Latest California Healthline Stories
U.S. Senate Finance Leader Raises Questions Over Stanford Policies
Sen. Chuck Grassley said he is worried that Stanford’s conflict-of-interest policies fall short of requiring researchers to fully disclose potential conflicts in their research. The criticism is spurred by a Stanford researcher’s holdings in a psychiatric drug firm. San Jose Mercury News.
Federal Report Finds 15% Increase in Diabetes Cases Over Two Years
New research from CDC indicates that about 8% of Americans have diabetes and that almost a quarter of people over age 65 have the disease. As many as 57 million people in the U.S. have pre-diabetes, a condition that increases the risk of developing the disease. Bloomberg/Philadelphia Inquirer et al.
School Offers Courses To Ease Health Care Worker Shortage
This week, Cal State San Marcos launched two certificate programs designed to train students to become pharmacy technicians, EKG technicians or medical billing and coding workers. The new courses could help ease the area’s health care worker shortage. North County Times.
Business Group Says Paid Sick Leave Bill Would Hurt Jobs, Sales
A bill in the California Legislature would require all employers to provide paid sick leave for workers. Research from the National Federation of Independent Business Research Foundation projects that the bill would cost businesses $4.6 billion. Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal.
Budget Delays Will Halt Payments to Health Specialists, Hospitals
The HMO that handles Medi-Cal coverage for nearly 350,000 low-income residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties has created a contingency plan and taken out a $20 million line of credit to help pay primary care physicians and pharmacies during the budget delays. Riverside Press-Enterprise.
Business Group To Release Report on Sick Leave Bill
The California chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business today will release a study on the potential negative effects of a sick leave bill that would require businesses of at least 10 employees to provide up to nine days of sick leave per year and smaller firms to provide up to five days per year. The Assembly approved the bill, and it now is headed to the Senate. Sacramento Bee.
Doctors Should Inform Terminally Ill of Options
The Legislature should approve a bill that would ensure patients with terminal illnesses receive complete and accurate information about their care and pain management options, according to an editorial. It states, “The terminally ill need to know what help is available in their final months — particularly the option of hospice care.” San Jose Mercury News.
VA To Address Women’s Health Care Disparities
At the National Summit on Women Veterans’ Issues on Friday, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake said that the department has begun efforts to eliminate disparities in the quality of outpatient care for women and will spend about $32 million on equipment to meet the health care needs of women. AP/Orlando Sentinel.
Robert Wood Johnson Invests in Nursing Home Alternative
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will spend $15 million over five years to encourage the construction of smaller, home-like nursing facilities called “Green Houses.” Despite the funding, obstacles such as elder care regulations and resistance from the nursing home industry remain. Wall Street Journal.
Report: State HMOs Spend $6B on Costs Unrelated to Health Care
A California Medical Association report found that California insurers made more than $4.3 billion in profits in 2007 and that several HMOs paid their CEOs at least $1 million annually. CMA is sponsoring a bill that would require health plans to spend at least 85% of their annual income on health care. AP/San Francisco Chronicle.