Latest California Healthline Stories
Clinical Decision-Support Tools Becoming More Available, CHCF Study Finds
Clinical decision-support tools are becoming “increasingly available” to the 60% of doctors nationwide who belong to smaller practices, according to a new report commissioned by the California HealthCare Foundation.
San Francisco Supervisor Leno Urges Voters To Pass Proposition S
San Francisco voters should support Proposition S, an initiative on next week’s ballot that would allow San Francisco officials to explore the possibility of creating a city-run medical marijuana distribution program, Mark Leno, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and author of the ballot initiative, writes in a San Francisco Chronicle opinion piece.
New York Times Examines the ‘Raw Battle’ for Patients Between Specialty, Community Hospitals
An increase in the number of physicians who invest in “upstart” specialty hospitals has prompted many community hospitals nationwide to revoke their medical privileges in a “raw battle for profitable patients,” the New York Times reports.
Researchers from the United States and five other countries plan to spend $100 million over the next three years to construct a genetic map that will help determine the “roots of humanity’s most pervasive ailments,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Sacramento Business Journal Examines Trend Toward Tiered Hospital Plans
The Sacramento Business Journal last week examined the increased number of large health insurers statewide that have established tiered hospital plans.
Pfizer Agrees to $49 Million Settlement over Allegations of Overcharging Medicaid for Lipitor
Pfizer has agreed to pay $49 million to settle allegations that the drug company defrauded the federal government and 40 states by charging too much for its cholesterol treatment Lipitor, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Delays Vote To Close Hospitals
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors yesterday decided to delay a vote scheduled for today on whether to convert Olive View-UCLA and Harbor-UCLA medical centers to outpatient facilities to help cover a budget deficit in the county’s health care system, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Congress Should Pass Pediatric Drug Testing Bill, Washington Post Editorial States
Members of Congress should “find a way” to pass legislation that would require all drugs to be tested in children, a Washington Post editorial states.
Tenet Stock Drops 14% in Wake of Analyst Report Questioning Medicare Billing Practices
Shares of Santa Barbara-based Tenet, the second-largest hospital operator in the nation, dropped 14% on Monday after the release of an analyst report that raised questions over whether the company could “sustain its stellar growth rate” and whether the system had overcharged Medicare, the Los Angeles Times reports.
GlaxoSmithKline To Form Alliance with San Francisco-Based Exelixis To Develop New Drugs
Officials from GlaxoSmithKline yesterday announced the company has entered into a deal with San Francisco-based biotechnology company Exelixis to “discover and develop” drugs for cancer, inflammatory diseases and blood vessel disorders, the New York Times reports.