Latest California Healthline Stories
Contingency Plan for King-Harbor in the Works
County health officials said they have been working with 911 responders to map out new ambulance routes in case King-Harbor Hospital fails a federal inspection and is forced to close. Officials also have discussed the impact of a closure with nearby private hospitals. Los Angeles Times.
Experts: Choosing Hospitals Goes Beyond Rankings
Patients can draw from a variety of resources to evaluate health care providers and select the hospital that is most appropriate for their situation. NPR’s “Talk of the Nation.”
Firm Proposes Money-Back Guarantee for Cancer Drugs
A Johnson & Johnson division has proposed that Britain’s National Health Service pays for the cancer medication Velcade only if patients benefit from the drug. The move could indicate a willingness by the pharmaceutical industry to shift toward a pay-for-performance model. New York Times.
California Budget Debate Snagged on Mental Health Funding
Gov. Schwarzenegger has proposed cutting funding for a program that provides mental health and social services for homeless patients, but at least one Democratic lawmaker is urging legislators to block any budget that includes the cut. Los Angeles Times.
Senators Consider National Registry of Gifts to Physicians
Two Democratic U.S. senators are weighing whether to create a registry of gifts and payments from pharmaceutical companies to physicians. Opponents say the effort is misdirected, arguing that drug samples are intended to help patients, not doctors. Miami Herald.
San Francisco Defends Employer Mandate In Health Access Program
A restaurant group argues that a city program involving business contributions for health coverage violates a federal law. The case could become a test of the authority that state and local agencies have to require employers to fund health care coverage. San Francisco Chronicle.
Bush Veto Likely if Congress OKs Kids’ Health Insurance Bill
President Bush's senior advisers will urge him to veto a bipartisan plan to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program that calls for a $35 billion increase over five years. The proposal exceeds Bush’s spending recommendation by $30 billion. New York Times et al.
Assembly OKs Funds for San Quentin Medical Center
The funding would come out of a $7.9 billion prison reform plan signed into law this spring. The state's prison medical receiver said the move was unacceptable because it would reduce funds for new beds that the state’s plan seeks to build. San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee.
Blacks Use Fewer Hospice Care Services Than Whites
A California HealthCare Foundation study suggested that minorities and immigrants view hospice care as a way for health care providers to deny them medical care they’ve been working to receive. The hospice industry is working to educate minority populations about the benefits of hospice care. AP/Florida Times-Union.
Campaign To Limit Terms Wins Funds From Health Care Groups
About one-fifth of donations to a campaign seeking to revise lawmakers' term limits have come from organizations with a stake in health care reform in California. Some groups deny that their donations are intended to gain access to legislative leaders in the health care debate, but a political analyst argues that such contributions are perceived as a political necessity. Sacramento Bee et al.