Latest California Healthline Stories
Decision Time for East Bay Hospital
A last-ditch effort to save the emergency department at Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo is about to encounter a significant hurdle in a county board of supervisors’ meeting.
Choosing Niche Might Be Key to Success for Health Care Accelerators
Bay Area health care accelerators are taking a specialist approach to the challenge of surviving in a landscape bursting with new ideas for speeding up the evolution of health care delivery.
New Legislative Strategies May Emerge To Raise Medi-Cal Reimbursement Rates
Ever since the Legislature agreed to reduce Medi-Cal provider payments by 10% in 2011, lawmakers have struggled to reverse the cuts. This year, there could be a more targeted approach.
ACA: A List of Reasons for the White House To Be Thankful — and Not-So-Thankful
There were both victories and challenges for the Obama administration in 2014, as it continued to implement the Affordable Care Act. On the eve of Thanksgiving, this edition of “Road to Reform” ponders what the administration might be giving thanks for in 2014 — as well as some developments it might not be so grateful for.
Study Shows Need for Payment Reform, According to California Physicians Group
New research from UC-Berkeley shows costs per patient among hospital-owned physicians groups are higher than in groups owned by physicians themselves.
Children’s Lunch Program Aims To Bring Better Food, Health to Schools
Karen Brown of the Center for Ecoliteracy, Michelle Drake of the Elk Grove Unified School District and UC-Davis student volunteer Katie O’Malley spoke with California Healthline about a new program called California Thursdays, which brings locally grown food into school lunchrooms across the state. In all, the program serves lunch for nearly one million schoolchildren in the state — about 1,700 schools in 15 districts.
Death-With-Dignity Group Working To Get Bill Introduced in Sacramento
A national group advocating death-with-dignity laws is zeroing in on California after a well-publicized case of a Californian who moved to Oregon to take advantage of Oregon law.
Kaiser-Target Partnership Another Step in ‘Retailization’ of Health Care
Three Kaiser clinics opened in Target stores last week in Southern California and a fourth will open next week, marking a significant change for California’s largest HMO and a new chapter in the “retailization” of health care.
How Obama Immigration Order Might Affect Medi-Cal Enrollment
President Obama’s executive order on immigration may lead to a modest spike in Medi-Cal enrollment in California, according to some advocates.
State Asking for Continued CHIP Funds
California HHS Secretary Diana Dooley came out strongly in favor of continued federal funding of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, but the funding has yet to be approved by Congress.