skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

CO nursing homes left in dark as utilities cut power to prevent wildfire; First Democrat in Congress calls on Biden to withdraw after debate; Report says abortion restrictions cost SD's economy $670 million annually; CT '988' hotline services rank high in national report; NE Winnebago Educare promotes children's well-being.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Sentencing is delayed in former President Trump's New York felony conviction, Democrats vow a legislative overhaul of the Supreme Court, and the last female GOP Senators are voted out of the South Carolina Legislature.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Ugly, imperfect produce destined for the landfill is being upcycled by a California candy company, a Texas volunteer uses his Navy training to map the gaps in broadband, and Pennsylvania has a new commission tasked with reversing its shrinking rural population.

Advocates Launch Campaign to Prevent Harmful Health-Care Mergers

play audio
Play

Tuesday, March 14, 2023   

Billboards have gone up across California warning about the negative effects of unchecked mergers in the health-care system. The Protect California Patients campaign is a coalition of more than 30 organizations that support Assembly Bill 1091, which would give the attorney general more oversight on mergers worth more than $15-million.

Rachel Linn Gish is director of communications for Health Access California, which is helping lead the campaign.

"For 30 years, the Attorney General has successfully overseen many health-care mergers. That makes sure that patients are protected, that vital services are continued, and that prices don't spike. And we want to extend that oversight to other entities in the market, like for-profit hospitals" she said.

The billboards are visible on roadways in Northern California, the Central Valley and in Los Angeles. Find out more about the campaign on the website at ProtectCAPatients.

In a statement, the California Hospital Association said the bill is unnecessary because the state already has an Office of Healthcare Affordability. The CHA also asserted AB 1091 would prohibit many arrangements between health-care providers and payers, making it more expensive and unpredictable to partner.

Gish said after a merger, however, companies often eliminate services they see as duplicative - which can force patients to travel farther to find a quality hospital.

"Health care is a business," she said. "So, the bottom line is often to make money, and in order to do so, a lot of times that means increasing costs for patients or cutting vital access to services for patients, if they're deemed not profitable. This could be things like labor and delivery rooms, emergency-room departments, and things like that."

The new oversight would also cover future mergers of religiously affiliated health systems, which currently provide one in six hospital beds in California but often restrict reproductive services, including contraception, abortion, miscarriage management, tubal ligation and gender-affirming care.

Disclosure: Health Access contributes to our fund for reporting on Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Environmentalists say the plastics and fossil fuel industries driving plastic pollution and related problems have made false promises about efforts to address the pollution. (aryfahmed/Adobe Stock)

play sound

Environmental groups in Texas are backing a proposed global plastics treaty set to be finalized by the end of the year. The treaty aims to minimize …


Social Issues

play sound

Nearly 60% of Nebraska three- and four-year-olds are not enrolled in preschool programs, which are associated with increased success in school and …

Environment

play sound

A decision from the U.S. Supreme Court protects Idaho rivers from what conservation groups say are harmful mining practices. The justices rejected a …


By a 17-point margin, 53%-36%, voters favor Congress taking action to reform the Supreme Court and the way it operates, according to Stand Up America. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A University of Nevada-Las Vegas law professor said the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court has issued major decisions dramatically …

Social Issues

play sound

A series of free summer camps focused on STEM and other career paths seeks to boost the career goals of youth in the agricultural community of Immokal…

Utilities are shutting off power in an effort to keep downed and damaged power lines from sparking blazes and fueling the West's more frequent and intense wildfires. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

By Kate Ruder for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the KFF Health News-Public News Service…

Environment

play sound

Local fire crews across Oregon will be working to limit the number of manmade fires in the state on what looks to be the hottest weekend of the year s…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Abortion bans and restrictions limit women's participation in the workforce, according to a new analysis that quantifies the negative impacts on …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021