Latest California Healthline Stories
Holman’s Support for Parental Notification Measure Examined
The Sacramento Bee on Thursday profiled James Holman, the publisher of several Catholic newspapers and the secular weekly the San Diego Reader, who has “provided a mountain of cash and other financial support to launch Proposition 73,” a measure on the Nov. 8 special election ballot that would require health care providers to notify parents or guardians 48 hours before they perform an abortion on an unmarried minor.
NLRB Finds Sutter Health Violated Federal Laws in 2004 Employee Lockout
Sutter Health violated federal labor laws in December 2004 when it locked out union employees at eight Bay Area health centers for four days, the National Labor Relations Board’s general counsel has found, the Sacramento Bee reports.
KQED’s ‘The California Report’ Examines State Nursing Shortage
KQED’s “The California Report” on Monday in the first of a two-part series examined the “hotly contested issue” of the state’s nursing shortage as hospitals adapt to state rules stipulating that one nurse should care for no more than five patients in some hospital units as of Jan. 1, 2005.
Bush Administration Sends Congress Draft Medicaid Reform Legislation
The Bush administration on Aug. 5 forwarded draft legislation to address Medicaid spending increases to Senate and House leaders, the Senate Finance Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee, CQ HealthBeat reports.
Half of Largest U.S. Employers To Allow Extra Time To Use Flexible Spending Accounts, Survey Finds
Only about half of the nation’s 318 largest employers plan to let employees extend by two-and-a-half months the time they have to use funds in their flexible spending accounts, according to a survey conducted by Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports.
NPR Examines Companies That Offer Tests for Diseases Without Prescriptions
NPR’s “Morning Edition” on Thursday examined commercial testing companies offering preventive health screenings for a variety of conditions and diseases — such as high cholesterol, HIV and cysts — without a prescription.
More Than Two in Five U.S. Adults Had Problems With Payment of Medical Bills in 2003, Study Finds
More than two of every five U.S. adults — about 77 million individuals — had problems with the payment of medical bills in 2003, according to a study released on Wednesday by the Commonwealth Fund, Healthday News/Detroit Free Press reports.
Black Infant Health Program Extended in San Bernardino County
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to renew a $70,000 contract with Peoples Choice to refer black pregnant women and those with young children in targeted neighborhoods to the county Black Infant Health Program, the San Bernardino Sun reports.
Department of Social Services Orders Closure of Taft Assisted-Living Facility
The Department of Social Services has revoked the license of the only assisted-living facility for seniors in Taft, citing allegations of misused prescription drugs, understaffing and health hazards, the Bakersfield Californian reports.
DMH Officials Say Mental Hospital Oversight Improving
A U.S. Department of Justice report on mental health facilities in California does not consider reforms to patient care and might include accusations that were “overblown and taken out of context,” according to Department of Mental Health officials, the Sacramento Bee reports.