Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Ga. Gov. Signs Bill To Extend Hospital Bed Tax By Three Years; In Calif., Bay Area State Legislators Work To Reverse Wave of Hospital Closures
Atlanta Business Chronicle: Crossover Day Deadline Looms In General Assembly
Gov. Nathan Deal already has signed into law one of his major to-do items for this year, a bill extending Georgia’s “bed tax” on hospitals for another three years. The tax, supported by several statewide organizations representing hospitals, will raise $311 million a year in state revenue, which will then be levered with more than $600 million in federal funds. Since Georgia is among the states that declined to expand Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act, the hospital tax is the only available option for keeping the state’s Medicaid program afloat. (Williams, 2/27)
East Bay Times: East Bay Legislators Fight Back Against Hospital Closures
Bay Area politicians unveiled a new plan aimed at stopping a wave of hospital closures in California, including Berkeley’s Alta Bates Hospital, slated for closure as early as 2020, by giving the state Attorney General the authority to review the impact of the decision before allowing it to move forward. The legislation, authored by state Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), focuses on not-for-profit hospitals, such as Kaiser, Alta Bates and Summit. Under current law, California hospitals are only required to give a 90-day notice to the Department of Public Health prior to shutting down operations. If passed, the hospital would also be required to hold at least one public hearing. (Ioffee, 2/27)
Kaiser Health News: Hospitals, Both Rural And Urban, Dread Losing Ground With Health Law Repeal
More than a year ago, she lost her job at a nearby rural hospital after it closed and, as Republicans work to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, wonders whether she’ll soon be out of work again. “Many of my friends did not find jobs they love,” she said. “They’re working for less money or only part time. Some haven’t found any jobs yet, even after a year.” Now she runs the pharmacy at Perry Memorial Hospital here, warily watching the Republicans’ repeal efforts. (Varney, 2/28)
The Wall Street Journal: Lawsuit Alleges Manhattan Hospital Overcharges For Medical Records
A Manhattan hospital charges patients for medical records beyond the cost that New York state law allows, a new lawsuit alleges. The lawsuit, filed Friday in state Supreme Court in Manhattan, alleges NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center charged $1.50 per page for records and that the state caps such fees at 75 cents per page. It names both the hospital and IOD Inc., which the complaint says duplicates and copies medical records for the hospital. (Ramey, 2/27)
USA Today: Hospitals Increasingly Try To Keep Patients Away To Save Money
Asked about his health issues, Anthony Tramonte of New Castle, Del., says, “Do you have about an hour? ”It's no wonder: The former postal worker, 72, is on dialysis, has diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and eye problems. He's been hospitalized three times for heart failure in the last few years and was blind for awhile due to his diabetes. (O'Donnell, 2/24)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What Happened When UW Hospital Cafeteria Made Eating Healthy Easier?
It started with the removal of sugar-sweetened drinks and deep-fat fryers back in 2014. Poof! They were gone. But the culinary staff for the University of Wisconsin Hospital system were just getting started. By the time they were done with a major overhaul of their cafeterias’ food offerings, healthy salads, alternative grains, ethnic specialties and local farm-fresh fruits and vegetables would rule the day, and the plate, for the system’s nearly 15,000 employees and other diners. (Stohs, 2/27)
