Morning Breakouts

Latest California Healthline Stories

Los Angeles County Supervisors Formally Agree To Delay Vote To Close Two UCLA Medical Centers

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday formally agreed to delay until Jan. 21, 2003, a vote on whether to convert Harbor-UCLA and Olive View-UCLA medical centers to outpatient facilities to help cover a budget deficit in the county’s health system, the Copley/Torrance Daily Breeze reports.

DHS Hearing in San Francisco Debates Hospital Nurse Staffing Ratios

Hospital officials from across the state and representatives from two nurses’ unions yesterday debated California’s proposed nurse staffing ratios at a Department of Health Services public hearing in San Francisco, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

IOM Report Says U.S. Health System in ‘Crisis,’ Suggests Bush Administration Test Possible Reform Strategies

The U.S. health care system is in “crisis,” and the Bush administration should “immediately test possible solutions” by implementing pilot projects in several states, a panel of health care experts said in a Institute of Medicine report released today, the New York Times reports.

Physicians Make ‘Last-Ditch’ Effort To Urge Lawmakers To Address Medicare Provider Reimbursement Rates

The American Medical Association yesterday launched a “last-ditch” effort to convince the Senate to agree to provisions in a House-passed bill (HR 5063) that would allow the Bush administration to address the Medicare physician reimbursement rate, CongressDaily reports.

Assembly Health Committee Hears Requests for Additional State, Federal Funds for Autism Research, Care

The Assembly Health Committee yesterday heard testimony from parents and scientists who asked lawmakers to protect state-administered regional diagnostic and service centers for autism from budget reductions, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Federal Appeals Court Rules Lifetime Medical Care for Veterans Not Obligatory

A “divided, reluctant” federal appeals court yesterday ruled that the government is not required to provide free lifetime health care to World War II and Korean War veterans despite promises by military recruiters, the AP/Nando Times reports.

Service Employees International Union Asks CalPERS To Investigate Tenet Hospital Prices, Medical Practices

Service Employees International Union officials yesterday asked the California Public Employees’ Retirement System to investigate the prices and medical practices of Tenet Healthcare, the state’s largest for-profit hospital chain, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.