California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed a plan to make most enrollees of state-sponsored medical care fill out more eligibility paperwork as a means of saving money. Administration officials expect the rule will result in 122,000 people being dropped from the rolls next year, saving the state $92 million. The proposal could have significant impact on San Francisco's plans to become the first city in the nation to provide insurance to all residents because the city is relying on the state to maintain coverage to existing Medi-Cal patients.
The United Auto Workers and attorneys representing several retirees have sued General Motors Corp. in an effort to get court approval to shift billions in retiree healthcare costs from the automaker to an independent trust fund. The fund would cover about 500,000 GM retirees and spouses, plus current UAW workers when they retire. The lawsuit is not a hostile action--GMwill not oppose its major points and joined the UAW and retirees in filing a settlement agreement that would govern how the trust would be run.
Connecticut's first universal health insurance plan promising coverage to thousands of uninsured residents will begin taking enrollees in July 2008. The Charter Oak Health Insurance plan will insure those whose employers do not provide healthcare coverage and those who do not qualify for the state's HUSKY Medicaid or Medicare plan. Over the next four years, about 32,000 uninsured Connecticut residents will be eligible for the plan.
Healthways Inc. says that it can save healthcare dollars for companies by having its nurses make phone calls to the chronically ill to ensure proper care. But questions are mounting about whether the practice saves significant amounts of money.
Under a new proposal, Ascension Health would take over the struggling Prince George County (MD) hospital system. The system would be subsidized by $495 million in public money, with $297 million coming from the state and $198 million coming from Prince George County. The transfer would take five years and be overseen by an authority with seven members, five appointed by the county and two by the state. The proposal, however, could run into trouble with state officials because of its cost.
The defining difference between Democratic presidential candidates Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama throughout the campaign has been their contrasting views whether the government should require all Americans to have health insurance. Clinton says yes, that such a requirement is essential for creating a system in which everyone has health coverage. Obama disagrees, arguing that the law should not force anyone to buy insurance they cannot afford.