Latest California Healthline Stories
Collaborative Health Care Dashboard Adopted in San Francisco
San Francisco’s Health Service System, working with consultants and vendors, has engineered a collaborative, cooperative program to compare health insurance plans offered to city workers and retirees.
Tobacco Foes in California Think Globally, Act Locally
At a smoking cessation forum last week in San Francisco, tobacco foes argued for stronger anti-smoking policies, and two large California employers announced new programs to help their workers quit the habit.
New Group Represents Rural Health Clinics in California
Last week, rural health clinic officials formed a new California organization to educate and advocate on behalf of “one of the most misunderstood and overlooked pieces in the health system.” State officials say they are ready to work with the group.
Abortion Notification, Kids’ Hospitals Return to Ballot
Of the eight propositions so far to qualify for California’s November ballot, two deal with health care — a measure seeking to prohibit abortions for minors without family notification and a bond measure for children’s hospitals. Both might look familiar to Californians who voted in recent elections.
Sense of Austerity Goes Beyond Budget, Hits Legislature
Belt-tightening in California this spring isn’t limited to talk of next year’s budget. A penny-pinching mood — set by two appropriations committees — has settled over both houses of the state Legislature.
California Residency Programs Incorporate Chronic Disease Care into Physician Training
Experts on physician training and the management of chronic illness spoke with California Healthline about efforts to encourage California’s next generation of doctors to use an innovative chronic care model.
California Lawmakers Take a Stab at Legislating Healthy Habits
An Assembly bill that would require companies bidding on California state contracts to provide wellness benefits for employees fits in with a national trend of state legislatures encouraging healthy habits.
Prison Receiver Seeks $7 Billion To Update, Expand Health Care for California Inmates
Clark Kelso, federal receiver overseeing health care for California’s prison system; Sens. Dave Cox and Mike Machado; and Nancy Paulus of the Legislative Analyst’s Office discussed Kelso’s plan to revamp the prison health care system.
Holes Forming in Health Care Safety Net for California Children
Critics say changes proposed for two California programs providing health coverage for low-income children — Healthy Families and Medi-Cal — bode ill for “the most vulnerable population” in the state.
Aging Population Could Push Major Changes to Health Care
An Institute of Medicine report released last week called for major changes in the health care system to meet the needs of an aging population. One of the report’s authors said changes could be of the same scale as those that came out of the emergence of HIV/AIDS.