Latest California Healthline Stories
Davis Signs Bill To License Naturopathic Practitioners
Gov. Gray Davis (D) last month signed a bill (SB 907) to license naturopathic practitioners for the first time in California, the Ventura County Star reports.
McClellan Raises Concerns About Purchase of Prescription Drugs From Canada, Other Nations
FDA Commissioner Dr. Mark McClellan on Monday “stepped up the agency’s rhetoric” against legislation and other efforts that would allow the purchase of FDA-approved prescription drugs from Canada and other industrialized nations during a speech at the National Press Club, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Conferees Miss Medicare Deadline But Report Some Progress in Negotiations
Negotiators attempting to reconcile the House and Senate Medicare bills (HR 1 and S 1) missed their self-imposed Oct. 17 deadline for agreement on a final bill, but they reported progress on a number of issues, the New York Times reports.
Hospitals Benefit by Adopting Information Technology, Report Finds
Although the “reality of the digital hospital is still two to five years away,” several hospitals across the nation are moving toward digital hospitals, either with entirely new facilities or by transforming individual departments within their facilities, according to a new report from First Consulting Group commissioned by the California HealthCare Foundation.
Officials from Crestwood Behavioral Health on Wednesday said that they intend to comply with conditions set by the Pleasant Hill City Council to open an unlocked mental health treatment facility, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Advocates for low-income people are concerned that Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) administration will target social service spending, including health care, as part of efforts to balance the state budget, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Cases of Staph Infections on the Rise in U.S. Prisons, CDC Reports
The number of cases of antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus aureus has increased in U.S. prisons in recent years, CDC officials said on Thursday, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports.
Importing Prescription Drugs, Expanding Health Coverage Backed, New Poll Finds
A majority of U.S. residents want Congress to legalize the importation of prescription drugs from Canada and Europe and would be willing to pay higher taxes for a Medicare prescription drug benefit, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll.
Justice Department Subpoena Seeks Two Tenet Hospitals’ Records
California-based Tenet Healthcare, the nation’s second-largest for-profit hospital chain, has received a second subpoena from the Justice Department as part of an investigation into whether Tenet improperly billed Medicare for outlier payments, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Sunday presented a new contract proposal to unionized mechanics who have been on strike since Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reports.