Latest California Healthline Stories
Assembly OKs Direct Hiring of Doctors
California law prohibits hospitals from hiring physicians directly. Instead, health institutions hire physician groups; it’s a law designed to keep a layer of bureaucratic insulation between doctors and hospitals.
But that prohibition may be lifted, in some cases. The Assembly voted this week in favor of SB 726 by Roy Ashburn (R-Bakersfield). The bill has already passed the Senate, and now heads back to the Senate for concurrence.
Concurrence approval by the Senate is not a rubber stamp, however. The bill passed the Senate a year ago last June, and it was different in many ways from the bill passed this week in the Assembly. (The California Medical Association, for example, supported SB 726 a year ago, but does not support this version of the bill.)
Big Week Ahead — and the Budget Looms
You’re going to see a lot of bills passed this week, at least through the committee phase of legislation. This is the final week, ending July 2, for laws to be approved out of committee, so legislators are likely looking at long, agenda-packed hearings.
For instance, the Senate Committee for Appropriations meets today (Monday), with a grand total of 96 items on its agenda. Good luck with that.
Also, July 1 is the beginning of the fiscal year, and that leads into the next deadline: passing a state budget.
Close Vote, Heated Talk on Physician Employment in Assembly
Should hospitals or health districts be allowed to directly employ physicians? The charged issue crosses party lines, and the Assembly’s recent floor vote showed just how divided it is.
Officials, Health Care Providers Working To Reduce Patient Readmissions in California
Experts spoke with California Healthline about a recent report from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development that found more than one in three California hospital patients is readmitted within a year.
Helipad Bill Hits Turbulence in Senate
Assembly member Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) says some hospitals in California face a particularly frustrating obstacle when they fly in far-away patients by helicopter.
“In Riverside, they land on the roof of a parking garage across the street. Marin General has to use a park nearby to land helicopters, and then drive them to the hospital.”
In the transport of trauma patients, saving those few extra minutes could also save a life, Hill said.
Moving Homeless Patient Discharge From the Streets
Los Angeles’ law prohibiting hospitals from discharging homeless patients back to the street was a catalyst for creating recuperative and transitional care programs that help the city and county deal with the nation’s largest homeless population.
Promises, Challenges of Health Reform in California
Because many provisions of the new national law will be carried out differently in different states, stakeholders and policy makers in each state will play a key part in how the law is put into action. We asked stakeholders to assess the promise and challenge of health care reform in California.
Proposal To Make California Hospital Prices More Transparent Advances After DOJ Ruling
Jan Emerson of the California Hospital Association, John Glynn of the California Health Care Coalition and David Hopkins of the Pacific Business Group on Health discuss an initiative to boost transparency of hospital prices in California.
Health Care Reform Could Be Taxing for Hospitals
Health reform doesn’t formally alter the tax code for health care providers, but the law could have an effect on tax exemption for not-for-profit hospitals as more people gain insurance coverage and hospitals’ charity care spending decreases.
Inland Empire Grapples With Shortage of Hospital Beds
With 1.9 hospital beds for every 1,000 people, California ranks 49th in the nation for hospital bed availability. And the Inland Empire region — specifically southwest Riverside County — is lower yet with 1.05 licensed beds per 1,000 people. The region also faces a shortage of doctors and nurses.