Latest California Healthline Stories
DHS Files Emergency Proposals for Medi-Cal; Advocates Criticize Plans
The Department of Health Services last week filed emergency regulations that would allow the state to increase its efforts to recoup the cost of nursing home services from families of deceased Medi-Cal beneficiaries, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Stem Cell Institute Oversight Committee Chair Rejects Petition For Tighter Rules
Robert Klein — chair of the Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee, which oversees the development of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine — on Monday rejected each point in a petition calling for more open meetings, salary caps for employees and stricter conflict-of-interest rules for paid executives of the oversight board, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Civic Leaders Meet To Discuss Strategy To Curb Obesity
More than 20 civic leaders and state health officials on Friday met to discuss possible policies to reduce obesity and “concrete legislative strategies” to counter advertisements for unhealthy foods and beverages, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Social Security Administration To Test Assistance Application for Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit
About 2,050 randomly selected Medicare beneficiaries will begin to test an application for financial assistance under the new prescription drug benefit through a new pilot program, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
American College of Physicians Urges Waiting on Pay-for-Performance System in Medicare
The American College of Physicians said on Friday that Medicare’s physician-reimbursement system should be converted to a pay-for-performance system only after a large, voluntary demonstration project proves the efficacy of tying physician reimbursements to performance measures, CQ HealthBeat reports.
Two Newspapers Examine Recent Issues Surrounding Antidepressants
California Healthline rounds up recent articles on issues related to antidepressants.
Bill Would Restrict Air Time for Erectile Dysfunction Treatment Advertisements
Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) last week introduced a bill under which television and radio advertisements for erectile dysfunction medications such as Viagra could air only between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., the AP/Richmond Times-Dispatch reports.
Consulting Company Requests Additional Funds To Address Problems at King/Drew Medical Center
Navigant Consulting, the company hired to address patient care problems at Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center, has requested a 25% increase in funds to hire a temporary management team for the hospital, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Veterans Administration hospitals — including Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System — are ill-equipped to treat military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan for conditions such as psychosis, substance abuse, suicidal impulses and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to veterans’ advocates and some VA psychiatrists, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Bill Would Require Hospitals To Report Charges to HHS Secretary
Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) has proposed new legislation that would require U.S. hospitals to routinely report to the HHS secretary their charges for the 25 most commonly performed inpatient and outpatient procedures, the Chicago Tribune reports.