Latest California Healthline Stories
Nurse Union, Advocates Lobby Schwarzenegger To Sign Rescissions Bill
A measure before Gov. Schwarzenegger would permit health plans to rescind coverage only if their attorneys could prove that policyholders had intentionally misrepresented information on applications. The California Association of Health Plans opposes the measure. Los Angeles Daily Journal.
Longs Agrees To Settle Lawsuits Related to CVS Deal
Longs Drugs Stores has agreed to settle some class action lawsuits alleging breach of fiduciary duties related to its proposed sale to CVS Caremark. Longs did not disclose the proposed settlement, and a court still has to approve the deal. San Francisco Business Times.
Health Plan Association CEO Criticizes Rescission Bill
In a letter to the editor, Chris Ohman, president and CEO of the California Association of Health Plans, writes that he disagrees with the Sacramento Bee‘s endorsement of health coverage rescission legislation in the Assembly. He writes that the bill “falls short of offering consumers real protections.” Sacramento Bee.
Revolution Health in Talks To Merge With Competitor
Revolution Health Network, an online health care firm launched by former AOL Chair Steve Case, is in negotiations to merge with its competitor, Everyday Health. If the merger goes through, the new combined company likely would exceed the online traffic at WebMD, which has been the leader in online health information for years. Washington Post.
UCSF Professor Wins Heinz Award for DNA Technology
Joseph DeRisi, a UC-San Francisco biochemistry professor, has won a $250,000 Heinz Family Foundation award for his invention of ViroChip, a DNA technology that can detect unknown disease-causing organisms. In addition to his invention, Heinz cited DeRisi’s decision to make the details of his invention available at no cost through open access publishing, rather than patenting his technology. San Francisco Chronicle.
Riverside County Hospital Projects Await State OK
Two proposed hospital construction projects in southwestern Riverside County are before the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. The projects could bring more than 400 hospital beds to the area, which has fewer hospital beds per resident than the statewide average. Riverside Press-Enterprise.
San Mateo County Turns to Web Sites To Combat Childhood Obesity
The Get Healthy San Mateo County Task Force is using one Web site to provide information to parents and educators about health for children while another Web site is targeted specifically at children. A 2005 study found that 25% of kids in the county are overweight. San Mateo County Times.
Study Questions Effect of Retail Clinics on Health Care Cost Hikes
Research published in the journal Health Affairs indicates that current data does not tie use of retail clinics to a drop in overall health care costs among health plan members in Minnesota. Researchers compared treatment cost information for five conditions. Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Walgreen Gets Court Date To Contest S.F. Tobacco Sale Ban
The California Supreme court set a Sept. 30 hearing date for preliminary injunction of a lawsuit filed by Walgreen over a new San Francisco law that bans the sale of tobacco products at pharmacies. Walgreen argues that the ordinance, which affects 52 Walgreen pharmacies in San Francisco, is anticompetitive and unconstitutional because it does not ban tobacco sales at grocery stores and wholesale clubs that have pharmacies. Wall Street Journal.
Latest Disclosures Push L.A. County To Mull Hospital Investigator
County supervisors are considering hiring an independent investigator to monitor problems in the county’s hospital and clinic system after learning about undisclosed criminal records and poor nursing staff quality at Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital. Los Angeles Times.