Latest California Healthline Stories
Vice President Dick Cheney Calls for Cap on Noneconomic Damages in Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
Speaking before 300 people at the Medical College of Ohio, Vice President Dick Cheney on Monday said the federal government must take action to fix the “broken” medical liability litigation system by enacting a “reasonable federal cap” of $250,000 on noneconomic damages awarded in medical malpractices cases and eliminating “junk lawsuits,” the Toledo Blade reports.
San Luis Obispo County Officials Approve Third Ambulance Service Payment Rate Increase in Past Year
San Luis Obispo County health officials this month approved an 11% rate increase for San Luis Ambulance, a privately-owned company that last year responded to 98% of the county’s emergency calls, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reports.
San Ramon Regional Medical Center Workers Vote To Join Union
About 140 San Ramon Regional Medical Center employees last week voted to join the Service Employees International Union, and contract negotiations with the hospital are expected to begin soon, the Contra Costa Times reports.
High Health Care Costs Could Prompt Automakers To Invest Abroad, Ford Motor Vice Chair Says
Ford Motor Vice Chair Allan Gilmour on Monday indicated that high health care costs could prompt automakers to “invest overseas rather than the United States” to remain profitable, the Detroit News reports.
Stanislaus County, Union Continue Contract Negotiations for Home Health Care Workers
The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors last week “rejected its own negotiator’s recommendation” to increase home health care workers’ wages from $6.95 per hour to $7.11 per hour, a 2% increase, the Modesto Bee reports.
USA Today Examines Efforts To Increase Use of Electronic Medical Records
USA Today on Tuesday examined the health care industry’s efforts to increase the use of medical information technology and transfer patient records to electronic-based systems.
Tenet Healthcare To Sell Four Los Angeles-Area Hospitals to AHMC for $100 Million
Tenet Healthcare will sell four of its Los Angeles-area hospitals to health care firm AHMC for $100 million, Tenet officials announced Monday, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Governors Discuss Recommendations on Long-Term Care at Meeting
States must make revisions to health care and other programs to address the “rapidly growing population of those 65 and older,” governors said on Sunday at the summer meeting of the National Governors Association in Seattle, the AP/Boston Globe reports.
State Rejects Request To Hold Hearings on CalPERS’ Plan To Drop Hospitals From HMO Network
The Department of Managed Health Care will not hold public hearings on CalPERS’ plan to drop coverage at 38 hospitals before deciding whether to approve the move, agency officials said Friday, the Sacramento Bee reports.
eBay Founder Donates $1 Million to Campaign Supporting Proposition 71
eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife, Pamela, have donated $1 million to a campaign in favor of Proposition 71, which would provide funding for stem cell research, the AP/San Jose Mercury News reports.