Latest California Healthline Stories
Governor Nixes Long List of Health Bills
Gov. Jerry Brown (D) vetoed a number of health care bills over the weekend. They ranged from a program designed to improve flu vaccinations among health care workers, to a proposal to define and promote patient-centered medical homes, to a regulation on hospital-nurse staffing ratios.
The governor had a variety of reasons he gave for the different vetoes, but at least one of those explanations didn’t make much sense, according Assembly member Henry Perea (D-Fresno). Perea is the author of AB 1000, a measure designed to make oral chemotherapy more affordable and accessible for Californians.
“While I support the author’s efforts to make oral chemotherapy treatments more affordable for the insured, this bill doesn’t distinguish between health plans and insurers who make these drugs available at a reasonable cost and those who do not,” Brown wrote in his veto message.
Forum Examines Specifics of Bending the Cost Curve
A forum organized by a Massachusetts health policy research institute explored ways California policymakers and health care providers can combat the spiraling costs of health care ranging from adhering to prescription drug regimens to avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations.
Our Sidneys: Five Policy Studies That Warrant a Close Read
For the second straight summer, “Road to Reform” spotlights five of the most influential — and interesting — studies that were released in recent months. Here’s a look at what the wonks are reading.
Ombudsman, Immunization Bills Up for Floor Vote
Dozens of health-related bills passed through committee last week, setting up pending floor votes starting this week.
The last hurdle for many bills is the appropriations committee of each house. Those committees ran at high speed last week, churning out approvals for hundreds of bills.
The Legislature has until the end of August to vote on all bills.
Some of the health-related bills that cleared committee last week:
Mass. Panic: Did State Wait Too Long To Try Cost Control?
Experts are cautiously optimistic that a new Massachusetts law will be a much-anticipated cure for the state’s rising health spending. But others say that the state’s new cost controls — which could be a model for the nation — aren’t the right prescription for reform.
To Gauge ObamaCare Impact, Ignore CBO and Focus on AQC
Which three-letter acronym actually matters most in health reform this month? Many are focusing on the CBO’s projections — but news about the AQC, a Massachusetts pilot project, could hold the keys to unlocking ObamaCare’s potential.
Paramedics Could Lighten L.A. County’s EMS Load
Proponents of expanded roles for emergency medical personnel say a goldmine of untapped health care resources in Los Angeles County is ripe for mining. Changes brought on by health care reform could make the transition smoother.
The Simple Reason — Maybe? — Why Health Costs Have Slowed Down
Health costs are growing at their slowest level in 50 years. Some say it’s because of new cost-control efforts; others chalk it up to implementation of the Affordable Care Act. But there’s probably an easier explanation: the recession.
Health Care Task Force Starts Up
This is not your usual task force, according to Diana Dooley, secretary of the state Health and Human Services department. This one, she said, is less interested in the ideal and more focused on producing real-world results. The idea is to figure out which programs across the state improve health care and keep costs down and then encourage and support them.
Dooley was in Los Angeles yesterday to co-chair the first meeting of the health care task force created last month by Gov. Jerry Brown (D). Dooley said the first gathering could not have gone much better.
“I thought it was energized, and energizing,” she said. “It went a long way toward really substantively addressing a meaningful plan, to see what it would look like for California to be healthier in 10 years than it is today. And how do we make some real changes to improve health, lower cost and reform the delivery system. I thought it was a great start.”
If ACA Stands, What California Stands To Gain (or Lose)
The Supreme Court’s ruling on ObamaCare is imminent, and most analysts have focused on what happens if the law gets struck down. Here’s a reminder of what comes next if the law is allowed to stand.