Latest California Healthline Stories
Lawmakers Take Steps To Fill $1.1B Medi-Cal Budget Gap
Last week, legislative leaders announced conference committee appointments as they begin to examine ways to close a $1.1 billion gap in the Medi-Cal budget. Lawmakers will have until June 30, 2016 — the expiration date for the current managed-care plan tax being used to generate funding — to come up with a solution. Sacramento Business Journal.
VA Study Finds Black Patients Have 24% Lower Adjusted Mortality Rate Than White Patients
In the general population, black patients have higher mortality rates than white patients, a trend that often is attributed to socioeconomic differences and access issues. A new study published in the journal Circulation sought to examine how patients fared when they received the same care. The analysis of 3.1 million Department of Veterans Affairs patients found that the adjusted mortality rate for black patients was 24% lower than that of white patients. In addition, black men and women were 37% less likely than white men to develop heart disease. Los Angeles Times‘ “Science Now.”
Judge Sides With Costa Mesa City Council in Delay of Medical Marijuana Special Election
Earlier this month, Orange County Superior Court Judge John Gastelum sided with the Costa Mesa City Council in a lawsuit filed by medical marijuana advocates pushing for a special election for medical marijuana dispensaries. In December 2014, the City Council delayed the vote on the initiative until the November 2016 election. The lawsuit alleged that the council violated state election law by delaying the vote. Orange County Register.
HHS’ OIG Audit Reveals Security Vulnerabilities in ACA Database
An audit by HHS’ Office of Inspector General finds various security policy and technical vulnerabilities in MIDAS, a $110 million repository for information collected under the Affordable Care Act, including data from both HealthCare.gov and state-based exchanges. CMS says it began fixing the vulnerabilities earlier this year. The Hill et al.
APA Warns of Insurance Mergers’ Effect on Mental Health Parity
The American Psychiatric Association sent letters this month to the Department of Justice, as well as insurance commissioners and attorneys general in California and other states, warning that proposed insurance mergers would hurt competition. APA says the mergers could limit psychiatric provider networks and harm mental health parity efforts. Reuters, APA release.
Workplace Deaths in Calif. Dropped by 16% in 2014, State Data Show
Data from the California Department of Industrial Relations show that the number of work-related deaths in California fell by 16% from 2013 to 2014. There were 334 fatal workplace accidents last year, the lowest number recorded in California since 2010. Business Insurance.
Southern California Sees Decline in Obese, Overweight Children
A new study by Kaiser Permanente finds that the obesity rate among Southern California children dropped by 1.6 percentage points between 2008 and 2013, while the rate of overweight children in the area fell by 2.2 percentage points. The declines occurred among all ages, ethnicities and socioeconomic categories. Orange County Register, Journal of Pediatrics.
Opponents, Supporters of Right-To-Die Legislation Rally Outside State Capitol
On Thursday, opponents and supporters of a bill that would legalize physician-assisted death in California held competing rallies at the state Capitol. About 70 supporters urged Gov. Brown to sign the bill, while about 60 disability rights and community activists called for the governor to “kill the bill.” The Legislature has passed the bill, but has not yet sent it to Brown, who will have 12 days to sign it after it reaches his desk. Capital Public Radio’s “KXJZ News,” Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert.”
Contra Costa Nurses To Strike Next Month Over Contract
Nearly 1,000 nurses are expected to participate in a two-day strike on Oct. 6 and Oct. 7 over stalled contract negotiations. The strike will include nurses at the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and 11 county-run health clinics. San Jose Mercury News.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of September 25, 2015
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has received an $8.4 million NIH grant to fund a five-year study on HIV among black, Latino and multiracial gay and bisexual men. The California Nurses Association has withdrawn its petition to represent nurses at Sutter Memorial Medical Center in Modesto.