Latest California Healthline Stories
State Nurse Staffing Laws Contribute to Hospital Capacity Problems in Orange County, Report Finds
State nurse staffing rules that took effect in March have contributed to a hospital bed shortage in Orange County, according to a report released Thursday by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Studying Health System Change, the Los Angeles Times reports.
AMA Criticizes Scheduled Medicare Physician Reimbursement Reduction
A scheduled 4.3% reduction in Medicare physician reimbursements could limit access to care for beneficiaries because some physicians might decide to no longer accept new Medicare patients, the American Medical Association said on Thursday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
California Healthline Highlights Recent Hospital News
Tulare County mails ballots for hospital bond measure; physician compensation at Kern Medical Center examined
Schwarzenegger Appoints Three to Board of Registered Nursing
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Wednesday announced three appointments to the nine-member Board of Registered Nursing.
State Legislators Set To Vote on Medicaid Reform Proposals
The National Conference of State Legislatures on Friday is expected to vote on a series of proposals on how to alter Medicaid, the Seattle Times reports.
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) in a letter on Thursday asked CMS Administrator Mark McClellan to respond to the results of three studies published in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine that found disparities in health care for black patients, the Baltimore Sun reports.
Care Facility Receives Severe Citation, Fine After Patient Dies of Neglect
The Gateway Care and Rehabilitation Center in Hayward received an “AA” citation — the Department of Health Services’ most severe citation — and a $75,000 fine after an investigation determined that inadequate care at the facility led to a patient’s death in March, the Oakland Tribune reports.
HHS, Humana Promote New Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit
Two newspapers examined recent efforts to promote the new Medicare prescription drug benefit.
Generic Medications Contribute to Increased Profits for Pharmacy Benefit Managers
The increasing popularity of generic drugs is making pharmacy benefit managers more profitable, Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal reports.
Growth Outpaces Emergency Department Capacity in Kern County
Kern County is roughly one to two years ahead of most areas with regard to growth exceeding the area’s ED capacity, according to some estimates, the Bakersfield Californian reports.