Latest California Healthline Stories
Opinion Pieces Discuss Congressional Inaction on the Uninsured
A New York Times editorial and an opinion piece by syndicated columnist Helen Thomas each examine the issue of the uninsured and congressional action on the topic.
Nursing Shortage Prompts ‘Bidding War’ Between Hospitals
The nation’s nursing shortage has prompted hospitals to enter a “bidding war” to attract nurses, “selling themselves through advertisements, job fairs” and billboards, the New York Times reports.
New York Times Looks at Battle Between WellPoint, Anthem for BCBS Association Plans
The New York Times on Saturday looked at the battle between Wellpoint Health Networks and Anthem Inc. “for dominance in the association of Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, a colossus that manages the health care of one in four Americans.”
Officials from the Department of Managed Health Care have proposed new regulations that would “hold health insurers accountable” for paying physicians on time, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Appeals Court Should Allow Doctors to Recommend Medical Marijuana, New York Times Says
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco “should not delay in calling an end” to the federal government’s “mean-spirited and unconstitutional” campaign to punish doctors who recommend medical marijuana for patients with serious illnesses, according to a New York Times editorial.
Tobacco Industry Promotional Spending Hit Record $9.57B in 2000
The tobacco industry spent a record $9.57 billion on advertising and promotions in 2000, despite restrictions placed on cigarette manufacturers in the 1998 national tobacco settlement, according to an annual Federal Trade Commission report released last Friday.
University of California Health System Nurses Tentatively Agree to Contract, Cancel Strike
About 8,000 University of California health system nurses on Friday canceled a one-day strike planned for tomorrow after they reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Planned Four-Day Strike at Queen of Angels-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center Ends
About 200 health care employees at Queen of Angels-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center will return to work today following a four-day strike that ended yesterday, the Los Angeles Times reports.
DOJ to Appeal Ruling Barring Agency from Interfering with Oregon’s Assisted Suicide Law
The Department of Justice last Friday filed papers with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco appealing a judge’s ruling last month that banned the agency from interfering with Oregon’s physician-assisted suicide law, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports.
Veterans Affairs To Install Biological Decontamination Equipment in Hospitals
The federal government has begun to install biological decontamination equipment at some veterans hospitals, including facilities in Washington, D.C., to help bolster the nation’s preparedness for a potential bioterrorist attack, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi said in an interview yesterday, the AP/Salt Lake Tribune reports.