Latest California Healthline Stories
Health Care Issues High on Latino Community Agenda
Health care was a focal point when leaders of Latino community organizations met in Sacramento last week to launch the “California Latino Agenda,” a statewide campaign to unite leadership, establish goals and lobby for policy positions.
Assembly Approves Race, Ethnicity in Quality Reporting
The Assembly yesterday passed a bill that requires state officials to include race and ethnicity when compiling health care quality data.
AB 411 by Assembly member Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) would not create any kind of difficulty for state officials, since that data already exists, according to Pan. The point is to make state officials use it, Pan said.
“It’s similar to the way MRMIB (Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board) used to analyze Healthy Families data,” Pan said. “This is a vital thing that we need to do.”
$2-Per-Pack Tobacco Tax Clears First of Legislative Hurdles
A new bill proposing to raise the state tax on tobacco by $2 per pack of cigarettes cleared its first two committees in the California Legislature last week. The tax would push the price of cigarettes beyond $8 a pack and move California from 33rd in the country to fourth in tobacco taxation.
Snickers, Seriousness Expected for Junk Food Bill
This week, an Assembly committee will take up a plan to change the foods offered in vending machines in state buildings. No more empty calories for state workers, according to the proposed law.
AB 459 by Assembly member Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) is scheduled to be heard Wednesday in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations. A similar bill authored by Mitchell last year stalled in committee. This year’s bill earned initial approval two weeks ago in the Business and Professions Committee.
According to Harold Goldstein, executive director of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, the debate over the bill boils down to a fundamental issue.
Statewide Soda Tax Gaining Momentum in Calif. Legislature
A new bill proposing a statewide tax on sugary beverages appears to be gaining momentum in the California Legislature. A similar bill stalled three years ago, but with public support growing and a supermajority of Democrats in both houses, supporters predict a different outcome this time.
Birth Control Mandate: The Most Controversial Regulation Ever?
The White House called for comment on its proposed contraception mandate. Hundreds of thousands of responses poured in. Why do so many care so much?
Palliative Care Key Part of Berkeley Forum’s Prescription
Heath care organizations in Northern California are in step with a recent report from the Berkeley Forum suggesting that improvements in palliative care could help California save $110 billion over the next decade.
Spring Recess Gives Way to Spring Work
The California Legislature yesterday returned to work after a 10-day spring recess. A small mountain of bills is in front of lawmakers who have until May 31 to pass bills off the floor.
Health care legislation up for discussion includes:
Mobile App Highlights Patient Advocate Site
Ratings of health plans’ performance put together by the state Office of the Patient Advocate and newly displayed on its website are now accessible by mobile application.
“This is the first app of this type nationally,” said OPA director Amy Krause. “We hope this makes quality an important part of every doctor visit.”
At the heart of what makes the mobile app worthwhile, Krause said, is the rating system itself, which is based on information provided by the Department of Insurance. Patients can compare performance and quality factors among HMOs, PPOs and medical groups in California, both overall and within specific categories, such as how plans’ providers handle diabetes prevention and treatment.
California Rural Health Association Closes Shop
The California State Rural Health Association laid off staffers and closed its Sacramento office, leaving a void after serving as the statewide voice in rural health policy for almost two decades.