Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Feds Join Lawsuit Alleging Sutter Health Padded Revenue With False Patient Data
The whistleblower complaint says that Sutter, one of the largest health systems in the U.S., exaggerated how sick certain Medicare patients were in order to collect higher payments from the government-funded program.
In California, Doctors Accused Of Sexual Misconduct Often Get Second Chances
The state medical board grants probation in more than a third of cases, a KHN analysis found. Even as other institutions adapt to lessons of the #MeToo movement, the board plans no significant changes, saying it has always prioritized discipline for sexual misconduct.
Blue Shield’s Trims To Out-Of-State Coverage Give Some Californians The Blues
To keep costs down, Blue Shield of California next year will scale back on a program allowing members to receive a wide range of care beyond the state’s borders. Customers with individual plans mostly won’t be able to get coverage out of state except for emergencies or other exceptional circumstances.
More Than Half Of California Nursing Homes Balk At Stricter Staffing Rules
Patient advocates say the state’s new staffing regulations are a good start toward better protecting the frail, but the nursing home industry contends they’re too burdensome.
Gun Control Vs. Mental Health Care: Debate After Mass Shootings Obscures Murky Reality
More than half of mass shooters have serious mental health disorders, experts say, but the vast majority of mentally ill people are not violent. Some clinicians suggest strategic interventions, including closing loopholes in background checks to buy firearms and allowing family members to confiscate guns under temporary court orders for relatives at risk of doing harm.
For Wildfire Safety, Only Particular Masks Guard Against Toxic Particulate Matter
As wildfires blaze in Northern and Southern California, millions of people outside of the burn zones are getting exposed to dangerous wildfire smoke. For those donning face masks for protection, only a specific mask will work.
Measure To Cap Dialysis Profits Pummeled After Record Spending By Industry
The dialysis industry raised nearly $111 million in a successful bid to defeat the measure, which also was opposed by hospitals and doctors. The union that sponsored the measure collected about one-sixth that amount.
California’s Top Lawyer Sees Election Win As Mandate To Sustain Trump Resistance
Attorney General Xavier Becerra views his resounding Election Day win as a “clear signal” from voters to continue his work defending the Affordable Care Act and pushing back against the Trump administration.
California Dreamin’? With Newsom’s Win, Single-Payer Unlikely To Follow Anytime Soon
Even though Democrat Gavin Newsom campaigned for single-payer, it’s unlikely that he and other lawmakers will completely overhaul the state’s health care system right away. Instead, they will likely propose incremental steps to provide more Californians with health insurance.
Quick: What’s The Difference Between Medicare-For-All And Single-Payer?
As politicians across the country toss about such health care catchphrases, sometimes interchangeably, many voters say they’re “just confused.”
Billions In ‘Questionable Payments’ Went To California’s Medicaid Insurers And Providers
The money was paid on behalf of more than 400,000 people who may have been ineligible for the public program, a state audit found. One had been dead for four years before payments stopped.
Dialysis Giant DaVita Defends Itself In Court And At The Polls
Although dialysis provider DaVita Inc. has taken major financial hits this year, including a $383.5 million jury award in response to wrongful death lawsuits, it still rakes in profits. The company faces its biggest threat next month, when California voters weigh in on a ballot initiative that could force it to leave the state.
In California, Novel Initiatives Test Cities’ Power — And Will — To Tame Health Costs
Union-backed initiatives in Palo Alto and Livermore, Calif., aim to cap charges by hospitals and doctors, seeking to build on national furor over rising medical bills. The measures arise in health care markets that are among the most expensive in the nation.
Spending Against Dialysis Ballot Measure In California Breaks Record
Dialysis companies have contributed more than $110 million to defeat an initiative on California’s Nov. 6 ballot that would limit their profits — breaking the $109 million record set by the pharmaceutical industry in 2016.
Gavin Newsom Is Bullish On Single-Payer — Except When He’s Not
The front-runner in the California governor’s race, known for his political audacity, has officially endorsed the controversial move to create one public insurance program for all Californians. Yet he also faces formidable challenges, and liberal critics fear he’ll retreat.
As Billions In Tax Dollars Flow To Private Medicaid Plans, Who’s Minding The Store?
Insurance companies profit from government contracts but are subject to little oversight of how they spend the money or care for patients. The expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act has only exacerbated the problem.
Hospitales infantiles claman de nuevo por la ayuda de los votantes, pero ¿la necesitan?
A pesar de la naturaleza positiva de estos pedidos, algunos expertos en salud y analistas electorales cuestionan que los hospitales le pidan dinero tantas veces a los contribuyentes.
Children’s Hospitals Again Cry For Help From Voters. But Are They Really Hurting?
California’s 13 children’s hospitals are asking voters in November to approve $1.5 billion in bonds to help them pay for construction and equipment, the third such measure in 14 years. Some health care experts and election analysts believe the repeated financial requests aren’t justified.
GOP Gubernatorial Candidate John Cox: Limit Government In Health Care
John Cox, California’s Republican candidate for governor, contends that policies on abortion, health insurance and health care access should be guided by the conservative ideals of free market competition and personal responsibility. He hasn’t offered specific policy positions on health care, except that government should largely stay out of it.
Candidato republicano a la gobernación: limitar al gobierno en la atención de salud
Cox ha sido menos enfático en sus opiniones sobre el aborto en el estado azul de California, donde los republicanos, demócratas e independientes favorecen de manera el derecho de la mujer a elegir.
