Latest California Healthline Stories
Minnesota Has Lowest Rate of Uninsured Residents, Study Finds
Minnesota has the lowest rate of uninsured adult residents and Texas has the highest rate, according to a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study released on Wednesday, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports.
HHS Secretary Leavitt Suggests He Might Loosen NIH Conflict-of-Interest Rules
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on Tuesday suggested that officials might loosen new rules intended to reduce conflicts of interest among NIH researchers, which have caused several scientists to resign or threaten to do so, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports.
National Academies Panel Releases Voluntary Ethical Guidelines on Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research
As expected, a 10-member panel convened by the National Academies on Tuesday released a report outlining proposed ethical guidelines for human embryonic stem cell research, including the recommendation that all institutions engaged in such research establish oversight committees, USA Today reports.
Bill To Move Sale of Some Cold Medicines Behind the Counter Does Not Pass Senate Committee Vote
The Senate Business and Professions Committee on Monday voted 3-3 on a bill (SB 152) that would have moved medications containing pseudoephedrine behind the counter, the Modesto Bee reports.
Tentative Medicaid Budget Deal Reached; Medicare Cuts Possible
Aides for Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) said that Bush administration officials have accepted the senator’s request to create a commission to study Medicaid “in hopes of securing support from him and other moderate Republicans for $10 billion worth of cutbacks” to the program, the New York Times reports.
State Report Examines Hospitals’ Performance on Cardiac Bypass Procedures
Nine California hospitals had “significantly worse-than-expected” mortality rates among their heart bypass patients, even after taking into account the severity of patients’ conditions, according to a report released Monday by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Groups Send Letter To Congress Oppose Reductions in Federal Medicaid Funds in Final Budget Bill
A coalition of 135 organizations that represent medical specialties, unions and religious groups have sent a letter to Congress that asks House and Senate conferees to eliminate all proposed reductions in federal funds for Medicaid from the final fiscal year 2006 budget bill, CQ HealthBeat reports.
IBM To Purchase Consulting Firm Healthlink as Part of Electronic Health Records Effort
IBM on Tuesday was expected to announce the acquisition of Healthlink, a Houston-based consulting firm and “leader in the fast-growing niche business of helping hospitals and clinics convert to electronic health records,” the New York Times reports.
Senators Raise Concerns Over New Policy on Medicare Appeals in Letter to HHS Secretary
Some Medicare beneficiaries might have “significant difficulty” with appeals of claim denials after the responsibility for such appeals shifts from the Social Security Administration to HHS, Senate Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) wrote in a recent letter to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt and SSA Commissioner Jo Anne Barnhart, CQ HealthBeat reports.
National Academies To Release Ethical Guidelines for Embryonic Stem Cell Research
The National Academies — the nation’s leading scientific advisory board — on Tuesday is expected to release a report outlining proposed ethical guidelines for human embryonic stem cell research, including the recommendation that all institutions engaged in such research establish oversight committees, the Wall Street Journal reports.