Latest California Healthline Stories
Doctors, Hospital CEOs Among Top Paid at Univ. of Calif.
University of California payroll data released Tuesday shows that 28 employees — including doctors and hospital CEOs — made more than $1 million in 2014. For example, the third highest paid UC employee was Khalil Tabsh, a UCLA specialist in maternal fetal medicine and obstetrics, who made $2.3 million in 2014. Meanwhile, UC medical center CEOs earned between $837,241 and $1.6 million last year. AP/Long Beach Press-Telegram, Los Angeles Times‘ “L.A. Now.”
Study Finds Deaths, Hospital Stays and Costs Among Medicare Beneficiaries Down
Deaths, hospital stays and health care costs have decreased among U.S. residents ages 65 and older over the previous 15 years, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers found between 1999 and 2013, deaths from any cause among Medicare beneficiaries declined from 5.3% to 4.45%. During that period, mortality rates among Medicare beneficiaries declined by 16%. Reuters, USA Today.
Drugmakers Failed To Report Within 15 Days Serious Side Effects 10% of the Time, Study Finds
Drugmakers fail in about 10% of cases to meet a mandated time limit for disclosing serious side effects for their products, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The study found about 160,000 reports of serious adverse events that were not disclosed by drugmakers within the required 15 days. Of those, about 40,500 reports involved patient deaths. About 88% of serious cases involving patient deaths were reported within 15 days, compared with about 91% of serious cases where a patient did not die. Reuters.
U.S. Residents Report Improvements in Health, Access to Care
A new study finds that U.S. residents have reported improvements in general health, insurance coverage and access to care and medications since the Affordable Care Act was implemented. However, the researchers note it is unclear how much the ACA directly affected U.S. residents’ improved outcomes. Reuters et al.
Report: Health Care Spending Growth Slowdown Could Be Ending
A new report projects U.S. health spending will grow by 5.8% annually on average through 2024, up from the 4% annual health spending growth the country experienced between 2007 and 2013. According to federal actuaries, health coverage expansions are the main driver of the health spending increase, with no notable spikes in costs of health plans or services. New York Times‘ “The Upshot” et al.
Calif. Vaccine Law Opponents Launch Campaign To Recall Sen. Pan
Opponents of a California law strengthening the state’s childhood vaccination requirements have been cleared to launch an effort to recall the legislation’s author, Sen. Richard Pan. Pan said he is not “concerned” about the recall, but he has started a campaign to fight it. AP/Capital Public Radio’s “KXJZ News” et al.
Editorial Argues Covered California’s Low Premium Increase Comes With ‘Trade Offs’
A Los Angeles Times editorial argues that Covered California’s announcement that “the average premiums for individual policies in 2016 would be only about 4% higher than they are this year” includes “some trade-offs that won’t make everyone happy.” For example, the editorial notes that the exchange will introduce “a new standard ‘benefit design'” to help keep out-of-pocket costs low that “eliminates deductibles for more basic services and caps the costs of expensive prescription drugs,” while making “emergency services and hospitalizations more expensive.” Los Angeles Times.
Most Medicaid beneficiaries with a primary care provider are receiving care that aligns with the goals of a patient-centered medical home, according to a study by Virginia Commonwealth University. The study, which used HHS survey data, compared beneficiaries’ primary care with five factors that suggest an accountable care organization is a patient-centered medical home. Health IT Analytics.
UC-Davis To Build New $50M Facility in Sacramento
UC-Davis has announced plans to build a $50 million facility on its Sacramento campus to house the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing. Construction on the three-story, 70,000 square-foot building is expected to start in November and be completed in the fall of 2017. Sacramento Business Journal.
As Medicare Nears 50 Years, Enrollment in California Reaches 5.6M
Ahead of Medicare’s 50th anniversary tomorrow, CMS released data showing that more than 5.6 million Californians are enrolled in the program. Nationwide, there were more than 55 million Medicare beneficiaries as of May, and that number is expected to jump to about 81 million by 2030. Healthcare Finance, Sacramento Bee.