Latest California Healthline Stories
Union Members Authorize Strike at Six Sutter Hospitals in Bay Area
About 3,500 health care workers at six Sutter Health hospitals in the Bay Area have voted to authorize a strike, union officials said Wednesday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Treasury Department To Grant Extra Time To Use Flexible Spending Account Funds
The Treasury Department on Wednesday announced a new rule that will allow companies that provide flexible spending accounts to give employees an extra two and a half months to use the funds in the accounts before forfeiting them, the Washington Post reports.
New Workers’ Compensation Regulations Could Reduce Benefits 58%, Study Shows
Workers’ compensation benefits for permanently disabled workers could be reduced by 58% under rules issued in January by the administration of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), according to an independent study reviewed Tuesday by the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The Los Angeles Times on Wednesday examined the Parents’ Right to Know and Child Protection Initiative, which would require health care providers to notify the parents of an unmarried minor before performing an abortion.
Investment Group in Default on Loan To Finance Purchase of Four Orange County Hospitals
Costa Mesa-based Integrated Healthcare Holdings on Monday indicated in a public filing that it is in default on a $50 million loan from Medical Capital to finance the purchase of four Orange County hospitals from Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, the Orange County Register reports.
Mortality Rate From Medical Errors Has Not Decreased Since 2000, Report Says
As many as 98,000 U.S. residents continue to die annually because of medical errors, despite “an unprecedented focus on patient safety” after the release of a 2000 Institute of Medicine report on the issue, according to a report published on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, USA Today reports.
State Will Consider Size of Blue Cross of California Reserve Fund
The Department of Managed Health Care on Tuesday said it will examine the amount Blue Cross of California holds in reserve funds as part of DMHC’s investigation of recent premium increases by the insurer, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Panel To Consider State Constitutional Amendment Addressing Stem Cell Research Institute
The state constitutional amendment panel on Wednesday is expected to vote on an amendment (SCA 13) that would modify provisions of Proposition 71, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
More Consumers Use Web Sites To Find Health Information, Survey Finds
One in three U.S. residents used the Internet to find information on a medical problem in 2004, according to a survey released Tuesday, Investor’s Business Daily reports.
New York Times Examines Increased State Interest in Prescription Drug Redistribution Programs
The New York Times on Wednesday examined how more states have begun to consider programs that would allow the redistribution of unused prescription drugs as part of an effort to reduce health care costs.