Latest California Healthline Stories
Will S.F. Paid Sick Leave Ordinance Spread to Rest of State?
A bill by Assembly member Fiona Ma proposes a statewide version of San Francisco’s city ordinance requiring employers to provide paid sick leave for workers. A new report says the San Francisco ordinance is keeping people healthier and costs down.
States Hurting, But Outlook Still Bright
Economist James Glassman knew it sounded funny. While he was speaking at the annual Health Care Forecast Conference at UC Irvine last week, the California Legislature was in the process of cutting another $12 billion out of its budget — half of that from health-related programs.
But the current bad news in health care and gloomy economic prognostications will not continue, he said.
“In my mind,” Glassman said, “you have to balance what you’re hearing with what’s happening in the market. If it really was so dire, for instance, the bond market would be a disaster.”
President’s First Major Reform to Reform Law May Be DOA
President Obama now backs an effort to let states opt out of significant elements of the health reform law sooner than currently allowed. However, the president’s decision to concede an aspect of his overhaul may not be much of a concession, as the legislation is unlikely to pass.
Two Health IT Groups Join Forces
It seems like a natural fit. Cal eConnect was formed to promote and coordinate electronic health record use in California, and the California E-Prescribing Consortium (CaleRx) is trying to get providers to electronically connect with pharmacists.
Those two processes are inextricably linked, keeping EHRs and prescribing electronically. It’s all in the name of reshaping the health care delivery system, and providing better care at a lower cost.
Yesterday was the first time the two groups officially established an ongoing collaboration, in a joint workgroup meeting. How exactly that collaboration will develop is still being discussed, but everyone seemed to agree on one thing: It’s a good idea to join forces.
Calif. Health Benefit Exchange Board Member Kim Belshé Discusses Potential of the Exchange
Kim Belshé — former secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency and a member of the California Health Benefit Exchange Board — spoke with California Healthline about how the state’s health benefit exchange can expand coverage, boost care quality and reduce costs.
Will California Keep Adult Day Health?
Senior advocates are hoping a hearing at the end of last week was a turning point for the Adult Day Health Care program. It is slated to be eliminated as part of Governor Brown’s proposed budget — but since one committee recommended keeping it while another committee urged its elimination, the fate of the ADHC program has come down to the joint conference committee.
The committee is scheduled to meet every day this week to work out all budget discrepancies, including a decision on what to do with the ADHC program. But it was the meeting at the end of last week that gave a flare of hope to advocates.
“By the time I went home that day, I had the first sense of some hope,” Lydia Missaelides of the California Association for Adult Day Services said. “And that’s all I can ask for right now.”
Kaiser Seeks Big Ideas for Small Hospitals
Kaiser Permanente is launching a hospital design competition looking for new ways to use technology and facility design to deliver care in a small hospital. The international contest, which includes compensation of up to $750,000 for finalists, is open to students, architects, engineers, designers and multidisciplinary teams.
Seniors Make Statewide Effort To Rescue Adult Day Services
It’s a big week for the Adult Day Health Care program. A budget subcommittee in the Senate recently recommended shutting it down, while an Assembly subcommittee suggested keeping an amended version of it.
The joint Budget Conference Committee discussing that discrepancy got a little more input than expected yesterday.
Gov. Jerry Brown (D) made an appearance at the start of the hearing. His message was vigorous and straightforward:
$500 Million in Medicare Underpayments in California?
A California attorney has filed a class action lawsuit, saying that Medicare knowingly underpaid physicians in 10 counties in California, as well as dozens of counties in 32 other states. The suit alleges $500 million in underpayments in California, and a total of $3.2 billion throughout the nation.
“Medicare has acknowledged that certain counties are being underpaid, according to standards they set back in 1996,” according to attorney Dario de Ghetaldi, of the Corey, Luzaich, Pliska, de Ghetaldi & Nastari law firm. “It’s a problem they’ve created, and it’s a problem they’ve allowed to continue to exist.”
San Diego County physicians lead the nation in Medicare underpayment, Ghetaldi said.
How Hospital Transformed Care Model in Tough Economy
Despite low funding and high demand, some public hospitals are not only surviving, but thriving. One county hospital says its success lies in reshaping itself and its image using principles embodied in its Innovative Care Center.