Latest California Healthline Stories
Managed Care Companies Request Reversal of Class-Action Status Decision in Physician Lawsuit
Managed care companies facing a class-action lawsuit filed by 700,000 physicians on Thursday asked the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta to reverse the case’s class-action status, the AP/Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel reports.
Sacramento Bee Examines Unclear Issues in Employer-Sponsored Coverage Bill
The Sacramento Bee today examines the “three great unknowns” about a bill (SB 2) that would require California employers to provide health insurance to employees or pay into a state fund that would provide such coverage.
Blue Cross of California Has Paid $28 Million to Providers Under Incentive Plan
Blue Cross of California announced Wednesday that it has paid $28 million in incentives to contracted physician groups through its HMO Quality Scorecard program, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Health care providers could face delays in payments next month because many are not prepared to meet the Oct. 16 deadline for the new national electronic billing requirement under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, officials at CMS said yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Veterans Health Measure Would Extend Coverage to Reservists
A bipartisan group of senators led by Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) plans to introduce an amendment to an $87 billion Iraq war fiscal year 2004 supplemental budget request made by President Bush that would extend health coverage for National Guard members and reservists, CongressDaily reports.
Value of Workers’ Compensation Reform Package Disputed
Some critics are disputing the projected $5 billion to $6 billion in savings from a package of workers’ compensation reforms that came from a special six-member Assembly-Senate conference committee because they say the language of the reform bills is “virtually identical” to earlier legislation that were estimated to save half the projected amount, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Conservative Group of House Republicans Demands Several Provisions in Medicare Legislation
A group of conservative House Republicans yesterday began to circulate a letter stating that they would not support a final Medicare bill without certain provisions, CongressDaily/AM reports.
King/Drew Medical Center Disconnects Monitors After Two Patient Deaths
Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center officials on Tuesday announced that the hospital is disconnecting a new $411,000 wireless patient monitoring system after two patients died this summer when the alarms failed to alert nurses that the patients needed urgent medical care, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Ventura County Considers Converting Former Jail to Inpatient Treatment Center for Mental Illness
The County of Ventura Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to conduct a feasibility study for a possible conversion of a former medium-security jail to a facility to treat people with mental illnesses, the Los Angeles Times reports.
More People Read New Labels on Over-the-Counter Drugs, But Few Heed Advice
More U.S. residents are reading the simpler over-the-counter drug labels introduced last year, but many consumers still ignore their advice, according to a survey commissioned by the National Council on Patient Information and Education, Scripps Howard/Detroit News reports.