Latest California Healthline Stories
House Investigates Lipitor Ads Featuring Endorsements
A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee is looking into whether Pfizer mislead consumers with Lipitor ads featuring artificial heart inventor Robert Jarvik. The inquiry is part of an investigation into the use of celebrity endorsements in direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs. New York Times, PBS’ “NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.”
Leavitt Touts Medicare Pilot Program To Increase EHR Use
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said a five-year Medicare pilot project will encourage smaller medical practices to adopt electronic health records by providing higher reimbursements. CMS will select 12 communities of 100 small- to medium-sized medical practices each to participate in the program. Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Lawmakers Seek Greater Transparency From State Workers’ Comp Insurer
The Senate Banking, Finance and Insurance Committee this week held a hearing on a recent audit of State Compensation Insurance Fund that found significant mismanagement. A bill by committee Chair Michael Machado would increase State Fund’s public transparency. Los Angeles Times.
VA Secretary Pledges Lower Wait Times for Medical Care
Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake said he would work to reduce wait times for VA medical care from about 180 days to 145 by next year. The VA plans to open 64 new community-based outpatient clinics this year and 51 in 2009 to improve access to care in rural areas. AP/Philadelphia Inquirer.
Stanford Web Site Aims To Boost Clinical Trial Recruiting
Researchers at Stanford University hope a new Web site will help attract more participants for clinical trials. The trials typically have difficulty finding enough applicable subjects due to marketing challenges or the rare conditions required. San Francisco Chronicle.