09/02/2010
The California Legislature "adjourned in shame early Wednesday, … leaving far too much of the people's business unfinished" and falling short of its "most basic responsibility -- to pass a budget," a San Francisco Chronicle editorial states. The editorial adds that "lawmakers' inaction on other matters" means that "children will be eating food from cans and bottles containing the chemical bisphenol-A" and that "[h]ealth insurers can keep driving up rates." San Francisco Chronicle.
09/02/2010
Gov. Schwarzenegger's tax adjustment plan likely would cause lower- and middle-class residents to pay higher fees, according to an initial review from the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office. Aaron McLear, a spokesperson for the governor, said Schwarzenegger opposes any tax proposal that would raise costs for any income level. Sacramento Bee's "Capitol Alert."
09/02/2010
Before the end of the legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill to create a structure for a hospital fee to draw down federal Medi-Cal funds and another bill that relates to lease agreements between hospital operators and districts. Payers & Providers.
09/01/2010
Neither the Republican nor the Democratic budget proposals obtained enough votes to move forward on the final day of California's legislative session. Legislative leaders are expected to reconvene for more budget talks in the coming days. Sacramento Bee et al.
09/01/2010
The Legislature has sent the governor a bill requiring insurers to provide 60 days' notice before increasing premiums. A measure that would have required insurers to obtain state approval before raising rates failed to garner enough votes to pass. Los Angeles Times et al.
09/01/2010
California's public employee pension accounts -- CalPERS, CalSTRS and the UC retirement system -- might face a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into whether the state misled investors through legislation that affected the pensions' funds, former Assembly member Joe Nation writes in a San Francisco Chronicle opinion piece. Citing a recent case involving pension funds in New Jersey, Nation, who is currently a professor of public policy at Stanford University, writes that California could face similar fraud charges. San Francisco Chronicle.
08/31/2010
The California Assembly has passed more bills relating to health care, including one that would grant parole to severely ill prison inmates and another that would establish safeguards to protect patients from excessive radiation doses. Los Angeles Times' "PolitiCal" et al.
08/31/2010
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services is hoping to address its $600 million shortfall for the current and previous fiscal years by drawing down funds from a hospital provider fee and an extension of a federal Medi-Cal waiver. Los Angeles Times' "L.A. Now."
08/31/2010
Many local governments are opting to cede control of public hospitals because of ongoing financial strain and expectations for higher health care costs under the federal health reform law. Local governments currently own more than one-fifth of the approximately 5,000 hospitals in the country, but many public facilities are facing an increase in uninsured patients and a decline in reimbursement rates for Medicare and Medicaid. Wall Street Journal.
08/31/2010
On the last day of the legislative session, lawmakers will vote on two budget plans proposed by Democrats and Republicans. Neither plan is likely to receive the two-thirds vote necessary to pass a budget package. Sacramento Bee's "Capitol Alert," Ventura County Star.
08/30/2010
State legislators are slated to vote on two competing budget plans during the last day of the legislative session tomorrow. Neither plan is expected to pass, meaning that the governor might reconvene lawmakers for a special budget session. San Francisco Chronicle et al.
08/30/2010
The bill aims to reverse previous cuts to the Every Woman Counts program, which offers no-cost breast and cervical cancer screenings to low-income women. The measure now is before Gov. Schwarzenegger, but it is not known whether he will sign it. HealthyCal.
08/30/2010
Many community health centers are facing major financial strain during California's budget impasse. Some clinics soon might receive "value of claims" letters indicating how much the state owes in withheld Medi-Cal funds. Sacramento Bee et al.
08/27/2010
Yesterday, the California Legislature passed a bill that would require health plans to cover maternity care and another measure that would require insurers to cover mental health treatment. Both bills now are before Gov. Schwarzenegger. Sacramento Bee et al.
08/27/2010
On Thursday, Gov. Schwarzenegger met with legislative leaders of both parties to discuss the state's ongoing budget crisis. According to Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg, no progress was made during the meeting, which was the first such gathering since June 14. Meanwhile, the governor still is planning a trip to Asia next month to improve business prospects for California companies. AP/San Francisco Chronicle et al.