Amended Drug Pedigree Legislation Moves to Fiscal Committee
On Monday, May 5, the Senate Appropriations Committee will hold a legislative hearing to discuss SB 1307, authored by Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles), legislation that would require entities in the state that are part of the drug supply chain and who participate in the change of ownership of a dangerous drug to maintain and update an electronic pedigree that includes a specified unique identification number. CHI has been actively engaged in the enactment of the state’s electronic pedigree requirement, consulting with our membership, government and other appropriate stakeholders to ensure that the provisions of the law can be effectively implemented without disrupting patients’ access to medicines. An amendment to the legislation after its passage in the Senate Business and Professions Committee on April 7 would allow for harmonization with a federally procured standard if federal standards are developed. CHI will continue to work with the bill’s author as the legislation progresses. For more information, contact Sandra Pizarro, CHI vice president-state government affairs (916-233-3497 or pizarro@chi.org.)
State’s Higher Education Community Comes Together Over Budget Cuts
Leaders from the University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and the California Community Colleges convened in Sacramento on Monday, April 28, warning policy leaders of the dire consequences that inadequate state funding will have on one of the world’s most celebrated higher education systems. Along with most other state agencies, the schools stand to loose 10 percent of their annual budgets (almost $1.3 billion between them), which would hurt their ability to retain top-faculty, give students an affordable education, and remain globally competitive. CHI Board Member and UC Provost Rory Hume highlighted how the higher education systems have not recovered from a series of deep cuts during the 1990s and again in 2004 and that they now face “a level of cuts that is unprecedented in its cumulative effect.” The governor’s revised budget is due May 14, and recent estimates place the deficit as high as $20 billion. A general message of change is circulating around Sacramento with policy makers from the administration and the legislature discussing creative ideas on how to deal with the crisis. These sentiments were echoed by Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Denise Ducheny (D-San Diego): “The larger the number gets, the more unrealistic it is to think you can cut your way out of it. And it’s unrealistic to think you can tax your way out of it, either. It forces you to think of changing things we’ve been doing for years.”
Governor Ambitious to Tackle Healthcare Reform Again
In an interview with the Associated Press on Tuesday, April 29, Gov. Schwarzenegger vowed another attempt at reform of the state’s healthcare system. Despite suggestions on taking an incremental approach, covering all children or dealing with problems within the Medi-Cal program, the governor stated that he would refuse to reduce the scale of his plan to simply cut a deal. After months of negotiations between policy makers and pertinent stakeholders, his proposal fell apart in the Senate earlier this year over concerns about the potential costs to the state in the face of an escalating fiscal crisis. Healthcare reform was highlighted in a Field Poll released on Monday, with respondents concerned about their ability to obtain and afford healthcare and insurance. When asked about how best to reform the state’s healthcare system, almost 40 percent of voters would prefer a system based on expanding employer-provided insurance, over 30 percent opted for enactment of a single-payer system, while 20 percent would prefer leaving healthcare financing to individuals.
State Hires Inaugural Public Health Officer
At a hearing of the Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday, April 30, Dr. Mark Horton was confirmed at the first director of the California Department of Public Health. The department was spun off last year from the Department of Health Services in an effort to create a higher level of focus on ensuring the safety of food, water and air, battling diseases and preparing for bioterrorism. A pediatrician with more than 30 years of government experience, Horton was previously in charge of the state’s public health programs before being appointed by the governor back in July. During the confirmation hearing, members of the Rules Committee expressed their concerns about the ability of the department to carry out its mission, citing growing concerns about pharmaceuticals in the water supply, combating obesity, and bioterrorism preparedness.
Stem Cell Governing Body Meeting May 6 and 7
On Tuesday, May 6 and Wednesday, May 7, the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee (ICOC) to the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) will hold their regularly scheduled meeting at the Luxe Hotel in Los Angeles. Of particular interest to CHI at this meeting will be a discussion on the establishment of a definition of a “California Supplier.” In the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act, which established the CIRM, there is an explicit requirement that grantees purchase at least 50 percent of their goods and services, to the extent reasonably possible, from California suppliers. Currently there is no existing definition of the term. CHI intends to enter into this discussion to ensure that the needs of our membership are represented.