Latest California Healthline Stories
Wall Street Journal Examines Information Technology’s Impact on Health Care
The Wall Street Journal‘s “E-Commerce” section today features four articles on information technology’s impact on the health care industry.
FDA Allows Irritable Bowel Syndrome Drug Lotronex to Return to Market with Restrictions
The FDA last Friday agreed to allow Lotronex, an irritable bowel syndrome drug manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline PLC, to return to the market “after it was pulled because of links to hospitalizations and several deaths,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Celebrex Label Must Include Warning About Potential Ulcer Complications, FDA Says
After reviewing the results of a recent study, the FDA on Saturday said that drug manufacturers Pharmacia Corp. and Pfizer Inc. must continue to carry a warning label on their arthritis treatment Celebrex stating that the drug can cause serious ulcer complications similar to many other pain relievers, the New York Times reports.
Reduced Number of Available Hospital Beds Could Leave California Hospitals in ‘Capacity Crunch’
Several medical centers in California are experiencing a shortage of hospital beds, and the “capacity crunch” could soon have a negative impact on patient care, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Kaiser Permanente’s ‘Aggressive’ Legal Campaign May Undermine Rights for HMO Patients, Court Writes
The “aggressive legal opposition” Kaiser Permanente mounted to convince an administrative court judge to rule that the Department of Managed Health Care cannot intervene in most patients’ quality of care disputes may “undermine the two pillars of HMO patients’ rights” in the state — “effective state regulation and legal accountability,” Jamie Court, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, writes in a Los Angeles Times opinion piece.
CBS’ “60 Minutes” on Sunday reported on the U.S. nursing shortage and how some hospitals are hiring international recruiting companies to bring skilled nurses from English-speaking countries such as Ireland, India, the Philippines and South Africa to work in the United States.
Medicare Pays ‘Above-Market Prices’ for Medical Supplies, HHS Inspector General Reports Says
Medicare and its beneficiaries are charged “significantly higher” amounts for standard medical supplies such as wheelchairs and saline solution compared to regular market prices and prices paid by the Department of Veteran Affairs, according to a new report from the HHS inspector general.
Anti-Smoking Advocates Criticize Davis’ Budget Proposal for Reductions in Anti-Tobacco Funds
Some anti-smoking advocates are criticizing Gov. Gray Davis’ (D) budget proposal for the next fiscal year because they say it would cut $60 million from the state’s anti-tobacco programs, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
White House May Compromise on Patients’ Rights, Norwood Says
Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-Ga.) said yesterday that the White House has expressed a “new willingness” to support a compromise on patients’ rights legislation that would allow some patients to sue health plans for up to $4 million in non-economic damages, the New York Times reports.
Catholic Healthcare West, the state’s largest not-for-profit hospital chain, announced Tuesday that the company will pay the federal government $8.5 million to settle allegations in a whistle-blower lawsuit that a number of CHW hospitals submitted false claims to Medicare and other federal programs, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.