them proper notice after union members began a strike against Safeway, Bloomberg/Arizona Republic reports.
Community Medical Centers in Fresno Receives Continued Lease of Hospital
Community Medical Centers won unanimous approval from the Fresno County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to continue operating county-owned University Medical Center’s hospital and clinics for the next five years, the Fresno Bee reports.
Conditions that the Pleasant Hill City Council and Crestwood Behavioral Health agreed to as part of a land-use agreement for an unlocked mental health treatment facility located in the city “have no legal backbone,” Contra Costa County and Crestwood officials said at a county Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Health Insurance Premiums Increased 14.7% in 2003, Study Finds
Health insurance premiums increased an average of 14.7% nationwide in 2003, raising the average cost to employers to $6,227 for each employee they cover, according to a study released Monday by Hewitt Associates, the Denver Rocky Mountain News reports.
Los Angeles Clinic Receives HUD Grant
Pacific Alliance Medical Center in Los Angeles will receive a $750,000 grant and a $5 million loan guarantee as part of a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development effort to help communities restore “brownfields” — land that is abandoned or underutilized because of contamination — the Los Angles Times reports.