Latest California Healthline Stories
White House National AIDS Policy Director Evertz Stepping Down
The Bush administration is expected to announce today that White House Office of National AIDS Policy Director Scott Evertz is leaving to take a position as a senior adviser on international HIV/AIDS policy to HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson, the New York Times reports.
Los Angeles County and the state for years have “knowingly failed” to provide preventive mental health services to foster children in violation of federal law, according to a lawsuit filed yesterday by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and five public interest law firms, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Proposals To Boost Reimbursements to Medicare+Choice Plans Would Not Expand Enrollment
Proposals to increase reimbursements to Medicare+Choice plans would “stabilize” enrollment in the program at about five million beneficiaries in the “best-case scenario” and would decrease enrollment to about 3.3 million beneficiaries by 2005 in the “worst case,” according to a new study published Wednesday on the Health Affairs Web site.
Wall Street Journal Backs Potential FDA Commissioner Nominee McClellan
White House health policy adviser Mark McClellan, reportedly the “front-runner” for President Bush’s nomination to head the FDA, would be “the first FDA commissioner in memory who actually knows something about economics and the costs of regulation,” a Wall Street Journal editorial states.
Los Angeles County Health Officials Accuse Foundation of Overstatement of Local SIDS Deaths
Los Angeles County health officials allege that the SIDS Foundation of Southern California, which raises funds to counsel families affected by Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, has overstated the “local death toll” from the disease and has “breached the confidentiality of families whose children have died,” according to a letter sent to the foundation this week.
Bankruptcy Court Judge Allows Health Plan of the Redwoods To Exit Medicare+Choice in October
U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Alan Jaroslovsky ruled Wednesday that Health Plan of the Redwoods may not exit the Medicare+Choice program on Aug. 31, as it requested, and must continue to provide coverage until Oct. 31, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports.
Wall Street Journal Examines Trend of Providing Doctors’ Disciplinary Records Online
The Wall Street Journal today examines the increasing number of state medical boards that are opening “previously secret files” concerning their members’ criminal records and disciplinary actions.
Senate HELP Committee Approves Nomination of Carmona for Surgeon General
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee yesterday unanimously approved Dr. Richard Carmona’s nomination for the position of surgeon general, despite questions about his professional record and management ability raised in a July 8 Los Angeles Times article, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
CDC To Launch New Childhood Exercise Advertising Campaign Next Week
The CDC’s new nationwide advertising campaign aimed at promoting exercise among children will debut next week, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Senate Approves Amendment Allowing Pharmacies, Wholesalers To Reimport Rx Drugs from Canada
As part of a plan to reduce the price of prescription drugs, the Senate yesterday voted 69-30 in favor of an amendment that would allow U.S. pharmacies and wholesalers to reimport low-cost prescription drugs from Canada, where they are generally less expensive, the New York Times reports.