Latest California Healthline Stories
Investor’s Business Daily Looks at Impact of HIPAA Regulations on Health Sector
Investor’s Business Daily today reports on the impact the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which is designed to streamline federal reimbursements and protect patient privacy, will have on the health care industry, software companies and other technology firms.
JCAHO Often Fails To Ensure Hospital Safety, Cleanliness, Chicago Tribune Says
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations often “serves the interests of the hospital industry over those of the public,” according to a Chicago Tribune investigation.
Family of Deceased Man Becomes First To Sue M+C Plan for Denial of Care Because of Cost
The widow and children of a man who died of lung disease three years ago are suing his doctor and HMO, PacifiCare, alleging that the family was not told he was a candidate for a lung transplant because of the cost of the surgery, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Associated Press Profiles Financial Turnaround of WebMD
The Associated Press yesterday profiled health information and transaction company WebMD, which posted a quarterly profit last week after two years of losses.
Federal Court To Decide Whether To Hear HMOs’ Appeal Seeking To Dismiss MDs’ Class-Action Lawsuit
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta within the next few days will decide whether to hear an appeal seeking to dismiss a class-action lawsuit against several of the nation’s largest HMOs, a decision that carries with it “high stakes” and the potential to “change the way health care is delivered nationwide,” the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Public Health Officials To Discuss Tobacco Settlement Spending at APHA Annual Meeting
With only three states — Maine, Minnesota and Mississippi — expected to allocate enough funds from the national tobacco settlement to meet the CDC’s recommended spending levels for comprehensive tobacco prevention programs this year, the issue has “generated enough concern” to be discussed at the American Public Health Association’s annual meeting this week, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
HHS Launches Online Health Resource for American Indians, Alaska Natives
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson yesterday announced the launch of a new resource section on the department’s Healthfinder Web site in recognition of National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month that will provide specific wellness and disease information of interest to those populations.
Despite Backlash against Managed Care, Most U.S. Physicians Contract with MCOs, Study Finds
About 90% of U.S. physicians contracted with at least one managed care organization between 1997 and 2001, despite the “backlash against managed care,” according to a national study released yesterday by the Center for Studying Health System Change.
President Bush Outlines Priorities, Including Homeland Security, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit
Buoyed by gains made by Republicans in Tuesday’s midterm elections, President Bush yesterday called for congressional action on some “administration priorities” that have been delayed, including the creation of a Department of Homeland Security, the Washington Post reports.
Tenet Officials Resign Amid Audit into Medicare Outlier Payments, Other Inquiries
Tenet Healthcare yesterday announced a management restructuring in which the “two highest-ranking officials” under Chair and CEO Jeffrey Barbakow will depart in an effort to “contain a widening crisis,” the Wall Street Journal reports.