Latest California Healthline Stories
Judge Rules N.Y.C. Cannot Require Preschoolers To Get Flu Vaccinations; City Vows To Appeal Decision
A New York judge has ruled that New York City cannot require preschoolers in city-regulated day cares to receive the influenza vaccine. A group of parents challenged the rule in court, contending that only the state Legislature has the power to require certain immunizations. On Thursday, New York Supreme Court Justice Manuel Mendez ruled that the city health department lacked the authority to make the rule. City health officials said they would appeal the decision. AP/Sacramento Bee.
Obama Signs Spending Package With Health Care, ACA Provisions
On Friday, President Obama signed into law a spending package with provisions that make changes to the Affordable Care Act. For example, the new law delays for two years the implementation of the ACA’s so-called “Cadillac” tax, which had been set to take effect in 2018, and halts the law’s medical device tax, which has already taken effect, for 2016 and 2017. Los Angeles Times et al.
Measure To Control Rx Drug Prices Qualifies for 2016 California Ballot
Proponents of a proposal that aims to reduce the cost of prescription drugs in California have submitted enough valid signatures to qualify the measure for the 2016 ballot. However, opponents of the measure, largely made up of drugmakers, have raised nearly $38 million to fight it. Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert.”
6M U.S. Residents Singed Up for Federal Exchange Plans as of Dec. 17
HealthCare.gov experienced a large surge in signups last week, pushing total enrollment through the federal exchange to about six million U.S. residents. Last week, the Obama administration announced a two-day extension, giving consumers until Dec. 17 to sign up for coverage that will take effect at the beginning of 2016. The Hill et al.
Nurses Rally for New Health Care Workplace Safety Regulations
Members of the California Nurses Association and the Nurse Alliance of California rallied outside of a meeting of the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board last week to support the approval of new workplace safety regulations for health care facilities. Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert,” Fox40.
Pico Rivera Nursing Home Fined $100K Over Patient Death
Colonial Gardens Nursing Home in Pico Rivera has been fined $100,000 by the state Department of Public Health over the choking death of a 76-year-old patient in 2014. The fine comes after a state investigation found that the patient did not receive proper care at the nursing home. In addition to the fine, DPH issued the most severe citation possible under state law against the nursing home. Payers & Providers.
Adventist, Fresno Hospital System To Launch New HMO
Adventist Health has joined with Fresno-based Community Medical Centers to launch an HMO serving San Joaquin Valley Medi-Cal beneficiaries. The HMO — which could provide care to up to 200,000 patients in the first two years — is subject to approval by state officials. Sacramento Business Journal.
USC Study Examines Colorectal Cancer Risk Among Calif. Latinos
A first-of-its-kind study by University of Southern California researchers finds that colorectal cancer risk among Californian Latinos varies depending on their country of origin, with Latinos from Mexico having the lowest colorectal cancer risk compared with other Latino subgroups. Long Beach Press-Telegram, USC release.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of December 18, 2015
More than 1,000 individuals in the maternity wing at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center may have been exposed to active tuberculosis by a nurse who was diagnosed with the disease. Kaiser Permanente plans to donate $14 million to support a financially struggling safety-net hospital and construction of a new youth and family center in Hayward.
Efforts To Increase Competition, Consumer Choice Through Use of Multistate Plans Unlikely To Succeed
An effort to increase the use of multistate plans to help boost competition and consumer choice on the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges is not on track to meet its goals. An ACA provision aimed to increase competition by allowing multistate health plans, which can be purchased in more than one state, available on the ACA’s exchanges. Some health policy analysts have said the multistate plan program is unlikely to work because of the way health insurance markets typically function. Kaiser Health News.