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California voters kill budget measures
Los Angeles Times - 05/20/09 - The "big five" elected leaders -- Schwarzenegger and the legislative chieftains from both houses -- are slated to begin closed-door meetings today upon the governor's return from Washington, where he spent election day after casting a last-minute absentee ballot. On Thursday a small group of Senate and Assembly members will hold the first of what's expected to be a slew of daily public sessions to wrangle over the details of the budget. Schwarzenegger has called for cuts that would hit every corner of the state. He announced plans to lay off 5,000 of the state's 235,000 workers and has proposed slashing education by up to $5 billion, selling state properties, borrowing $2 billion from local governments and potentially reducing eligibility for healthcare programs.
Democratic Legislators' Bill Tackles Comparative Effectiveness Research California HealthLine - 05-20-2009 - On Tuesday, members of the moderate, pro-business New Democrat Coalition proposed legislation (HR 2502) that would establish a non-governmental, independent office to oversee research efforts to compare the effectiveness of medical treatments, CQ HealthBeat reports. The bill would create the Health Care Comparative Effectiveness Research Institute, which would use money remaining from the $1.1 billion included in the economic stimulus package for comparative effectiveness research and additional funding from fees on Medicare and private insurers.
Doctor survey: Patients skimping on healthcare Minneapolis Star Tribune - 05-20-2009 - More people are canceling doctors' appointments, leaving prescriptions unfilled and skipping screenings such as Pap smears to save money, according to a national survey of family doctors that was released Tuesday. As a result, more patients are winding up with health problems that could have been prevented, the American Academy of Family Physicians said in its report. The academy e-mailed more than 8,000 doctors, asking questions about the effects of the recession, and 505 doctors completed the survey in March and April of this year.
Women's clinics see rise in calls and visits Los Angeles Times - 05-20-2009 - A rising number of women, stung by job losses and dropped insurance coverage, are turning to clinics and family planning agencies for routine gynecological exams, contraceptives and abortions. As the economy worsens, some Planned Parenthood clinics are reporting a record number of abortions. Other women's health agencies say they are experiencing heavier call volumes, more visits and more requests for abortion funding. In addition, many women are postponing pregnancy and switching to longer-term contraceptives that can last up to five or 10 years, clinic officials report.
Health care leaders pledge $2 trillion in spending cuts American Medical News - 05-18-2009 - A diverse and influential group of organizations representing physicians, hospitals, insurers, drug manufacturers, medical device companies and service workers pledged to work together to reduce national health care spending by $2 trillion or more over the next decade in an effort to enable health system reform. The groups met with President Obama May 11 to say they would do their part to reduce the annual rate of health spending growth by 1.5% per year over the next 10 years. The organizations included the Advanced Medical Technology Assn., the American Hospital Assn., the American Medical Association, America's Health Insurance Plans, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and the Service Employees International Union.
California Stages Trial Run for U.S. Health-Care Overhaul
Wall Street Journal - 05/20/09 - When representatives of various health industries stood with President Barack Obama at the White House last week and pledged to cut health-care costs, it turns out they were traveling familiar terrain. Many of those same groups had been through similar discussions about curbing costs in California as that state tried, and failed, to pass an ambitious health overhaul in 2007 and 2008. "That was very important to all the group," said Karen Ignagni, president of America's Health Insurance Plans and a leader in the industry's talks with the White House. "As a result of that effort, a number of different groups began to talk about what are the lessons of California, and how big a problem the rising health cost curve is."
