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- Written by: Office of Sen. Patricia Wiggins
The measure, authored by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), would enact a system of comprehensive, universal health care for every Californian.
North Coast Senator Patricia Wiggins (D – Santa Rosa) is one of the principal co-authors of SB 810, which next heads to the Assembly for consideration.
If approved by both houses of the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, SB 810 would establish a “single-payer” health care system to provide coverage to all 37 million Californians.
Essentially, this bill combines, under one administration, existing state-administered health care programs with the privately-funded insurance industry, and the state's uninsured.
A newly-created California Healthcare System would, on a single-payer basis, negotiate with providers or set fees for health care services and will pay claims for those services.
According to an analysis by Senate staff, “This bill establishes the Healthcare Fund, which will consist of two accounts – one to pay annual state expenditures for health care and another to maintain a system reserve. This bill provides that the premiums collected each year will be roughly sufficient to cover that year's projected costs.”
In addition, “This bill assumes that all current local, state, and federal trust fund monies used to provide health care coverage to enrollees in state health care programs will be transferred to the system.”
SB 810 has a lengthy list of supporters, including the California Nurses Association, the California Teachers Association, the California Alliance for Retired Americans, the Congress of California Seniors, and groups representing physicians and medical students.
Supporters state that as health insurance costs rise steadily, employers are reducing or dropping coverage for employees. They also say that the increase in high-deductible health plans, which require deductibles and co-payments which are often unaffordable, have failed to stem the rise in health care costs, and that half of all bankruptcies in the U.S. are related to medical costs.
The bill’s backers cite this as evidence that Californians can no longer rely on the current system of private insurance, as no one is guaranteed to receive care when they become ill, and many who are insured often have inadequate coverage. By contrast, SB 810 would provide every Californian with health care coverage that would provide comprehensive benefits and a high quality of care.
Opponents include America's Health Insurance Plans, Anthem Blue Cross, the Association of California Life and Health Insurance Companies, and the California Association of Health Plans.
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- Written by: Editor
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- Written by: Editor
Because ample supplies of vaccine are now available, people who would like to be vaccinated can choose from a variety of locations.
Lake County Public Health will provide no-cost H1N1 vaccinations to anyone over six months of age at the following locations:
Calpine Visitor Center, 15500 Central Park Road, Middletown: Friday, Jan. 22, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. In order to avoid long lines, use the following schedule according to the first letter of your last name: A-H, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.; I-P, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.; Q-Z, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Lucerne Alpine Senior Center, 3985 Country Club Drive, Lucerne: Thursday, Jan. 28, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. In order to avoid long lines, use the following schedule according to the first letter of your last name: A-H, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; I-P, 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.; Q-Z, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Clearlake: Date and time to be announced in the near future.
In addition, Lake County Public Health at 922 Bevins Court in Lakeport will provide the vaccine on a walk-in basis on Tuesdays between 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. This will continue until further notice or until vaccine supplies are exhausted.
People can also check with their doctor, clinic or local pharmacist in order to get vaccinated.
Everyone is encouraged to be vaccinated in order to prevent additional waves of H1N1 illness in the coming months.
Vaccination with 2009 H1N1 vaccine continues to be particularly important for people in the initial target groups, including pregnant women; household contacts and caregivers of infants younger than six months of age; health care and emergency medical services personnel; all individuals six months through 24 years of age; and individuals 25 through 64 years of age who have medical conditions associated with higher risk of complications from influenza.
Among those who have been waiting to get vaccine are people 65 years and older as well as people 25-64 who do not have a chronic medical condition. These groups are now encouraged to get vaccinated.
While older people have been less likely to be infected with the 2009 H1N1 virus compared to younger people, there have been severe infections and deaths from 2009 H1N1 in every age group, including people 65 and older.
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- Written by: Editor
SAN FRANCISCO – The Martin-O’Neil Cancer Center at St. Helena Hospital and the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCSF Medical Center have begun an affiliation that will provide North Bay patients with access to clinical research trials and express referrals to cancer specialists through a convenient Napa Valley location.
The affiliation, initially set for five years, enhances the services of the Martin-O’Neil Cancer Center by providing coordinated access to a comprehensive array of services available at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, which is one of the nation’s largest clinical and research cancer programs.
St. Helena Hospital began treating patients in November in a newly built, $16.6 million state-of-the-art cancer center that provides medical, radiation and surgical oncology in one location.
The overarching goal of the UCSF collaboration is to improve access to high quality, evidence-based care for patients from throughout the North Bay, said St. Helena Hospital President/CEO Terry Newmyer.
“Our affiliation with UCSF, which is a top 10 cancer research academic center, is part of the Martin-O’Neil Cancer Center’s commitment to ensure our patients receive the best care possible,” he said. “We will now provide patients in the North Bay counties with access to numerous clinical research trials and referrals to UCSF cancer sub-specialists otherwise not available locally.”
As part of the collaboration, cancer physicians from St. Helena Hospital will have the opportunity to review select cases at the UCSF interdisciplinary tumor boards to determine the best course of treatment and assure patient access to the most advanced therapies.
Physicians at St. Helena Hospital will receive current information on UCSF’s cancer clinical trials and plans are underway to have a designated liaison to facilitate enrollment of appropriate patients into UCSF trials. In addition, the two organizations will work together to develop a symposium on cancer prevention and treatment for consumers and physicians in Napa Valley.
"This exciting collaboration reflects UCSF’s mission to make its high-level health care broadly available to people in northern California," said Mark R. Laret, CEO of UCSF Medical Center. “We anticipate that the affiliation will be highly beneficial to patients, and hope that it will serve as an example for future collaborative efforts between other hospitals and UCSF that strive to improve cancer prevention and treatment.”
The UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center was designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in 1999 in recognition of the highest level of excellence in both its scientific research and its ability to integrate diverse research approaches to focus on the problem of cancer and improve patient outcomes.
The center ranks first in California and seventh nationwide in NCI research grants and is home to pioneers in research into genetic, cellular and immune system causes and responses to cancer.
For more information, visit www.cancer.ucsf.edu .