Latest California Healthline Stories
Debate Over Federal Hospital Funding Could Cost Kern Medical Center $14.2M
A debate over the way California runs a federal program to reimburse hospitals that care for a significant portion of indigent patients could result in Kern Medical Center repaying the federal government $14.2 million, the Bakersfield Californian reports.
WellPoint Reports Positive Third-Quarter Earnings
Thousand Oaks-based health insurer WellPoint Health Networks on Wednesday said its third-quarter profits almost doubled from a year earlier because of enrollment growth, lower administrative expenses and investment gains, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Editorials Weigh Study Finding Nursing Shortages Hurt Patient Care
Newspapers this week are responding to a University of Pennsylvania study that found patients recovering from routine surgery at hospitals with fewer nurses per patient have a greater risk of dying.
Scheduled Medicare Physician Payment Cuts ‘Concern’ Bush Administration
Bush administration officials say they are “deeply concerned” that a scheduled cut in Medicare payments to physicians will limit seniors’ access to care, the New York Times reports.
Bush Administration, Lawmakers and States Express Concern About CHIP Funding
A “fresh dispute” among the Bush administration, Congress and several states has arisen over funding for the CHIP program, the Washington Post reports.
Wall Street Journal Examines Practice of Going to Mexico for Cheaper Prescription Drugs
While the FDA would prefer that if U.S. residents purchase prescription drugs abroad they do so from Canadian pharmacies, many people are going to Mexico for cheaper medications, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Health Affairs Examines Individual Health Insurance Market in Several New Studies
Health Affairs yesterday published on its Web site a series of articles examining the individual health insurance market.
A joint Assembly-Senate hearing on Wednesday examined the potential link between environmental factors, such as chemical hazards in the air, water, food and soil, and rising breast cancer rates around the Bay Area and the nation, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Rejects Request To Delay Vote To Close Hospitals, Clinics
Members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday said they would not delay an Oct. 29 vote to close Harbor-UCLA and Olive View-UCLA medical centers, Copley/Torrance Daily Breeze reports.
Officials at Molina Healthcare of California yesterday announced that the company has received one of 10 $150,000 grants awarded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to develop a program to improve access to care for Latinos.