California voters reject three proposals to regulate health care prices

Voters in Palo Alto and Livermore, Calif., Tuesday rejected union-backed municipal ballot measures that would have imposed an “acceptable payment amount” on the compensation hospitals and other medical providers can receive from insurers and certain other payers for the care provided to patients. AHA in July filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting court challenges brought by certain hospitals and the California Hospital Association to prevent the initiatives from being placed on the ballots in the first place. California voters also rejected a statewide ballot measure Tuesday that would limit prices for outpatient kidney dialysis. All of the measures were sponsored by Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West.