Latest California Healthline Stories
Tens of Thousands of Flu Vaccines Go Unused in Calif. Each Year, Costing Taxpayers Millions
A review of flu vaccine data for the past five years from the California Department of Public Health found that on average more than 88,000 doses of the vaccine go unused each year, costing taxpayers at least $5.9 million in the past five years. The investigation also showed that vaccine use varies throughout the state with Alameda County using 99% of its vaccine and Calaveras using just 61%. NBC 7.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of November 14, 2014
El Camino hospital plans to use a $1 million donation to bolster services and programs for adults and teenagers who suffer from substance use disorders and mental health issues. The Collaborative Alliance for Nursing Outcomes has recognized three Sacramento-area hospitals for their work in reducing the bedsore rate among patients.
Lawmakers Expected To Approve At Least Part of Requested $6.2B To Fight Ebola
Congress is expected to approve at least some of the Obama administration’s $6.2 billion emergency funding request to help combat Ebola. The funding will likely be rolled into the Senate and House Appropriations Committee’s spending package to fund the federal government until Sept. 30, 2015. Modern Healthcare.
On Wednesday, Los Angeles County supervisors approved $40.9 million in state funding to be used for three new 24-hour psychiatric urgent care centers. Law enforcement officers will be able to bring individuals with mental health problems to the facilities instead of emergency departments or jails. The funding also will be used to help finance about 560 additional residential treatment beds and create 14 crisis response teams for incidents involving individuals with mental illnesses. KPCC’s “KPCC News” et al.
ACA Advocates, Exchange Officials Prep for Second Enrollment Period
Enroll America President Anne Filipic says the organization will work to reach more U.S. residents to promote enrollment in health plans through the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges this year, despite having $7 million less for the efforts. Meanwhile, the federal insurance exchange and state exchanges, including California, are bolstering their staffs ahead of Saturday’s launch of the law’s second open enrollment period. Reuters et al.
D.C. Appeals Court Cancels Oral Arguments in ACA Subsidies Case
The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has canceled oral arguments in a case that challenges the legality of subsidies to U.S. residents who purchased coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s federal insurance exchanges. The appeals court says it will wait for a Supreme Court ruling on a similar case. Wall Street Journal et al.
Calif. Highway Patrol Official Calls for Increased Mental Health Training
Yesterday, California Highway Patrol Commissioner Joe Farrow said the state’s CHP officers need more mental health training. However, there are several barriers to implementing changes, such as deciding what to teach and how to fund such training. Sacramento Bee‘s “The State Worker.”
Report Highlights Calif. for Low Rate of Uninsured Hispanic Kids
A new report by the National Council of La Raza and Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families finds that the uninsured rate among Hispanic children in California was 9.6%, compared with the national average of 11.5%. The number of uninsured Hispanic children in California dropped by 56,000 from 2011 to 2013. Public News Service et al.
Hospitals Criticize Nurses’ Strike Over Safety, Ebola Preparedness
The California Hospital Association and several health systems in the state are criticizing a recent protest by thousands of nurses over a lack of adequate equipment and training standards for treating patients with Ebola. The hospitals say that the strike was politically motivated and related to the California Nurses Association’s ongoing contract negotiations with Kaiser Permanente. Modern Healthcare et al.
Health Net Reports Q3 Loss, but Sees Jump in Enrollment
Woodland Hills-based health insurer Health Net reported a loss of $8.9 million on $3.6 billion in revenue in the third quarter of 2014, compared with a net income of $66.8 million on $2.8 billion in revenue in Q3 2013. However, the insurer’s total enrollment increased from 2.5 million at the end of Q3 2013 to nearly 3.1 million at the end of Q3 2014. Payers & Providers.