Latest California Healthline Stories
Health Insurers’ Spending on Medical Services Target of Increased Oversight in New Measure
Richard Frankenstein of the California Medical Association, Nicole Kasabian Evans of the California Association of Health Plans and Sen. Sheila Kuehl discuss efforts to regulate health plan spending.
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.
California Researchers Find Health Effects of Air Pollution Higher Than Previously Thought
Dmitri Stanich of the California Air Resources Board, cardiologist Gerald Pohost and USC epidemiologist Jim Gauderman discussed the health care implications of small particle air pollution in California.
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.
San Diego Opts for Fluoridation in Water Supply, But California Still Lags in National Rankings
Don Lyman of the Department of Public Health, Jon Roth of the California Dental Association Foundation and Brad Sherwood of the Sonoma County Water Agency discussed efforts to add fluoride to the water supply.
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.
Patient Dumping Cases Spark $1 Million Settlement, New Law in Los Angeles
Los Angeles Special Prosecutor Jeffrey Isaacs, city council member Jan Perry and Jim Lott of the Hospital Association of Southern California spoke to California Healthline about recent ‘patient dumping’ cases.
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.
Governor’s Proposed Cuts May Hurt Entire System, Not Just Medi-Cal, Experts Fear
Officials for groups representing physicians and hospitals, and an advocate from the Western Center on Law and Poverty predict that Gov. Schwarzenegger’s proposed Medi-Cal cuts will have a negative impact on the state’s overall health care system.