Latest California Healthline Stories
Santa Paula Memorial Hospital To Close Obstetrics Unit
Santa Paula Memorial Hospital officials on Friday announced that they will close the facility’s obstetrics unit this month because it has not been able to hire enough nurses to staff the maternity ward 24 hours a day, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Mortality Rates Lower Among High-Volume Surgeons, Study Finds
The volume of procedures performed by individual surgeons may have a greater impact on patient mortality rates than the volume of procedures performed in a hospital, according to a study published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Google To Stop Accepting Ads From Unlicensed Online Pharmacies
Online search engine Google will stop accepting advertising from unlicensed pharmacies that sell narcotics and other prescription drugs online without proper medical supervision, following similar action last month by Yahoo! and Microsoft’s MSN Web site, the Washington Post reports.
PacifiCare To Offer ‘HealthCredits’ To Promote Healthy Behavior
PacifiCare Health Systems on Thursday announced that it will begin a “HealthCredits” program, which will be similar to good-driver discount programs offered by automobile insurers, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Federal Judge Orders Rx Depot To End Operations
Judge Claire Eagan of the U.S. District Court in Tulsa, Okla., on Thursday issued a preliminary injunction that requires Oklahoma-based storefront pharmacy chain Rx Depot to end operations as part of a lawsuit filed against the company by the Justice Department, USA Today reports.
California Healthline Rounds Up Democratic Presidential Campaign News
California Healthline summarizes recent news about the Democratic presidential campaign.
Four House Democrats Question Anthem Purchase of WellPoint Health Networks
Federal Trade Commission Chair Timothy Muris should closely examine health insurer Anthem’s proposed purchase of WellPoint Health Networks to ensure the deal would not affect competition in the insurance market or harm consumers, Democratic Reps. Charles Rangel (N.Y.), Jim McDermott (Wash.), Max Sandlin (Texas) and Pete Stark (Calif.), all members of the House Ways and Means Committee, said Thursday, Reuters/Los Angeles Times reports.
The 745-bed Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center cannot account for the workday whereabouts of about 12% of physicians hired under a $70 million contract, according to a required county audit released Thursday, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Insurance Commissioner Recommends 14.9% Reduction for Workers’ Compensation Insurance Premium Rates
Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi (D) on Thursday recommended that workers’ compensation insurers reduce employer premiums for next year by an average of 14.9%, the Los Angeles Times reports.
House Speaker Hastert Urges Passage of Final Medicare Bill
As talks to reconcile House and Senate Medicare bills (HR 1 and S 1) appear “stalled” over “deep ideological disagreements,” House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) on Thursday tried to “revive negotiations,” the New York Times reports.