Latest California Healthline Stories
Rob Stutzman, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) communications director, took “strong exception” on Monday to Democrats’ claims that the governor had “explicitly told them” he would not campaign for the repeal of a law (SB 2) that will require some companies to provide health insurance to workers or pay into a state fund that would provide such coverage, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Los Angeles Times Examines Schwarzenegger Campaign Pledges, Including Health-Related Issues
The Los Angeles Times on Tuesday examined how many campaign promises — including those involving the state workers’ compensation system and Healthy Families — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) has kept as he approaches his first 100 days in office.
Nurse-to-Patient Ratio Rules Cause Emergency Rooms To Divert Ambulances, Survey Says
Nearly half of hospital emergency rooms have diverted ambulances because they have not been in compliance with staffing regulations established by new nurse-to-patient ratio rules that took effect Jan. 1, according to an informal survey by the California Healthcare Association, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Department of Health Services Begins Yearlong Campaign To Restructure Medi-Cal
Department of Health Services Secretary Kim Belshe on Monday announced the beginning of a yearlong “overhaul” of Medi-Cal, which provides health coverage for 6.8 million Californians, or about 20% of the state population, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Assembly Votes To Approve Inmate Tobacco Ban
The Assembly on Monday voted 64-4 to approve a bill (AB 384) that would prohibit tobacco products from being sold in prison canteens or being sent to the state’s 161,000 inmates as part of an effort to reduce the cost of inmate health care, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Time Magazine Cover Story Examines High Prices of Prescription Drugs, Political Impact
Time magazine’s cover story this week examines the high cost of prescription drugs; efforts to import cheaper, U.S.-made drugs from Canada despite the FDA’s warnings about their safety and legality; and ways that the issue is “cropping up everywhere on the campaign trail.”
Tenet May Announce Sale of as Many as 30 Hospitals, Including Several in California
Tenet Healthcare could announce the sale of as many as 30 hospitals in the next three weeks, including several in its “core California market,” a health care analyst said yesterday, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Republicans To Consider Public Information Strategy on New Medicare Law
The House Republican Conference this week at an annual retreat in Philadelphia plans to consider a strategy to explain the benefits of the new Medicare law to the public and counter the “criticism their Democratic counterparts are already mobilizing against them,” CongressDaily reports.
President Bush Calls for Cap on Medical Malpractice Awards in Arkansas Speech
Speaking at a political stop at Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock, Ark., on Monday, President Bush called for a cap on medical malpractice awards, saying that costs associated with “frivolous” medical malpractice lawsuits are driving up physicians’ liability premiums, forcing many to practice defensive medicine or abandon their practices, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports.
Ortiz Introduces Bill To Require Pharmacy Board To Provide Information About Online Pharmacies
Sen. Deborah Ortiz (D-Sacramento) on Monday introduced a bill (SB 1149) that would require the Board of Pharmacy to provide information to state residents about online pharmacies located outside the United States that “violate U.S. standards for the safe shipping, handling and dispensing of prescription drugs,” the Sacramento Bee reports.