EVENTS

MAY

West Coast Summit on Using Health Data To Boost Care

San Francisco

MAY

Webinar on Effects of Reform on Health Systems

Online

MAY

Meeting of Calif. Mental Health Oversight Panel

Sacramento

View All Events

FROM THE FOUNDATION

End-of-Life Choices

Trends in end-of-life care show that not only does the care given vary widely from region to region and hospital to hospital, but also patients often don't get the care they prefer. What can be done?

Care Management Puzzle

Chronic diseases and the cost of care are rising. Are disease management programs improving outcomes for patients with complex, chronic conditions?

No Middleman

Under the "direct primary care" model, patients pay a monthly fee for basic medical services. Learn about the history and current landscape of physician practices offering this arrangement.

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California's March Revenues Fall $233.5M Short of Projections

California Controller John Chiang reports that March revenues were $233.5 million below expectations. Legislators are holding off on taking any action until Gov. Brown issues a revised budget plan. Sacramento Bee's "Capitol Alert," Capital Public Radio's "KXJZ News."

Some Nail Polishes in Calif. Salons Contain Toxins, Report Finds

A new Department of Toxic Substances Control report finds that some nail polishes in California salons have high levels of toxins linked to various health conditions. Certain toxic polishes are labeled as being free from harmful agents, the report finds. AP/U-T San Diego et al.

CMS Announces First 27 Participants in Medicare Shared Savings Program

Yesterday, CMS announced the first participants in Medicare's Shared Savings Program, which provides incentives for health care providers to form accountable care organizations. Two of the first 27 participants in the ACO program are based in California. Modern Healthcare et al.

Dispute Could Affect Emergency Medical Flights for Children

A business dispute between two aviation companies could slow emergency helicopter flights to Children's Hospital Los Angeles. The dispute also could affect transportation of physicians and donated organs to various health care facilities throughout Southern California. Los Angeles Times.

IOM Calls for Significant Increase in Annual U.S. Public Health Spending

A report by an Institute of Medicine panel calls for the federal government to more than double its annual public health spending. The report recommends levying a tax on health care services and health insurance to raise funds for the increased spending. The Hill's "Healthwatch" et al.

Misuse of Prescription Painkillers Becoming More Widespread Among Young Californians

Tom Lenox of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Michael Plopper of Sharp HealthCare Behavioral Health Services, Sherrie Rubin of the not-for-profit organization HOPE and Robert Wailes of the California Medical Association's board of trustees spoke with California Healthline about prescription drug misuse.

Running Time: 6:02

Capitol Desk

Ethnicity, Race To Be Part of Quality Data?

A bill calling for the state to include race and ethnicity data when compiling health care quality statistics was approved in an Assembly floor vote yesterday.

Read Capitol Desk

SACRAMENTO BEAT

Brown's Proposed Cuts to IHSS Would Affect 254K Residents

AROUND CALIFORNIA

Lawsuit Filed Over Health System's Exposure of Data

Riverside County Mulls $15M Pledge to UC Medical School

ACROSS THE NATION

UC Researchers Find Text Messages Benefit Patients

OPINION MAKERS

Opinion: Congress Must Stop Rollout of Health Reform Law

ROAD TO REFORM

Health IT: The Common Ground in Health Care Reform?

by Paula Blasi, California Healthline Contributing Editor

Arguments inside and outside the Supreme Court building last month reaffirmed the nation's sharp divide over the federal health reform law. But one aspect of the law is likely to continue drawing support from both sides of the aisle: health information technology.

THE THINK TANK

Should California Reconsider Health Care Districts?

With the Affordable Care Act poised to dramatically change the state's health care system, should California be reconsidering special health care districts that generate and consume millions of dollars every year? We asked experts to weigh in.