Latest California Healthline Stories
Increasing Percentage of Women on Skid Row Are Older and at Higher Risk of Poor Health, Disabilities
The percentage of older women living on Los Angeles’ skid row is increasing, with the median age of female residents rising from 44 in 2001 to 50 in 2013, according to a survey released Monday. The survey, conducted by the Downtown Women’s Action Coalition, finds that older women are more likely to be in poor health or have disabilities than younger residents. Los Angeles Times.
Calif. Supreme Court: Home Health Workers Cannot Sue Alzheimer’s Patients Over Injuries
On Monday, the California Supreme Court ruled that home health workers cannot sue for injuries caused by patients that they have been hired to care for, as long as the employee was informed that there was a risk of such injuries. In the decision, Justice Carole A. Corrigan wrote, “Those hired to manage a hazardous condition may not sue their clients for injuries caused by the very risks they were retained to confront.” Los Angeles Times, AP/San Francisco Chronicle.
CalPERS Forms $500M Partnership With Swiss Bank
On Monday, CalPERS announced that it has formed a $500 million infrastructure partnership with UBS Global Asset Management, the largest bank in Switzerland. Under the partnership — which will operate as Golden State Matterhorn LLC — UBS will contribute $15 million and manage the operation while the pension fund will contribute $485 million. Sacramento Business Journal.
Advocacy groups, including Senior and Disability Action, are protesting shuttle buses that take technology employees from San Francisco to Silicon Valley. Advocates say the buses pose a safety hazard to elderly residents and individuals with disabilities because they sometimes keep city buses from being able to stop in designated areas, forcing such individuals to cross traffic. San Francisco Chronicle.
U.S. Physician Infected With Ebola Now Receiving Treatment in Atlanta
On Saturday, one of two U.S. residents infected with the Ebola virus arrived for treatment in the U.S. Physician Kent Brantly had been working at a clinic for patients infected with Ebola in Liberia. He now is being treated at the special isolation unit of Atlanta’s Emory University Hospital. ABC News.
Obama Administration Seeks Full-Court Review of Halbig Ruling
The Department of Justice is asking the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to weigh in on whether U.S. residents who purchase coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s federal insurance exchange are able to receive subsidies. The move comes after a three-judge panel of the court said such subsidies are illegal. Politico et al.
Advocacy Group Calls for More Action To Reduce Medi-Cal Backlog
On Friday, the Health Consumer Alliance sent a letter to CMS requesting that federal officials force California to grant conditional eligibility for all Medicaid applications in the state that have been pending for more than 45 days and delay all yearly reviews for current beneficiaries in an effort to reduce a backlog. KPCC’s “KPCC News.”
HHS Asks Insurance Exchange Enrollees To Verify Subsidy Eligibility
Hundreds of thousands of U.S. residents who purchased subsidized coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchange are being asked to address inconsistencies with their income and citizenship status information. As of the end of May, HHS data showed 1.2 million consumers had inconsistencies with reported income. Raleigh News & Observer.
Calif. Prison Officials Release New Policies for Mentally Ill Inmates
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has updated its policies for using corrective measures on prisoners with mental health issues. The new policies call for a mental health provider to conduct an evaluation of the “totality of circumstances involved” before there is any use of force against such an inmate. Sacramento Bee et al.
Anthem, Dignity Reach Contract Agreement
Anthem Blue Cross and San Francisco-based Dignity Health reached an agreement last week to continue a multi-year contract that expired on July 15. The contract deadline had been continuously extended by both parties as they continued negotiations. Sacramento Bee.