Latest California Healthline Stories
Rx Drug Sales Increased 18% in 2001 As a Result of Television Ads, Study Finds
Prescription drug sales rose 17.9% in 2001 as a result of television advertising, the aging of the baby boom generation and increased use of expensive new medications, according to a study released yesterday by the health care information company NDCHealth.
Riverside Hospital Given Preliminary Accreditation Denial by JCAHO
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has issued a “preliminary denial of accreditation” to Parkview Hospital in Riverside for “significant non-compliance” with the commission’s standards, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports.
Kaiser Permanente Names Minnesota-based HealthPartners Executive Halvorson As New Chair and CEO
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals yesterday named George Halvorson, the president and CEO of Minneapolis-based HealthPartners, as its new chair and CEO, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Reps. Bob Barr (R-Ga.) and John Conyers (D-Mich.) yesterday introduced HR 3897, a “more modest version” of a collective bargaining bill that would make it easier for doctors to collectively negotiate their contracts with health plans, CongressDaily reports.
Hospital Associations Sue to Prevent Federal Government from Closing Medicaid Loophole
A group of hospital organizations filed a suit against the federal government yesterday to stop the proposed reduction of the Medicaid upper payment limit, commonly known as the Medicaid loophole, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
States Consider Nursing Home Surveillance Camera Laws
Lawmakers in at least 12 states are considering laws that would make it easier to install video-surveillance cameras that families could use to watch residents of nursing homes or other long-term care facilities, the Wall Street Journal reports.
House Passes Economic Stimulus Bill Without Tax Credits
The House yesterday voted 417-3 to approve a “scaled-back” version of a Republican-sponsored economic stimulus bill that does not include several contentious provisions in the original legislation, including tax credits to help unemployed workers purchase health insurance, the AP/Nando Times reports.
Sonoma County Medical Group Offers CT Scans to Patients Without Physician Referrals
The Redwood Regional Medical Group in Sonoma County is conducting CT scans on patients who do not have a referral from their doctor on certain nights of the week under a new program launched last month, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports.
Emergency Contraception Awareness Campaign Bill Offered
A group of U.S. lawmakers led by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) yesterday introduced legislation that would provide $10 million over five years to the CDC for a government-sponsored awareness campaign about the availability of emergency contraception, Reuters Health reports.
Thompson Names Elizabeth Duke HRSA Administrator
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson yesterday named Elizabeth Duke to serve as administrator for the Health Resources and Services Administration.