Latest California Healthline Stories
Task Force Issues Plan for Saving $305 Billion in California
The plan by the California Task Force on Affordable Care is not likely to help the state close an estimated $20 billion budget gap, but it could be an important step in helping the state implement national health reform.
Federal Officials Seek Input From States on Health Reform
Officials from CMS and HHS delivered a consistent health reform message last week at the National Conference of State Legislatures Spring Forum in Washington, D.C.: “We’re all in this together and the more we can help each other, the better.”
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.
How Should California Pay for Retiree Health Benefits?
In addition to questions about funding Medi-Cal, Healthy Families and other programs, California is faced with the question of how to cover the cost of health care benefits for retired public workers. Three stakeholders share their thoughts on how to tackle this challenge.
Policymakers Look to Salary-Based Physician-Payment Models To Lower Health Care Costs
Jack Chou of the California Academy of Family Physicians, Mark Hall of Wake Forest University, Robert Pearl of Kaiser Permanente and AMA President James Rohack discussed physician compensation with California Healthline.
Health Care Cuts Deeper Than They Appear in California
California’s Health and Human Services funding was cut by nearly $4 billion in a prolonged budget process that still may not be complete. If losses in federal matching funds are considered, the overall monetary impact could be twice that, according to some estimates.
What Could National Health Care Reform Mean for California?
Mitchell Katz of the San Francisco Department of Public Health and Erica Murray of the California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems weigh in on the implications of health care reform efforts in Washington, D.C.
California Group Seeks Tighter Rules for Public Benefits, Citizenship
A wide array of organizations, ranging from the California Medical Association to the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, is lining up in opposition to a campaign to get an initiative on the ballot that would end public benefits for undocumented immigrants, deny welfare payments for their children and establish new rules for birth certificates.
Obama, Democratic Leaders Push for Swift Action on Reform
President Obama has called for both houses of Congress to pass health care reform legislation before lawmakers adjourn for the August recess. House Democrats stepped up to the plate and unveiled their proposal yesterday, and the Senate HELP Committees approved its bill this morning.
Congress Returns To Work on Reform With Deadlines Looming
President Obama has said he wants to sign health care reform legislation by October. Looking at the calendar, that means Congress has a lot of work to do in the weeks before it adjourns for its August recess, especially on divisive issues like how to pay for reform and whether to include a public plan.