Latest California Healthline Stories
Growing Number of Uninsured State Residents Visiting Private Emergency Departments, Study Finds
The number of uninsured patients who visited emergency departments in private hospitals in Los Angeles County increased by one-third in the last five years, according to a report from the Hospital Association of Southern California, the Los Angeles Times reports.
100,000 Donations of Umbilical Cord Blood Needed Over Next Few Years, IOM Says
Stem cells extracted from blood collected from a newborn’s umbilical cord could provide treatment for about 11,700 people annually in the United States, but about 100,000 more public donations of such blood must be made over the next few years to build an adequate national supply, according to an Institute of Medicine report released on Thursday, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports.
UC Service Workers Strike To Protest Wages; Patient Care Unaffected
Thousands of unionized service employees at University of California campuses and medical centers statewide staged a one-day strike Thursday to protest low wages, the Sacramento Bee reports.
New York Times Examines Medicare Pay-For-Performance Pilot Programs
The New York Times on Friday examined how Medicare is “starting to embrace” the practice of giving physicians “financial incentives to meet goals for quality,” a trend that “could set a new standard for the way medicine is practiced in this country.”
House and Senate Negotiating Possible Medicaid Cuts in Budget Proposal
A letter signed by 44 Republican members of Congress urging House Budget Committee Chair Jim Nussle (R-Iowa) to restore $20 billion in Medicaid funds over five years to the chamber’s budget “could give senators more leverage” in their negotiations with the House over a budget for fiscal year 2006, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Delay of Crawford Nomination as FDA Commissioner Not Based on Allegations
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions’ decision to postpone a vote on FDA Acting Commissioner Lester Crawford’s nomination to head the agency was in large part because of concerns about the agency’s delay in issuing a decision about whether to approve Barr Laboratories’ application for the emergency contraceptive Plan B, Committee Chair Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.) said on Thursday, CQ Today reports.
Bill Introduced To Require Pharmacies To Fill All Prescriptions, Including Emergency Contraception
Lawmakers on Thursday introduced legislation that would require pharmacies to ensure that all prescriptions are filled without delay, even if a pharmacist on staff refuses to dispense certain medications — such as contraceptives — because of moral or religious reasons, Reuters Health reports.
Schwarzenegger Announces Proposal To Fund Nurse Education Programs
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Wednesday announced a $90 million, five-year initiative to expand nursing education programs in California, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
House lawmakers on Wednesday introduced a bill that would expand health care services for veterans and study “why veterans’ mental-disability payments vary widely” nationwide, Knight Ridder/Tallahassee Democrat reports.
Senate Committee Delays Vote on Nomination of Lester Crawford as FDA Commissioner
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Wednesday postponed a vote on FDA Acting Commissioner Lester Crawford’s nomination to head the agency amid concerns over FDA’s delay in issuing a decision about whether to approve Barr Laboratories’ application to allow the emergency contraceptive Plan B to be sold without a doctor’s prescription, Reuters reports.