Latest California Healthline Stories
Federal Support Needed for Data Standards, Technology, Health Affairs Articles State
An article in the current issue of Health Affairs calls for a standardized national clinical data system and advocates government action to develop standards and provide funding for technology adoption.
Alameda County public health officials plan to ask federal officials for help with their bioterrorism preparedness programs following a June 12 computer-simulated anthrax attack on Berkeley Marina that determined that 9,000 people would have been killed, “expos[ing] gaps” in the county’s new bioterrorism preparedness plan, the Oakland Tribune reports.
Superior Court Judge Dismisses Lawsuit To Stop Construction of Health Clinic, Casino
State Superior Court Judge Patricia Cowett last month dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Viejas Indian band to prevent the Ewiiaapaayp tribe from building a health clinic and casino in Alpine, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Alameda County Medical Center Installs Videoconference Devices To Improve Translation Services
Alameda County Medical Center last month implemented one of the nation’s first videoconferencing interpretation systems at the medical center’s Highland Hospital and plans to expand the program to its other hospitals and clinics, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Johns Hopkins Medicine Seeks HIPAA Medical Privacy Rule Waiver
Johns Hopkins Medicine has requested HHS approval for a proposal to ask patients to waive certain rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act medical privacy rule to allow researchers to search their medical records to find clinical trial volunteers, the Baltimore Sun reports.
Increased Workers’ Compensation Costs Cause Small Firms To Reduce Health Benefits, Survey Finds
Increasing workers’ compensation costs have caused California small businesses to reduce health benefits, wages and jobs, according to a survey released yesterday by the California chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business, the Sacramento Bee reports.
House This Week Expected To Pass Bill To Protect Federal Retiree Prescription Drug Coverage
The House this week is expected to pass a bill (HR 2631) that would guarantee that drug benefits for retired civilian federal workers be “at least equal to” the value of drug coverage offered to active federal workers under the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program and could not be reduced to the level proposed under pending Medicare bills (HR 1 and S 1), the New York Times reports.
California Healthline Rounds Up Recent Medical Marijuana Developments
California Healthline today rounds up recent actions in medical marijuana cases.
The Wall Street Journal today examines the Democratic presidential candidates’ strategies in response to the Medicare reform bills (HR 1 and S 1) passed by the House and Senate last month.
Thousands of Smallpox Vaccine Doses Unused, Likely To Expire
Public health officials in California, Illinois, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania say that they may have to discard more doses of the smallpox vaccine than they have used, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.