Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Kaiser Permanente Ratifies New Contract With Union Representing About 57,000 Of Its Health Care Workers
Modern Healthcare: Kaiser Workers In California Ratify Union Deal
Kaiser Permanente and a union representing 57,000 of its employees ratified a new contract that will create a $130 million workforce development program and boost pay, the union announced Wednesday. The Oakland, Calif.-based integrated health system and the SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West union reached a four-year agreement to recruit, train and place thousands of individuals in licensed healthcare positions; establish 3% annual raises; promote cooperation between frontline workers and managers; ban subcontracting and limit outsourcing of current positions; and form a committee overseeing technology implementation and staffing. (Kacik, 10/16)
Sacramento Bee: 57,000 CA Health Care Workers Approve Contract With Kaiser
“Our new contract recognizes the skill and dedication we bring to our work, and the guaranteed raises and protected benefits give us the peace of mind to focus on caring for our patients,” said Jessica Rodriguez, an emergency department technician at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland. “We are also proud to have negotiated an agreement that is focused on the future and making sure patients have access to highly skilled and trained caregivers in the years to come.” Rodriguez is a member of Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West. SEIU and two other international labor groups — the Office and Professional Employees International Union and the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers — have 83,000 members in the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions.(Anderson, 10/16)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: GM, UAW Strike Deal Tentative: Contract Agreement Could Come Thursday
General Motors and the UAW reached a proposed tentative agreement on a new contract Wednesday, the 31st day of a nationwide strike. The proposal does not end the strike. Workers were told to remain on the picket line at least until the union's National GM Council reviews the proposal Thursday and decides whether to submit it to members for ratification. (LaReau, 10/16)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Evers Signs Law On Health Coverage For Families Of Fallen Officers
Families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty will continue to receive health benefits under a new law Gov. Tony Evers signed Wednesday. The legislation requires Wisconsin municipalities to continue to pay the health insurance premiums they had paid for the public workers instead of forcing families to apply for more costly COBRA health insurance, which is a federal program. (Beck, 10/16)
Bloomberg: UnitedHealth (UNH) Loses 2 Large Retiree Health Accounts
UnitedHealth Group Inc. will lose two large customers in its retiree health-care business next year, a setback for the insurer in an increasingly competitive marketplace for senior medical benefits. Verizon Communications Inc. will no longer offer UnitedHealth plans to retired workers in its western region starting in 2020, according to people familiar with the matter. A state-sponsored plan for some retired Alabama public employees also will drop the insurer’s coverage, according to information posted on an Alabama government website. (Tozzi and Moritz, 10/16)
Modern Healthcare: AdvaMed Opens Center To Push Digital Health Policies
A leading medical-device industry lobbying group has launched a new advocacy center focused on digital health. The Advanced Medical Technology Association's new Center for Digital Health will convene a group of companies from its membership to develop and advocate policy positions on issues affecting digital medical technology, such as data privacy, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, the trade group said earlier this week. (Cohen, 10/16)
Modern Healthcare: Health IT Panel May Focus On Price Transparency
The Health Information Technology Advisory Committee may sharpen its focus on price transparency next year, members discussed Wednesday during the group's monthly meeting. Price transparency has proved a complicated topic. But it has come up several times this year, according to Carolyn Petersen, co-chair of HITAC and senior editor for Mayo Clinic's health information website. (Cohen, 10/16)
