Latest California Healthline Stories
Tentative Superior Court Ruling Would Place Injunction on Delay of Nurse Staffing Rules
Sacramento Superior Court Judge Judy Hersher on Thursday “tentatively ruled” that the administration of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) “overstepped its authority” by delaying changes to state nurse staffing rules, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Grassley Says Prescription Drug Reimportation Bill Likely Will Pass This Summer
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Thursday said that the Senate this summer likely will pass a bill to allow the reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada, the Detroit Free Press reports.
Stark Introduces Amendment To U.S. Constitution Guaranteeing Health Care
Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) on Thursday introduced H.J. Resolution 30, which would amend the U.S. Constitution to guarantee health care as a right to U.S. citizens, the Oakland Tribune reports.
Rate of Health Care Cost Increases Slows, Report Finds
The rate of health care spending growth in California slowed for the first time in seven years, but “health care spending continues to outpace inflation and wage growth, which is likely to keep the burden of rising health care costs in the spotlight,” according to a report released Thursday by the California HealthCare Foundation, the Stockton Record reports.
San Francisco General Hospital Reports Gap in Service Fees, Reimbursements
There was a $620 million difference in the amount San Francisco General Hospital charged for patient care and the amount it collected in reimbursements in 2004, the city legislative analyst office reported Thursday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
House Committee Chairs, Governors Reach Tentative Agreement on Proposals To Restructure Medicaid
House Budget Committee Chair Jim Nussle (R-Iowa) and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Joe Barton (R-Texas) on Wednesday said that they have reached a tentative deal with the nation’s governors to delay Medicaid proposals, allowing the National Governors Association time to craft a plan, CongressDaily reports.
State Issues Citation, Fine Against Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital Skilled Nursing Unit
The Department of Health Services has issued an “AA citation” and fined Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital’s skilled nursing facility $50,000 for its treatment of a 76-year-old woman who died after receiving another patient’s diabetes medication, Public Health Officer Richard Jackson said Tuesday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Some California Legislators Support Efforts To Provide Medicare Coverage for Acupuncture Treatment
Some members of Congress from California are among a growing number of legislators who support efforts to provide Medicare coverage for acupuncture treatment, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Federal Reserve Chair Asks Congress To Reduce Medicare, Social Security Benefits
Federal Reserve Chair Alan Greenspan on Wednesday urged Congress to act quickly to reduce Medicare and Social Security benefits, warning that continued increases in the federal budget deficit could cause economic “stagnation” in the years to come, the Washington Post reports.
State Fund Reports Increased Surplus, Income From Premiums
State Compensation Insurance Fund, California’s semi-public workers’ compensation “insurer of last resort,” on Wednesday reported that its surplus increased by 37% to $2.86 billion in 2004, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.