Latest California Healthline Stories
Santa Clara County’s Health System Faces $33 Million in Budget Cuts
A plan currently under consideration by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors would require the Santa Clara Valley Health and Hospital System to trim $33 million from its budget to help address the county’s anticipated $160 million revenue shortfall for fiscal year 2004, the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal reports.
Six Additional States Face Medical Malpractice Insurance ‘Crisis,’ AMA Reports
The American Medical Association yesterday added six states — Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri and North Carolina — to its list of those with a medical malpractice insurance “crisis,” the AP/Nando Times reports.
State Medical Board Drops Appeal in Case That Could Have Weakened ADA
The California Medical Board on Friday voted 14-1 to withdraw a Supreme Court appeal of a case that could have weakened the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Los Angeles Times Examines Ojai Hospital Turnaround
The Los Angeles Times yesterday examined Ojai Valley Community Hospital, a 110-bed rural hospital that “stands today as the rare success story of a rural hospital that actually makes money.”
Commission Issues Recommendations on Physician Examinations for Workers’ Compensation
The Commission on Health and Safety and Worker’s Compensation on Friday issued new recommendations to the San Francisco-based Industrial Medical Council on improving the oversight of physicians who treat injured workers seeking workers’ compensation, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports.
Kaiser Permanente Posts $525 Million Loss
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, operator of Kaiser Permanente, the nation’s largest not-for-profit HMO, Friday announced a fourth-quarter loss of $525 million on $5.8 billion in revenue, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Bill To Regulate Smoking in Apartment and Condominium Complexes Prompts Debate
A bill (AB 210) introduced by Assembly member Joe Nation (D-San Rafael) to ban smoking in outdoor and common areas of apartment and condominium complexes and allow residents to sue neighbors because of “wafting smoke” will “spark a debate over the government’s role in people’s personal lives,” the Sacramento Bee reports.
FDA Panel Recommends ‘Severely Restricted’ Participation in Gene Therapy Trials
In a “serious blow” to the field of gene therapy, the FDA’s biological response modifiers advisory committee on Friday recommended that two pending U.S. gene therapy trials be “severely restricted” to patients who have exhausted all other treatment options, the Washington Post reports.
FDA To Consider New Labels, Potential Ban on Dietary Supplement Ephedra
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson on Friday said that he would seek new restrictions on ephedra, such as labels to warn consumers about health risks of the dietary supplement and a potential ban on ephedra products, the Washington Post reports.
Health Insurance Premiums, Out-of-Pocket Costs ‘Leap’ for Californians, Study Finds
Health insurance premiums rose 13% in California last year, and workers’ out-of-pocket expenses for the year also increased because of rising health care costs and the slowing economy, according to a survey released Friday by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust, the Sacramento Bee reports.