Latest California Healthline Stories
Four Medications Cause Most Hospitalizations in Elderly
About two-thirds of emergency hospitalizations among elderly U.S. residents can be attributed to four commonly prescribed medications, according to a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. For the study, CDC researchers analyzed data from 2007 to 2009 for 58 hospitals participating in an adverse drug-event surveillance project. The most frequently cited drugs in the study were warfarin, which accounted for 33% of hospitalizations; insulin, which accounted for 14% of cases; antiplatelet drugs — such as aspirin and Plavix — which were implicated in 13% of hospitalizations; and oral diabetes medications, which were involved in 11% of cases. Modern Healthcare et al.
Number of School Health Clinics in State Rises; Funding Issues Persist
The number of on-campus health centers in California schools has increased in recent years, but funding the clinics continues to be a challenge. The health clinics offer services that include immunizations and physical examinations at no or low cost. Los Angeles Times.
Website Offers Calif. Seniors Long-Term Care Information
The state Department of Health Care Services’ California Partnership for Long-Term Care has launched a new website — RUReadyCA.org — to help California residents prepare for their individual long-term health care needs. The website comes in response to new research showing that two-thirds of California seniors will need long-term care, but few have prepared for it. The site provides users with various situations and options to address their needs. Sacramento Business Journal.
Debt Panel Discussions Could Lead to Structural Changes in Medicare
Discussions by the federal debt panel regarding “premium support” within Medicare could lead to major changes to the program, according to some lawmakers and health policy experts. Premium support involves giving beneficiaries a fixed sum to help obtain private coverage. New York Times.
San Diego County Discount Rx Program Generating Savings
More than 7,300 San Diego County residents have signed up for the Coast2Coast Rx program, which offers savings on prescription medications, lab and imaging tests, and dental, hearing and vision services. The program has provided more than $911,000 in discounts since the county enrolled in the program less than six months ago. Officials say the county has the capacity to expand the program, which is geared toward elderly and uninsured residents. San Diego Union-Tribune.
Proposed Ballot Measures Touch on Health Care-Related Issues
Two proposed initiatives for the November 2012 ballot are designed to set a hospital charity care rule and cut hospital charges, while another measure calls for a tax to support a prescription drug monitoring system. Sacramento Business Journal et al.
Los Angeles Safety-Net Providers Aim To Set Up Integrated Care Network
A group of safety-net hospitals and not-for-profit health clinics in Los Angeles County is working to establish a network of health care providers to serve low-income patients. The partnership’s goal is to reduce medical costs and duplicative services while improving care management. Los Angeles Times.
CMS Chief Berwick Will Step Down; Deputy Named as Replacement
CMS Administrator Donald Berwick will step down at the end of this week amid criticism from Republican lawmakers who had pledged to block his confirmation in the Senate. President Obama has named Marilyn Tavenner, CMS’ principal deputy administrator, to replace Berwick. Washington Post et al.
Patients Increasingly Turn to Retail Clinics for Minor Needs
The use of retail-based health clinics in pharmacies, grocery stores and shopping outlets to treat minor health conditions rose tenfold from 2007 to 2009, with the largest growth seen among healthy, high-income adults, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Managed Care. For the study, researchers examined Aetna claims data for 13.3 million patients in 22 different health care markets from 2007 to 2009. Over the three-year study period, the monthly rate of retail clinic use increased from 0.3 visits per 1,000 people to 2.7 visits per 1,000 individuals. MedPage Today, Los Angeles Times‘ “Money & Company.”
Sacramento County Sees Jump in STI Rates in Women
More than four out of every 100 Sacramento County women between ages 15 and 24 were diagnosed with chlamydia or gonorrhea in 2010, a 12% increase from 2009, according to the state Department of Public Health. Meanwhile, the county’s birth rate among young women declined by 23%. Sacramento Bee.