Latest California Healthline Stories
On Monday, the California Public Employment Relations Board filed a complaint forcing the Sacramento City Unified School District into mediation with the Sacramento City Teachers Association over planned health insurance changes. The teachers union in October filed a claim alleging the school district’s unilateral switch in health insurers for 2015 violates state employment law, breaches its contract and could disrupt health care for employees and retirees. Sacramento Bee.
California-Developed Online Tool Helps Pediatricians Evaluate Newborn Weight Loss
A new online tool — called the Newborn Weight Tool, or Newt — aims to help pediatricians assess whether newborns that are exclusively breastfed have lost too much weight in the first days of life. The tool — which was created using a sample of hourly birth weights from more than 100,000 breastfed newborns at Northern California Kaiser Permanente hospitals between 2009 and 2013 — tracks a baby’s weight percentile in the first few days after birth and compares it with the large sample of newborns. Cumberland Sentinel.
Most federal funding for three programs to assist low-income individuals with accessing primary care is set to expire at the end of the current fiscal year, and renewing the programs could be a “tough sell” in Congress. Specifically, federal funding would expire on Sept. 30, 2015, for the Federal Health Centers program for more than 9,000 community health centers across the U.S., the National Health Service Corps program to provide loan repayments and scholarships to health workers in underserved regions, and a program for teaching health centers to provide training in primary care to dental and medical residents. Washington Times.
A significant majority of calls to CDC from health workers about potential Ebola cases were false alarms, according to a CDC report released Friday. The researchers found that of the clinical inquiries regarding 650 U.S. individuals, 18% had symptoms or other signs that were consistent with the Ebola virus or a risk factor that justified further investigation. Meanwhile, White House Ebola czar Ron Klain is expected to leave his position by March 1, 2015. He will return to the private sector in his previous jobs as president of Case Holdings and general counsel to the investment firm Revolution. AP/Washington Times, The Hill.
Many Newly Insured Individuals Struggle To Find Primary Care Docs
Many U.S. residents who gained coverage under the Affordable Care Act are having difficulty finding a primary care provider as many physicians say they are at capacity and insurers are restricting the number of primary care physicians included in their plans’ networks to cut costs. AP/San Francisco Chronicle, USA Today.
Not-for-Profit Hospitals Debate How To Apply Aid for Uninsured
Not-for-profit hospitals appear split over how to apply new collection and financial aid rules under the Affordable Care Act. Some hospitals believe denying aid to those eligible for subsidies will encourage them to purchase coverage, while others say it is not appropriate to deny financial aid because coverage costs remain high for many residents. Modern Healthcare et al.
Rates of Prostate Cancer Screening Vary Across California
A recent report by the Dartmouth Atlas Project finds that rates of prostate cancer screening vary across California, from 9% in Napa to about 47% in Orange County. According to the report, higher rates of screening do not necessarily correlate with higher incidence of prostate cancer. Politico‘s “Politico Pulse,” Dartmouth report.
ACA Has Accelerated Health Reform in Calif., but Barriers Remain
The Affordable Care Act has accelerated reform efforts in California, but issues still remain. Meanwhile, California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Diana Dooley said there will be “a pretty significant period of adjustment,” as the state works to address issues related to health reform. CHCF Center for Health Reporting/KQED’s “State of Health,” CHCF Center for Health Reporting/Fresno Bee.
Challenges Hindering Mobile Health Adoption in Rural Areas of Calif.
Experts say mobile health technology could boost access to care for rural Californians by offering at-home telehealth consultations and other services. However, patchy cellular service and other challenges have hindered mobile health adoption in rural areas of the state. Los Angeles Times.
Financial Adviser Makes the Case for a Municipal Task Force To Protect Pension Funds
In a Sacramento Bee opinion piece, Matthew Covington — a managing director at financial advisory firm Conway MacKenzie — wrote that the decisions by Vallejo, Stockton and San Bernardino in their bankruptcy cases to “assume their pension obligations in full” could be temporary. He argues that “[s]tate and local elected officials, policymakers and CalPERS should create a task force to forge a solution to help municipalities” avoid bankruptcy. Sacramento Bee.