Latest California Healthline Stories
USC Study Looks at Doctors’ Drug Prescribing Practices
A new report by University of Southern California researchers found that while physicians might favor certain medications and prescribe them more often, they are not averse to trying new therapies. The report, which was published in the American Journal of Managed Care, also found that prescribing fewer drugs has “modest effects” on patient adherence and out-of-pocket costs. For the study, researchers analyzed medical and pharmaceutical claims data from 2005 to 2007 from 29 large employers for information about the 10 most prescribed therapeutic classes of medications. Modern Physician.
Physician Group Guidelines Urge Doctors To Weigh Costs
The American College of Physicians has taken a new position on cost control, urging physicians to practice “parsimonious” treatment. In the sixth edition of ACP’s Ethics Manual, the group emphasizes each physician’s duty to “practice effective and efficient health care, and to use health care resources responsibly.” ACP notes that “[p]arsimonious care that utilizes the most efficient means to effectively diagnose a condition and treat a patient respects the need to use resources wisely and to help ensure that resources are equitably available.” According to ACP President Virginia Hood, the guidelines are intended to reduce overall health care costs and improve patient care. NPR’s “Shots,” MedPage Today.
Groups Seek Sensors To Monitor Air Pollution Closer to Calif. Freeways
Groups led by the Natural Resources Defense Council have filed a lawsuit calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to place air pollution-monitoring stations close to freeways to address health concerns associated with living nearby. AP/San Jose Mercury News.
Columnist Blasts Hospital’s Handling of Patient’s Records
Los Angeles Times columnist Michael Hiltzik describes a recent situation in which executives from Shasta Regional Medical Center, which is owned by Prime Healthcare Services, showed a patient’s medical chart to the Redding Record Searchlight, arguing that the incident violates patient privacy rules because the hospital executives did not obtain the patient’s written authorization. “The behavior of Prime and Shasta Regional should provide rich fodder for investigations by state and federal agencies and by U.S. prosecutors in Sacramento, who cover Shasta County,” Hiltzik writes. Los Angeles Times.
Survey: Fewer Calif. Employers Offer Health Benefits for Workers
Fewer employers in California are offering their workers health insurance, according to the California Employer Health Benefits Survey. The survey also finds that some employers that do offer coverage plan to make workers pay more. Los Angeles Times.
Study Finds One-Fourth of California Women Were Uninsured in 2009
A recent Public Health Institute study finds that 24% of California women lacked health insurance in 2009, up from 21% in 2007. Researchers note that disparities in insurance rates existed based on factors such as income and ethnicity. Payers & Providers, PHI release.
Editorial Pushes Flu Shots or Masks for Hospital Workers
“If California hospitals were graded on the percentage of their workers who get flu shots, many would get a ‘D’ and some would flunk,” a San Jose Mercury News editorial states. The editorial cites a recent survey that found “only 64.3% of hospital employees got a flu vaccination in the 2010-2011 season,” noting, “Those poor marks mean patients are just being exposed to viruses that can be lethal to them if they’re already weakened by other illnesses.” The editorial concludes that for health care professionals, “it’s fair to require the vaccine or the alternative, a mask.” San Jose Mercury News.
NFIB Seeks To Add Two Plaintiffs to Lawsuit Challenging Reform Law
Yesterday, the National Federation of Independent Business asked the Supreme Court to add two more plaintiffs to its lawsuit challenging the health reform law. The Department of Justice did not oppose the motion to add more plaintiffs. Wall Street Journal, CQ HealthBeat.
Two Coachella Valley Blood Suppliers Join Forces
On Tuesday, officials at two competing blood providers in Coachella Valley — Community Blood Bank in Rancho Mirage and LifeStream, which serves Riverside and San Bernardino counties — announced that the two groups will partner in the spring to form a new, single, not-for-profit blood supplier. The two groups will maintain equal ownership of the new entity, which will be called Desert Blood Services. However, LifeStream will oversee Desert Blood Services’ daily operations and retain its identity outside of the valley. Officials said the groups’ decision to join forces is the result of rising costs and other challenges facing the blood and health care industries. Palm Springs Desert Sun.
Gov’t Programs Account for More of Private Insurers’ Revenue
A new Bloomberg Government study finds that the top U.S. private health insurers have experienced substantial revenue growth in recent years, in part because they are playing a larger role in government health insurance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Washington Post.