Latest California Healthline Stories
State Fines Nursing Home $80,000 in Resident’s Death
On Thursday, the California Department of Public Health fined Raintree Convalescent Hospital in Fresno for inadequate care that led to the choking death of a nursing home resident. The nursing home received an “AA” citation — the most severe penalty under California law. Fresno Bee, Los Angeles Times.
Appeals Court Ruling Limits Recourse in Some Cases Against HMOs
A California appeals court ruled that HMOs cannot be held liable for decisions made by their contracting physician groups, raising a significant hurdle for many lawsuits. Trial attorneys who opposed the ruling said they will ask the state Legislature to clarify state law on health plans and liability. Los Angeles Daily Journal.
Risk a Major Issue in Talk of Health Care Costs, Outcomes
KQED’s “Health Dialogues” in March addressed the topic of risk and included a discussion with an actuary about assessing risk in determining health insurance costs, a segment on genetic testing, and a discussion of how air pollution affects health in the ports of Long Beach and San Pedro. KQED’s “Healthy Dialogues.”
Suit Says Lab Firms Overbilled Medi-Cal for Testing Services
In Los Angeles this morning, California Attorney General Jerry Brown is scheduled to announce a whistleblower complaint that aims to recover at least $100 million from medical labs that allegedly overcharged Medi-Cal. Brown declined to say why criminal charges haven’t been filed. Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee.
Companies Make CalPERS’ ‘Underperforming’ List
CalPERS has put four companies on its Focus List of underperforming companies. The list includes drug manufacturer Eli Lilly, medical technology firm Hill-Rom Holdings and medical information company IMS Health. The list is designed to put pressure on the firms to make changes. Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento Bee.
Daschle Argues ‘Time for Health Care Reform Is Now’
In an opinion piece, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle argues that pundits who said “health reform had received a devastating blow” when he withdrew from consideration to be HHS secretary are “completely wrong.” He concludes, “These Americans are telling us we can’t wait any longer: The time for health care reform is now.” Washington Post.
Comparative Effectiveness Panel Members Named
On Thursday, HHS named 15 government experts to serve on the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research. The panel will advise the federal government on how to spend the $1.1 billion allocated in the federal stimulus package to study which medical treatments work best. Reuters/Boston Globe.
S.F. Restaurants Push Ahead With Challenge to Health Access Effort
The Golden Gate Restaurant Association is asking the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency injunction barring San Francisco from requiring businesses in the city to help shoulder the cost of health care services for their workers under the city’s Healthy San Francisco program. San Francisco Chronicle.
In California, President Fields Health Care, Budget Questions
During the first day of a two-day swing through California, President Obama stumped for his budget proposal and defended plans to raise taxes on high-income households to finance health care reform. Meanwhile, White House Budget Chief Peter Orszag made the case for addressing rising health care costs, and Republicans and Democrats geared up for the debate ahead. Washington Post et al.
U.S. Teen Birthrate Increases for Second Straight Year
The U.S. teenage birthrate has increased for the second year in a row, according to government statistics. The two consecutive increases could suggest that national efforts to reduce teenage pregnancies might have stalled or reversed. Washington Post.