Latest California Healthline Stories
Workers’ Comp Costs Drop for Los Angeles County
County officials attribute the declining cost for workers’ compensation to county and state reforms, as well as efforts to combat fraud and abuse of the system. Los Angeles Daily News, Los Angeles Times.
Merck Under Fire for Role in State Vaccine Proposals
The manufacturer of a vaccine for human papillomavirus is lobbying states to require the shot for girls, a step that public health organizations have stopped short of. Washington Post, Los Angeles Times.
Campaign Seeks To Curb Drug Makers’ Influence
The Prescription Project will recommend limits on contact between physicians and pharmaceutical companies and will encourage physicians to base their prescribing decisions on medical evidence, rather than marketing. New York Times.
Policy Changes Make Hospice Care More Widely Available
Aetna and UnitedHealth in conjunction with hospice programs nationwide have moved away from policies that bar members from receiving additional medical services after entering hospice care. New York Times.
Governor’s Health Care Proposal Survives Early Challenges
Despite criticism from conservative members of his party, Gov. Schwarzenegger dodged a potential ballot referendum on his health care reform proposal this weekend when the majority of delegates at the state Republican Party Convention decided to support the proposal’s provisions rather than back resolutions condemning them as tax increases. San Francisco Chronicle et al.
Second Act for Effort To Legalize Doctor-Assisted Suicide
The legislation will be almost identical to a measure that the Assembly approved last year but a Senate committee rejected. It would allow physicians to provide prescriptions for lethal doses of medications to terminally ill people. San Francisco Chronicle.
Patient Dumping Incident Reported in Los Angeles
Police said the discharged patient told hospital staff that he had nowhere else to go, but the staff told him he could no longer stay at the hospital. A preliminary hospital investigation disputes the allegations. Los Angeles Times.
Health Care Groups Remain Critical of President’s Budget
Health care advocates say President Bush’s spending plan will hurt people who rely on government health programs, but fiscal watchdogs say the proposal is a notable step toward controlling federal spending on entitlement programs. Washington Post et al.
Lawmakers Seek Collaboration on Prison Health Reform
The chair of the Senate budget subcommittee sought assurances from the receiver of California’s prison health care system that he would be conscious of the state budget process as he works to institute changes to the system. Sacramento Bee.