Latest California Healthline Stories
Initiative To Require Condom Use in Adult Films Qualifies for November 2016 California Ballot
California officials say that a measure aimed at requiring adult film actors to wear condoms in sex scenes will appear on the November 2016 state ballot. The ballot initiative also would require producers of adult films to pay for vaccinations and sexually transmitted infection screenings. Michael Weinstein, president of Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation, said the statewide initiative would reduce the risk that adult film companies would move out of Los Angeles County, where voters approved a similar measure in 2012. Los Angeles Times‘ “PolitiCal.”
Co-Op Officials: Federal Funding Cuts, Restrictions Led to Closures
During a House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing, cooperative health plan administrators said federal funding cuts, funding restrictions, a lack of enrollment limits and other factors contributed to a string of closures among such insurers. Twelve of the 23 co-ops have shut down or announced their closure. Modern Healthcare et al.
CDC Data Show U.S. Uninsured Rate Hit New Low of 9%
A CDC survey finds that the U.S. uninsured rate fell to 9%, or about 28.5 million people, during the first six months of 2015, reaching a new low. The survey also estimates 16.3 million U.S. residents have gained health coverage since 2013. The Hill, Wall Street Journal.
Calif. Nursing Programs Bolster Diversity Recruitment Efforts
California nursing school programs increasingly are recruiting minority students, particularly blacks and Latinos, to help address health disparities among those populations. For example, Samuel Merritt University in Oakland has implemented a special emergency aid fund for low-income students and “pathway programs” for high school students interested in health care. KQED’s “State of Health.”
Preliminary Ruling Could Help UC Retirees Win Benefits
Last week, Superior Court Judge George Hernandez in Oakland issued a tentative ruling that could require the University of California to reinstate health care benefits for the UC Livermore Retirees Group. The group argues that during their careers as UC employees, the university made health care commitments and should be required to keep those commitments. The group lost their health benefits in 2008 after University management was replaced with a for-profit consortium and in 2010 filed a lawsuit to regain coverage. Independent News.
Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Workers Likely To Strike This Month Over Inadequate Staffing Levels
Nearly 1,400 psychologists, therapists and social workers at Kaiser Permanente facilities in Northern California are expected to strike on Nov. 16 over inadequate staffing levels. The National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents the workers, has called for the strike amid contract negotiations that have spanned four years. San Francisco Times‘ “Bay Area BizTalk,” San Francisco Chronicle.
Small California Cities Rank Poorly in Health, Quality of Life Measures
A new report finds that the 22 worst small cities in the U.S. based on several metrics — such as health, education and quality of life — are in California. The report included cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 residents. No California cities made the top 100. Yahoo! et al.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of November 6, 2015
Yesterday, more than 500 Marin General Hospital nurses affiliated with the California Nurses Association held a one-day strike over alleged patient care and workplace safety issues. The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved a $37.3 contract for a new Cerner information system at San Joaquin General Hospital.
Lakeport Tribal Health Clinic Offers No-Cost Gym Access To Combat Diabetes in American Indians
Lake County Tribal Health Clinic, in Lakeport, Calif. is offering no-cost gym use to patients who have been diagnosed with prediabetes and who enroll in a weight loss program. The clinic also provides lifestyles classes, such as on healthy eating, that aim to reduce diabetes risk. The clinic largely treats members of six local American Indian tribes, which the Indian Health Service says are two times more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than non-Hispanic whites. NPR/KPCC.
Few U.S. residents who download mobile health applications continue using them over time, according to a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research mHealth and uHealth. Forty-six percent of respondents said they have stopped using a health app because of costs, privacy concerns or waning interest. Medical News Today.