Latest California Healthline Stories
Group Cancels $100M Breast Cancer Drug Study
The National Cancer Institute terminated the study after a committee cited cost, usefulness and safety concerns. The committee added that two large U.S. and Britain-based studies of the breast cancer prevention drugs already are under way. Washington Post et al.
Bush To Veto Measure for Expanded Funding for Stem Cell Research
President Bush also will issue an executive order to develop guidelines for funding research on creating “medically useful” stem cells without destroying human embryos. The veto is the second for Bush on legislation to fund embryonic stem cell research. Washington Post et al.
CalPERS Board To Vote on Lowest Premium Increases in Decade
CalPERS estimates that a series of changes to health benefits options for 2008 will save $144 million in premiums. The board also will consider further scaling back coverage options by dropping Western Health Advantage plans. Sacramento Bee et al.
Stanislaus County Mental Health Agency Under Fire
A grand jury report found several deficiencies at the county agency that serves as a “substitute decision-maker” for mental health patients by providing services such as assistance in making medical decisions. Modesto Bee.
Report: Number of Uninsured Kids Below Previous Estimates
Authors of the new report by the Urban Institute for HHS maintain that the U.S. Census Bureau underestimated the number of families whose children are enrolled in Medicaid or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, a finding that the Bush administration is expected to cite in support of its opposition to SCHIP expansion. AP/San Francisco Chronicle et al.
Federal Lawmaker Pushes for Expanded Kids’ Dental Coverage
Rep. Elijah Cummings promoted a bill he introduced in May to boost low-income children’s access to dental care and train more pediatric dentists. In many states, dentists do not participate in Medicaid because they are not reimbursed for the total cost of treatment. Baltimore Sun.
Los Angeles County Sees Surplus in Health Budget
County health officials announced a surplus of about $120 million from changes in Medicare reimbursements and savings from downsizing Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital. Officials had expected a budget shortfall. AP/San Jose Mercury News et al.
State Audit Finds Faults in Physician Diversion Program
A state audit of a drug and alcohol diversion program for physicians in California found poor patient monitoring and a failure to comply with the program’s policy of immediately removing a physician from practice if a drug test comes back positive. Sacramento Bee.
Supervisors Criticize Pace of Overhaul at L.A. County Hospital
Officials from King-Harbor Hospital have responded to federal officials’ most recent citation and threat to cut off funding, but the disclosure of high rates of nurses failing exams is unlikely to bolster the hospital’s case for continued participation in Medicare. Los Angeles Times.
New Recruiting Tools Seek To Combat Nursing Shortage
California hospitals are exploring new recruiting tools to help fill a growing demand for nurses brought on by an increasingly older population and a shortage of nursing school graduates. San Diego Union-Tribune.