Latest California Healthline Stories
California Healthline Rounds Up Recent Hospital News
Loma Linda City Council approves construction of specialty hospital; Desert Regional Medical Center to close psychiatric ward for renovations
Caremark Rx Agrees to $137.5M Settlement With DOJ
Tennessee-based pharmacy benefit manager Caremark Rx on Thursday reached an agreement with the Department of Justice to pay $137.5 million to settle whistleblower lawsuits filed over allegations that Texas-based PBM AdvancePCS, which Caremark acquired in March 2004, received and paid kickbacks that affected several federal health care programs, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports.
Provisions of Prescription Drug Measures Examined
The North County Times on Wednesday examined provisions of Propositions 78 and 79, measures on the Nov. 8 special election ballot that would create prescription drug discount programs.
Leavitt Promotes Use of Health Care Information Technology in National Emergencies
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt at the Health Information Technology/HIPAA Summit in Washington, D.C., on Thursday said a national electronic health records system would be helpful for preventing people from losing their medical records in the case of a widespread emergency, such as a natural disaster or disease pandemic, CQ HealthBeat reports.
Wall Street Journal Examines Price Discrepancies for Health Care Services
The Wall Street Journal on Thursday examined the difficulty some consumers face in shopping around for medical procedures, as well as the wide discrepancy of prices for medical services.
Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, Insurers’ Marketing Efforts Examined
The AP/Detroit Free Press on Thursday examined the new Medicare prescription drug benefit and the preparations that insurers seeking to offer coverage under the new benefit are making for its formal launch on Jan. 1, 2006.
Floodwaters Resulting From Hurricane Katrina Contain High Levels of Bacteria, EPA Says
In the first preliminary findings from the Environmental Protection Agency’s samplings for contaminants in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, data released Wednesday show high amounts of E. coli and coliform in the water in residential areas of the city.
Stem Cell Committee To Announce First Grants Despite Lack of Funds
The Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee on Friday plans to approve its first grants for the training of stem cell researchers, even though the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine does not have the estimated $45 million needed to pay for the programs, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Budget Reconciliation, Medicaid Cuts Temporarily Delayed Following Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina has “forced Republicans to temporarily set aside a planned fall agenda,” including the budget reconciliation process and plans to find $10 billion in Medicaid spending reductions over five years, the Washington Post reports.
Santa Clara County Trauma Centers Unnecessarily Overburdened, Consultants Say
About four months after Santa Clara County officials authorized a third county trauma center, consultants from the Walnut Creek-based Abaris Group reported that many county patients are sent to trauma centers but do not require specialized care, the San Jose Mercury News reports.