Latest California Healthline Stories
Judge Threatens Hearing on Contempt Motion if Emergency Action Not Taken at Prisons
A federal judge on Monday said he would convene a hearing on a contempt motion in a few weeks if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) does not appoint someone to enact emergency reforms in the state prison health care system, the Sacramento Bee reports.
CMS Proposes Some New Medicare Coverage for Bariatric Surgery
CMS officials on Wednesday proposed expanding coverage of bariatric surgery for beneficiaries ages 64 and younger and eliminating coverage of the procedure for beneficiaries ages 65 and older, CQ HealthBeat reports.
Los Angeles County Supervisors To Investigate Hospitals Discharge Policies
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Monday launched an investigation into allegations that Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center and the County-University of Southern California Medical Center routinely transport some discharged patients to downtown Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Medical Error Reporting System in California Hospitals Examined
The San Jose Mercury News on Sunday examined “the complex system by which hospitals are regulated in California” that places emphasis “on fixing problems without penalizing” medical mistakes.
Some Fresno Medicare Beneficiaries To Participate in House Call Demonstration Project
Several hundred Fresno County residents likely will participate in a Medicare demonstration project in which doctors make house calls to the sickest patients to avoid hospitalizations, the Fresno Bee reports.
Workers’ Compensation Insurers Announce Planned Premium Reductions
State Compensation Insurance Fund and Zenith National Insurance on Monday reported planned rate reductions for policies beginning or renewing in the first half of 2006, the Sacramento Bee reports.
American Heart Association Updates CPR Guidelines
The American Heart Association on Monday announced “dramatic changes” to its CPR recommendations to make instructions “simpler and less intimidating to a passerby thrust into the role of rescuer,” USA Today reports.
Half of Cancer Patients Keep Smoking, Study Finds
Up to half of cigarette smokers diagnosed with cancer continue to smoke, even though tobacco use substantially increases patients’ risk of death, according to a study published on Monday in the journal Cancer, USA Today reports.
Opinion Piece Questions Effect of Special Election on Pharmaceutical Firms
Arnold Steinberg, a California political strategist and analyst, in a San Diego Union-Tribune opinion piece questioned whether the Nov. 8 initiative battle between Propositions 78 and 79 was “a charade” designed to confuse voters into rejecting all of Schwarzenegger’s initiatives and “take the drug companies for a ride.”
Democrats Divided Over Medicaid Budget Cuts
Democrats in Congress and some Democratic governors are divided over a House budget plan (HR 4241) that would reduce Medicaid spending, the Washington Post reports.