Latest California Healthline Stories
CalPERS Appoints New Health Benefits Program Head
CalPERS announced Wednesday that Jarvio Grevious, currently the chief deputy director of the Department of Social Services, has been appointed to run the $3.4 billion health benefits program, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
New York Times Examines Hospital Use of Indoor Positioning Systems
The New York Times on Thursday examined indoor positioning systems, which track the location of people or objects inside buildings, and their use in hospitals.
President Bush Urges Lawmakers To Reach Compromise on Final Medicare Bill
In a speech on Wednesday, President Bush urged lawmakers attempting to reconcile the House and Senate Medicare bills (HR 1 and S 1) to “finish the work” required to produce a final bill, although he offered no recommendations on how to resolve lawmakers’ differences, the Los Angeles Times reports.
New York Times Examines Potential ‘Far-Reaching Implications’ of Anthem-WellPoint Merger
The New York Times on Thursday examined the potentially “far-reaching implications” in the insurance industry created by the union of WellPoint Health Networks and Anthem.
Democratic Presidential Candidate Wesley Clark Unveils $695 Billion Health Care Proposal
As expected, presidential candidate and retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark (D) on Tuesday in a speech at the University of New Hampshire unveiled a proposal to spend $695 billion over 10 years to provide health insurance to all U.S. residents younger than age 22 and to expand access to coverage for adults, the New York Times reports.
Hospitals statewide will collectively need to hire 5,000 additional nurses at an annual cost of about $900 million in order to meet regulations scheduled to take effect Jan. 1 that set new nurse-to-patient ratios, according to the Department of Health Services, the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal reports.
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority To Make Final Offer To Unionized Mechanics
Officials for the Amalgamated Transit Union, which represents the mechanics employed by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority who began a strike earlier this month, on Thursday said that the decision by MTA on Wednesday to declare an impasse in contract negotiations has “further alienated” union members because the move “legally opens the door for the MTA to impose a contract and hire replacement workers,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
FDA Oversight of Dietary Supplements Criticized at Senate Hearing
At a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation hearing on Tuesday, senators criticized the FDA for not taking a “harder regulatory stance” against some dietary supplement products and pushed for the agency to increase enforcement efforts against products that are known health risks, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Blue Cross of California To Introduce New Low-Premium Health Plan
Officials for Blue Cross of California, a subsidiary of WellPoint Health Networks, on Tuesday announced that the company will introduce an individual health plan, called RightPlan, that has monthly premiums as low as $70 but also requires members to make a $40 copayment for physician visits and cover 40% of the cost of hospital bills, the Sacramento Bee reports.
FDA Bans Performance-Enhancing Steroid
The FDA on Tuesday banned performance-enhancing steroid tetrahydrogestrinone, or THG, saying that it has potentially harmful health effects and has not been tested or approved for use, the Washington Post reports.