Latest California Healthline Stories
West Nile Cases Increase in Southern California
On Tuesday, health officials warned that the risk of contracting the West Nile virus in Southern California is the highest since 2004. Southern California county agencies are increasing efforts to combat the potential spread of the virus. Los Angeles Times.
Attorney General Charges Fresno Clinics, Leaders With Medi-Cal Fraud
The Attorney General’s Office maintains that Sequoia Community Health Centers and its senior leadership defrauded Medi-Cal of $1.5 million by resubmitting claims that already had been paid. An attorney for clinic leaders said the case centered on technical violations. Fresno Bee.
Study Sees Escalating Percentage of Uninsured Who Are Immigrants
New research indicates that immigrants accounted for more than a quarter of uninsured people in the U.S. in 2006, up from about 19% in 1994. Almost 60% of uninsured immigrants live in California, Texas, Florida or New York, according to the study. Kansas City Star.
Ventura County Supervisors Oppose Prison Hospital
On Tuesday, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 to send a letter to federal receiver J. Clark Kelso opposing the proposed prison hospital near Camarillo. Meanwhile, five experts are expected to participate in a public discussion on Thursday about the potential effects of building the proposed prison hospital. Ventura County Star.
San Francisco OKs Ban on Pharmacies Selling Tobacco
On Tuesday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 8-3 to grant final approval to a law that will prohibit pharmacies, such as Walgreens and Rite Aid stores, from selling any tobacco products. San Francisco will be the first city in the country to enact such a ban. San Francisco Chronicle.
Parental Notification Measure Supporters Are ‘Desperate’
Columnist Patty Fisher calls abortion-rights opponents’ latest effort to push a parental notification measure “desperate.” She concludes, “Californians got it right the first two times” when they defeated parental notification measures in 2005 and 2006. San Jose Mercury News.
Some Medi-Cal Plans Mull Cutting Payments
Some health plans that provide coverage through Medi-Cal might halt payments this month to larger vendors, such as hospitals, Kaiser Permanente and Quest Diagnostic labs, if the state budget is not resolved soon. East Bay Business Times.
Humana Reports Slight Decrease in Profits
On Monday, Humana reported a Q2 profit of $209.9 million, or $1.24 per share, down 3% from the $216.8 million, or $1.28 per share, it earned in the same quarter a year ago. However, the health plan’s earnings beat its own projection of $1.15 to $1.20 per share. AP/San Francisco Chronicle.
New FDA Guidelines Aim To Guard Against Conflicts of Interest
The new rules will bar medical experts with significant financial holdings in companies from sitting on FDA advisory committees that review the companies’ products and change the way advisory committees vote on products. The rules will take effect immediately. San Francisco Chronicle et al.
California Study Builds Case for Telemedicine Use in Stroke Treatment
Researchers from UC-San Diego found that using telemedicine for treatment decisions for stroke patients in rural areas is far more effective than telephone consultations. An author of the study says it is the first to establish the value of telemedicine. North County Times, Health Day/Washington Post.