Latest California Healthline Stories
Ruling: California Health Agency Fell Short on HIV Coverage Law
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled that California’s Department of Health Care Services did not take the steps spelled out in a 2002 state law aimed at providing Medi-Cal benefits to HIV-positive Californians. People whose conditions have progressed to AIDS are eligible for Medi-Cal benefits. Los Angeles Times.
Traumatic Brain Injuries Linked to Long-Term Problems
Traumatic brain injuries can be associated with long-term health problems, such as seizures and Alzheimer’s disease, according to an Institute of Medicine report released Thursday. A recent Rand report estimated that 300,000, or 19%, of troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffered from traumatic brain injuries. Los Angeles Times, New York Times.
Report Faults L.A. County in Patient Death at King-Harbor
An internal Los Angeles County assessment concluded that a woman who died on the waiting room floor of Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Medical Center could have been saved if she had been treated properly. The sealed report was inadvertently made public for a brief time when county lawyers mistakenly included it in a recent court filing. Los Angeles Times.
Health Care Benefits Go Up for Vote in Two California City Councils
The city council in Redding voted to end the city’s contribution to retired council members’ benefits, while council members in Mission Viejo voted to keep their lifetime health benefits. Redding Record-Searchlight, Orange County Register.
Federal Judge Voices Support for Early Release of Inmates
At a trial focused on overcrowding in California prisons on Tuesday, a federal judge said that releasing inmates early might be the best option to ensure adequate medical care in state prisons. The three-judge panel is expected to rule this week on whether overcrowding is the main cause of poor medical and mental health care in California prisons. AP/Oakland Tribune.
YouTube Medical Ads Violate Federal Rules, Group Says
Prescription Project, an advocacy group, argues that medical device advertisements by Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic and Stryker that are posted on the video Web site YouTube violate federal rules because they do not include required warnings and disclosure. On Wednesday, the group asked FDA to update its advertising rules to specifically address such Internet marketing. Wall Street Journal.
San Francisco Prepares for Significant Budget Cuts
On Friday, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom will release his midyear budget cuts designed to address the projected $500 million budget deficit. The mayor has ordered the Department of Public Health, the city’s most expensive agency, to make $26.7 million in cuts. San Francisco Chronicle.
California Court Upholds Rules Prohibiting Balance Billing
The case centered on a regulation by the California Department of Managed Health Care that took effect last month. The rule bans physicians from making patients responsible for bills submitted to patients’ health plans. The situation most often occurs when a patient is treated by an out-of-network provider in an emergency situation. Los Angeles Daily Journal et al.
Health Insurer Group Rolls Out Proposal for Universal Coverage
America’s Health Insurance Plans announced a plan that aims to expand coverage to all Americans in large part by reining in health care cost increases. Aides to Sens. Kennedy and Baucus — who are pushing health care reform in the Senate — commended insurers for offering an overhaul plan. Wall Street Journal.
Daschle Details Plans To Build Grassroots Push for Health Care Reform
HHS Secretary-designate Tom Daschle told supporters that the incoming Obama administration would turn to the Internet to mobilize a grassroots campaign to overhaul the U.S. health care system. Daschle said more announcements would come today at an event in Denver. Washington Post et al.