Latest California Healthline Stories
Geriatric Care Improves Quality of Life, Not Life Expectancy, Veterans Affairs Report Finds
Specialized geriatric care improves the quality of life for “frail, elderly patients,” though it does not extend life expectancy, according to a new study in today’s New England Journal of Medicine, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports.
House Democrats Oppose FDA Decision to Suspend ‘Pediatric Rule’ for Pharmaceutical Companies
Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are urging President Bush to prevent the FDA from suspending a rule allowing the agency to require drug makers to conduct clinical trials of their products on children, CongressDaily/AM reports.
Use of Restraints by State Mental Health Facilities Led to 14 Deaths Since July 1999, Report Says
Since July 1999, 14 people have died while being restrained in California mental health facilities, according to a report released yesterday, the Sacramento Bee reports.
CHCF, Consumers Union Release Second Annual Report on California Medicare HMOs
The number of Medicare+Choice plans offered in California fell from 196 to 100 over the past year, making it more difficult for seniors to find a “top plan,” according to a new report from the California HealthCare Foundation and Consumers Union.
Few Patients Use External Review Programs to Resolve Disputes with Health Plans, New Report Finds
Although health plan members who file complaints with state external review programs have their treatment denials overturned almost half of the time on average, the external review process is used infrequently, according to a new report released by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
As expected, President Bush yesterday promoted a plan that would allow small businesses to insure their employees with health plans operated by trade groups or professional associations, the New York Times reports.
The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen filed a petition yesterday asking the FDA to remove Abbott Laboratories’ prescription anti-obesity drug Meridia from the market in response to reports of 19 deaths that may have resulted from the treatment, the New York Times reports.
Senate Democrats to Offer 10-Year, $500B Proposal to Reduce Number of Uninsured, Reform Medicare
Senate Democrats outlined a fiscal year 2003 budget proposal yesterday that would allocate $500 billion over 10 years for reducing the number of uninsured, reforming Medicare and creating a prescription drug benefit for the program, CongressDaily/AM reports.
President Bush’s proposal to allow small businesses to pool together to purchase health coverage for their employees could threaten a number of health benefits for small business employees mandated by California law, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Two State Medical Society Leaders Debate Online Malpractice Information in New York Times
Yesterday’s New York Times featured a debate between the presidents of two state medical societies about whether information about medical malpractice lawsuits should be posted on the Internet.