Latest California Healthline Stories
Drkoop.com Sold to Vitacost.com for $186,000
Health information Web site drkoop.com has been sold in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for $186,000 to Vitacost.com, a Florida-based seller of vitamins, herbal supplements and homeopathic remedies, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Boston Globe Examines Physicians’ Reluctance To Use Decision Support Tools
The Boston Globe on Sunday examined physicians’ reluctance to integrate computer-aided decision support tools into the diagnostic process, despite claims that the tools can reduce medical errors and improve the accuracy of diagnoses.
Bush To Unveil National Homeland Security Strategy Today
President Bush today plans to unveil the nation’s first homeland security strategy, which includes a proposal to establish a Cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security and a number of public health provisions, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Racial Privacy Measure to Appear on March 2004 Ballot; Public Health Advocates Raise Concerns
A measure that would prohibit the collection of “all but a few types” of individuals’ racial data by state and local governments will appear on the March 2004 ballot, raising concerns from some public health advocates, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Scully Opposes Governors’ Request for More Medicaid Funding
At a meeting of the National Governors Association yesterday in Boise, Idaho, CMS Administrator Tom Scully reiterated the Bush administration’s opposition to a Senate bill (S 2570) that would give states additional funding for Medicaid to help them balance their budgets, the AP/Boston Globe reports.
Chico Medical Marijuana Advocate Convicted for Illegal Production of Marijuana
A federal jury in Sacramento last Thursday convicted Bryan James Epis of “illegally growing marijuana he said was for medical use,” the AP/San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
The California Endowment, a private statewide health foundation, last Friday awarded more than $3.7 million in grants to help local organizations respond to health issues that affect their communities.
Insurer Alliance Launches Online Database of Health Plan Prescription Drug Formularies
The Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare last week launched an online database of health plan formularies to provide physicians with a single source of information on patients’ prescription drug coverage. The Formulary DataSource will allow physicians to verify that the drugs they prescribe are covered by patients’ health plans without having to consult numerous paper guides, according to CAQH.
Senate To Use Generics Bill as Vehicle to Bring Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit to Floor
With the Senate Finance Committee unable to reach a consensus on competing Medicare prescription drug benefit bills, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) will instead bring legislation designed to promote generic medications to the floor, the Washington Times reports.
A three-judge panel of the state Court of Appeal in San Francisco last Friday ruled that Proposition 65, a state law that requires warning labels on products that contain toxic chemicals, covers over-the-counter medications, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.