Latest California Healthline Stories
Reforms implemented by the Department of Veterans Affairs in 1995 to eliminate or decrease the length of hospital stays in the VA health system reduced hospital use by 50% over five years and did not affect the quality of care for veterans, according to a study published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the AP/New York Times reports.
Insured Patients Account for Most of Recent Increase in Emergency Room Visits, Study Finds
Insured patients, not the uninsured, account for most of a 16% increase in emergency room visits between 1996-1997 and 2000-2001, according to a new study by the Center for Studying Health System Change, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Schwarzenegger Names Health Net Executive as Chief of Staff
Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Wednesday named Patricia Clarey, vice president for government affairs at the HMO Health Net, as his chief of staff, the AP/Sacramento Bee reports.
New San Leandro Children’s Hospice To Be First of Kind in the Nation
George Mark Children’s House, believed to be the first free-standing hospice for children in the United States, is scheduled to open in San Leandro in January 2004, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
New York Times Examines Increased Support for Programs To Purchase Medications From Other Nations
The New York Times on Thursday examined the “growing political support” for efforts to purchase lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada and other nations, as several governors consider programs to allow the practice and lawmakers consider such a provision in Medicare legislation.
Garamendi Calls for Additional Workers’ Compensation Reforms
Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi (D) on Wednesday outlined a “set of far-reaching proposals” for further reforms to the state’s workers’ compensation system, the Contra Costa Times reports.
AARP Calls for Efforts To Address Expected Increase in Long-Term Care Costs
The United States needs a policy to address the “anticipated heavy costs” of providing long-term care to a growing population of older individuals and people with disabilities, AARP officials said Wednesday during an international forum on long-term care sponsored by AARP, CongressDaily/AM reports.
Medicare Negotiators Reach Agreement on Structure of Proposed Prescription Drug Benefit
Negotiators working to reconcile the House and Senate Medicare bills (HR 1 and S 1) on Wednesday said they have reached an agreement on the structure of a Medicare prescription drug benefit, the New York Times reports.
Michael Urziceanu, a former corrections officer who opened a medical marijuana cooperative with business partner Susan Rodger, on Tuesday was sentenced to three years in state prison for the sale of marijuana, the Sacramento Bee reports.
California Healthline Features Opinion Pieces on Medicare
California Healthline features an editorial and opinion pieces that address several issues under consideration by negotiators charged with reconciling the House and Senate Medicare bills.