Latest California Healthline Stories
Audits Find Desert Counseling Clinic Overbilled Kern, San Bernardino Counties
Desert Counseling Clinic, which has a $5 million annual contract with Kern County to provide mental health and substance abuse services, has been overbilling the county for services and owes $500,000 in past overpayments, the Bakersfield Californian reports.
C-SPAN’s ‘Washington Journal’ Features Interview Series with NIH Leaders
Marking the first in a series of interviews with several NIH leaders, NIH Director Dr. Elias Zerhouni on Nov. 26 discussed a variety of health care and health policy issues on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal.”
Measure B Revenue Could Protect Trauma, Emergency Care at UCLA Medical Centers, Report Finds
A ballot measure approved by Los Angeles County voters on Nov. 5 to raise property taxes to fund the county’s trauma care centers and emergency rooms could allow Harbor-UCLA and Olive View-UCLA medical centers to continue to provide trauma and emergency care, according to a report released Monday, the Copley/Torrance Daily Breeze reports.
Tenet Healthcare, the largest hospital operator in California, charges more than other hospital chains in the state on average for treatment of the most common conditions in Medicare beneficiaries, according to a Sacramento Bee analysis of hospital financial records.
HHS Offers States Grants To Create High-Risk Insurance Pools
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson yesterday announced a new program that will allow 27 states and the District of Columbia to apply for grants of as much as $1 million each to establish high-risk health insurance pools for individuals who cannot purchase individual coverage because of pre-existing medical conditions, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports.
Chicago Tribune Examines HHS ‘Cultural Competence’ Training Guidelines
The Chicago Tribune on Monday reported on the reaction to HHS’ “cultural competence” guidelines, which attempt to standardize health care professionals’ training to help them understand and interact with a diverse patient population.
Proposition 36 ‘Successful’ Despite Reaching Fewer Drug Offenders Than Anticipated
Although Proposition 36 is a “success,” the measure is reaching fewer people overall and more “hard-core” substance users than expected, according to a report released Tuesday by Los Angeles County Alcohol and Drug Program Administration, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Sen. Frist To ‘Modernize’ Medicare, Introduce More Competition
Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) plans to release an “initial blueprint” of a proposal for broad, long-term Medicare reform by the end of January, the New York Times reports.
Several Editorials Respond to IOM Report Released Last Week
Several California newspapers have published editorials in response to an Institute of Medicine report released last week.
Wall Street Journal Examines Cost-Shifting Trend at Large Companies
The Wall Street Journal today examines the “rude awakening” faced by many employees at large companies that have asked them to “take a hit” in their health insurance and retirement account benefits.