California hospitals scramble for earthquake retrofits as state restricts extensions

More than half of California's 410 hospitals have at least one building that likely won't be able to operate after a major earthquake hits their area, and with many institutions claiming they don't have the funds to meet the legal deadline of 2030 after an earthquake retrofit, progress The state now provides relief for some while increasing pressure on others to get the job done.

Gov. Gavin Newsom in September vetoed legislation backed by the California Hospital Association that would have allowed all hospitals to apply to extend the deadline for up to five years. Instead, the Democratic governor signed a more narrowly designed bill that allows small, rural or “distressed” hospitals to get an extension of up to three years.

“It's expensive and complicated for hospitals — independent hospitals in particular,” said Elizabeth Mahler, associate chief medical officer at Alameda Health System, which serves the East Bay in Northern California and is leading a $25 million renovation of Alameda Hospital. , on an island next to Auckland.

The debate over how seismically safe California hospitals are dates back to the 1971 Sylmar earthquake near Los Angeles, which led to a law requiring new hospitals to be built that can withstand earthquakes and continue to operate. In 1994, after the 6.7-magnitude Northridge earthquake killed at least 57 people, lawmakers demanded modernization of existing facilities.

The two laws left California hospitals with two sets of standards to meet. The first — whose deadline was originally 2008 but was postponed to 2020 — requires hospital buildings to remain standing after an earthquake. About 20 facilities have not yet met that requirement for at least one of their buildings, although some have received expansions from the state.

Many other buildings — 674 buildings, spread across 251 licensed hospitals — do not meet the second set of standards, which require hospital facilities to remain operational in the event of a major earthquake. This work is supposed to be completed by 2030.

“It's hard to argue the importance of that,” said Jonathan Stewart, a professor at UCLA's Samueli School of Engineering, citing the 2023 earthquake that struck Turkey and damaged or destroyed several hospitals. “There were a number of hospitals intact but unusable. That's better than a collapsed structure. But that's still not what you need in a time of emergency like this.”

The influential hospital industry has lobbied lawmakers for years unsuccessfully to extend the 2030 deadline, though the state has granted various extensions to specific facilities. Newsom's signing of one of three bills addressing the issue this year represents a partial victory for the industry.

Hospital administrators have long complained about the high cost of seismic retrofits.

“While hospitals are working to meet these requirements, many simply will not meet the 2030 deadline and state law will be forced to close,” Carmella Coyle, president and CEO of the California Hospital Association, wrote in a letter to Newsom before he objected to the decision. cha bill. A study conducted by Rand Corp. In 2019, which CHA funded, the cost of meeting the 2030 standards was estimated at between $34 billion and $143 billion statewide.

However, labor unions representing nurses and other medical workers say hospitals have had plenty of time to bring their buildings into compliance, and that most have the money to do so.

“They've had 30 years to do this,” Kathy Kennedy, a Roseville nurse and one of the presidents of the California Nurses Association, said in an interview before the governor made his decision. “We postpone things year after year, and unfortunately, we will lose lives,” he added.

In his letter against the CHA bill, Newsom wrote that a blanket five-year extension was not justified, and that any extension “should be limited in scope, granted only on a case-by-case basis to hospitals with a demonstrated need and a clear path to compliance, as well as Strong accountability and enforcement mechanisms.”

He also vetoed a bill specifically directed to help several hospitals run by Providence, a Catholic hospital chain.

But he signed a third bill, allowing small, rural, “acute access” hospitals, and some others, to apply for a three-year extension, and directing the Ministry of Health Care Access and Information to provide “technical assistance” to them. In meeting the deadline.

The state identifies 37 hospitals as providing “critical access,” while 56 are considered “small,” meaning they have fewer than 50 beds, 59 are considered “rural,” and 32 are “regional,” meaning they are funded by government especially. Entities called “health care regions.” They can request a three-year extension as long as they submit a seismic compliance plan and identify milestones for its implementation.

Small hospitals face a major challenge, said Debbie Stebbins, CEO of Alameda Healthcare District, which owns the Alameda Hospital buildings. Although Alameda is very close to San Francisco and Oakland, the tunnels, bridges and ferries that connect it to the mainland can easily be closed in the event of an emergency, making the island's hospital a lifeline.

“It's an unfunded mandate,” Stebbins said of the state's 2030 deadline.

The RAND study estimated the average cost of retrofitting at more than $92 million per building, but the amount can vary widely depending on whether the building houses hospital beds.

Small and rural hospitals could get some help from the state via grants funded by California's e-cigarette tax, but HCAI spokesman Andrew DeLucia said it would only generate $2-3 million annually. The Small and Rural Hospital Relief Program also received a one-time infusion of $50 million from a tax on health insurance companies to help with seismic survey work, he added.

Labor unions and critics of the extensions often point to the large profits some hospitals are making: A California HealthCare Foundation report published in August found that California hospitals made $3.2 billion in profits during the first quarter of 2024. The study notes that there is “continuity” “There is significant variation in financial performance between hospitals, with the bottom quartile showing a net income margin of -5%, compared to +13% for the top quartile.”

Stebbins had to help her district come up with a plan.

After Newsom vetoed a bill in 2022 that would have given an extension to the seismic retrofit deadline specifically for Alameda Hospital, the hospital system and its partner health care district used parcel tax money to help pay off the loan.

The upgrade will cost about $25 million, and the system is investing millions more in other projects, such as a new skilled nursing facility. Construction work is scheduled to be completed in 2027.

“Nobody wants things to break in an earthquake or anything, but at the same time, it's a burden,” said Mahler, associate chief medical officer at Alameda Health System. “How do we make sure they get what they need to stay open?”

This article was produced by KFF Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.

This article was reprinted from khn.org, a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism on health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos