Latest California Healthline Stories
President Bush Addresses Health Care Issues, Promotes Proposals
President Bush on Tuesday in Texas said that increased health care costs represent one of the largest concerns for the U.S. economy, Bloomberg/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Judge Approves Proposed Settlement in Class-Action Lawsuit Against Tenet
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Wendell Mortimer on Monday approved a proposed settlement by Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare to resolve a class-action lawsuit that alleged the hospital chain overcharged underinsured and uninsured patients, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports.
Apria Plans To Settle Medicare Fraud Charges
Apria Healthcare Group, one of the nation’s largest home health care providers, on Tuesday preliminarily agreed to pay the government $17.6 million, without admitting misconduct, to settle a Medicare fraud investigation, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Los Angeles County Supervisors Agree Not To Close Rancho Los Amigos
Los Angeles County Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously agreed to a deal with patients’ rights groups to keep the Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center open under county control for at least the next three years while it searches for a private contractor to run the facility, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Premiums for New Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit To Be Lower Than Expected, Officials Announce
Monthly premiums for the new Medicare prescription drug benefit will be about $5 lower than previously estimated when the benefit begins on Jan. 1, 2006, CMS Administrator Mark McClellan and HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced Tuesday, the New York Times reports.
Groups Call for Delay in FDA Approval of Silicone Breast Implants
A coalition of advocacy groups on Tuesday asked FDA to delay approval of silicone breast implants manufactured by Mentor until the medical device company provides long-term safety data, USA Today reports.
52 Employers To Announce New Prescription Drug Purchasing Model
A coalition of 52 large employers on Wednesday is expected to endorse a new purchasing model for pharmacy benefit managers that would require greater disclosure of acquisition costs and rebates, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Home Monitoring System Used for Chronic Disease Patients
The Health Buddy home monitoring device, developed by Mountain View-based Health Hero Network, is being used to link 7,000 seniors with their health care providers, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
San Mateo Medical Center To Require Proof of Income, Residency for WELL Program
Beginning in September, San Mateo County residents will be required to provide proof of income and residency to enroll in a program at San Mateo Medical Center for uninsured county residents who do not qualify for Medi-Cal, the Oakland Tribune reports.
Grassley Seeks Probe on Financial Firms’ Paying for Research Disclosures
Senate Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Monday sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales urging the Department of Justice to investigate whether doctors participating in clinical trials are selling confidential information to stock analysts and investors, the New York Times reports.