Latest California Healthline Stories
Groups Discussing Possible Changes to Health Care Licensing, Accreditation Process
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations at a meeting on Thursday with state officials will discuss the possibility of changing state rules to allow accreditation organizations to conduct licensing inspections in California, the Sacramento Business Journal reports.
Leavitt Calls for State Summits on Pandemic Flu Preparedness Plans
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on Monday urged health officials in all 50 states to convene planning summits within the next four months to discuss plans for preparing for a possible influenza outbreak, the AP/St. Petersburg Times reports.
Public Hospitals To Discuss Plan To Increase Enrollment in Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans
The California Association of Public Hospitals at its annual meeting this week will discuss the effects that shifting Medi-Cal beneficiaries to managed care plans could have on the 15 public hospitals in California, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports.
Spanish-Language Disease Management Improves Outcomes in Latinos, Study Finds
Providing disease management information in Spanish to Latinos with diabetes led to improved patient diets, weight loss, lower bad cholesterol and blood-glucose levels and increased levels of good cholesterol, according to a study by researchers at Loma Linda University, the San Bernardino County Sun reports.
Minorities Volunteer for Medical Research as Often as Whites, Study Finds
Minorities volunteer for medical experiments at least as often as whites do, despite a widely held belief that they are more reluctant to do so, according to an analysis of 20 studies published online on Monday in PLoS Medicine, the Washington Post reports.
Suit Seeks To Block Automatic Enrollment of Dual Eligibles in Medicare Drug Plans
Two Pennsylvania advocacy groups have filed a lawsuit that asks the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia to block automatic enrollment of thousands of individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid into Medicare prescription drug plans when their medication coverage switches from Medicaid to Medicare on Jan, 1, 2006, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
UCSF Will Not Place Stem Cell Lines in Federal Bank
The University of California-San Francisco will not deposit its stem cell lines in a federally funded bank maintained by WiCell Research Institute, the AP/San Jose Mercury News reports.
Pollution Contributes to Premature Deaths, Health Costs, Report Finds
Air pollutants from California’s cargo industry will result in about 750 premature deaths in 2005 and cost an estimated $70 billion in related health care costs by 2020, according to a study by the Air Resources Board, the Los Angeles Times reports.
NGA Supports Medicaid Cost-Sharing Provisions
The National Governors Association on Monday in a letter to congressional leaders voiced support for a provision in the House budget reconciliation package (HR 4241) that would allow states to increase cost-sharing for some Medicaid beneficiaries, CQ HealthBeat reports.
About 14% of Expected Number of Medicare Beneficiaries Approved for Financial Assistance
About 661,000 low-income seniors have been approved by the Social Security Administration for additional financial assistance under the new Medicare benefit, about 14% of the population the government has estimated would apply and be approved, SSA said on Friday, the Los Angeles Times reports.