November 16, 2011New York Times, November 14, 2011
For the nation’s health care system, there may be no going
back. No matter what the Supreme Court decides about the
constitutionality of the federal law adopted last year, health
care in America has changed in ways that will not be easily
undone.
September 11, 2011Sacramento Business Journal, August 26, 2011
Hospitals in the Sacramento Region are both providers of health
care services as well as large employers.
We asked five top hospital and health care executives to share
their perspectives on how they are working to increase access to
health care services, control rising health care costs, and
address future shortages of trained health care professionals.
September 11, 2011Sacramento Business Journal, August 26, 2011
Health care coverage is one of the most expensive benefits paid
for by employers. Whether you’re a small start-up, large
multi-national or something in between, you’re well aware of the
affects that health care insurance costs have on your business,
employee retention and productivity.
The Affordable Care Act of 2010 calls for the mandatory expansion
of Medicaid (Medi-Cal). Currently, Medi-Cal serves 7.5 million
Californians at a cost of $45 billion per year. Healthcare reform
expansion will allow 3.6 million additional Californians to
enroll in Medi-Cal. However, such an increase in coverage is not
without a price, with estimates of up to $3-4 billion per year of
additional state expenditures by 2020.
June 10, 2011San Gabriel Valley Tribune, June 8, 2011
Though portions of the 2010 federal health care reform have
already gone into effect, and other major provisions are only a
few years away from implementation, businesses are still
wondering how the overhaul will affect them.
As many as 4.57 million Californians who previously were
uninsured or underinsured might be eligible for coverage under
the federal health reform law, researchers found.
The biggest threat to President Obama’s healthcare reform plan is
absolutely fundamental. The measure aims to vastly increase
healthcare coverage while there is a looming doctor shortage
which creates three unintended forces bound to block the
objectives of health care reform.
February 15, 2011San Diego Union Tribune, February 15, 2011
Seniors have started to see several new benefits — and for some,
increased costs — in Medicare coverage under the federal health
care reforms called the Affordable Care Act. Through
cost-cutting, requirements for providers to be more efficient, a
higher payroll tax and a new tax on investments, the Affordable
Care Act also delays by 12 years the day when the Medicare
hospital insurance fund runs dry.
By Sept. 23, the six month anniversary of the enactment of the
health overhaul, some of the law’s key provisions will be in
effect. Most consumers, however, won’t see any changes until
after Jan. 1 when their new health plan year begins
The California Health Care Foundation offers a consumer-friendly
breakdown of what health care reform means for Californians. It
includes highlights of the new law, a timeline of when the
changes happen and what coverage options, new costs and benefits
are available for those with or without insurance.
What you need to know about how your family will benefit, what
you’ll really pay, whether you’ll get better or worse care, and
what could go wrong from here.
For the next phase of healthcare reform in the United States,
leaders will place more emphasis on individualized care—people
keeping themselves healthier and out of hospitals, and finding
ways to help themselves better manage their own health, according
to a new PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) HealthCast survey report.
Figure $2 billion to $3 billion. That’s the state of California’s
rough estimate of what national healthcare expansion ultimately
will cost it each year.
The new health reform law is the most far-reaching health
legislation since the creation of the Medicare and Medicaid
programs. The following is a look at the impact of the law, which
will extend insurance coverage to 32 million additional Americans
by 2019, but which will also have an effect on almost every
citizen. Here are some commonly-asked questions about how you
might be affected.
This tool illustrates premiums and government assistance under
the types of reform proposals being considered for people under
age 65 who purchase coverage on their own in an Exchange and are
not covered through their employer, Medicare or Medicaid.
November 11, 2009C. Duane Dauner, President/CEO California Hospital Association
Passage of health care reform will provide health insurance
coverage to 32 million more Americans, including many of
California’s 6.7 million uninsured. The full impact of the health
reform package is still unclear for both patients and hospitals.
However, it is clear that more needs to be done to make sure all
Californians have health care coverage, access to high quality,
appropriate health care services, and that hospitals and health
care providers receive adequate reimbursements for services.
My mother had been in pain for sometime in her abdomen and in
her back. Eventually, the pain became so bad that I took her to
St Mary’s emergency room…
