Latest California Healthline Stories
Over the past five months, 25 Los Angeles firefighters who worked at the site of the World Trade Center collapse have filed workers’ compensation claims for respiratory problems, the Los Angeles Times reports.
House Democrats Question White House Proposal to Provide Tax Credit for the Uninsured
Bush administration officials yesterday faced “sharp questioning” from Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee over a White House proposal for a health insurance tax credit to reduce the number of uninsured, CongressDaily reports.
Solano County Hospital System May Cancel Contract with Blue Shield Over New Tiered System
The Northbay Healthcare system in Solano County may cancel a contract with Blue Shield of California as a result of a new system that will increase copayments for patients who visit two Northbay hospitals, the East Bay Business Times reports.
AAHP Launchs Ad Campaign Addressing ‘John Q.’ Movie’s Portrayal of HMOs
The American Association of Health Plans is running full-page advertisements in Hollywood trade newspapers and the Capitol Hill paper Roll Call this week that attempt to “transform” the message of the new movie “John Q.” into an “agent for its own political battle,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Pharmaceutical Companies’ Spending on Direct-To-Cosumer Advertising Tripled Between 1996 to 2000
Pharmaceutical companies spent three times more on direct-to-consumer advertisements in 2000 than in 1996, according to a study published in today’s New England Journal of Medicine.
Health Care Provider Organizations Urge HHS to Ease HIPAA Rule on Patient Record Confidentiality
In a letter sent to HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson last week, 88 health care provider organizations asked the agency to ease a HIPAA regulation that would require providers to remove 20 identifying characteristics from patient records. The letter said that the rule would make patient records “useless for much epidemiological, health services and other population-based research.”
Washington Post Profiles Health Care IT Presented at HIMSS Conference
Washington Post reporter Craig Stoltz yesterday profiled some of the devices that health care information technology vendors were selling at the annual Health Information Management Systems Society conference in Atlanta two weeks ago.
DEA Agents Raid San Francisco Medical Marijuana Club, Confiscate Plants
Drug Enforcement Administration agents yesterday raided the Sixth Street Harm Reduction Center, a San Francisco medicinal marijuana club, confiscating computers, paperwork, a pound of marijuana and 630 plants, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
San Luis Obispo County Supervisors Vote to Hold Hearings on Closing Public Hospital
San Luis Obispo County has started proceedings to close its county hospital, which could limit access to care for the county’s working poor, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Many State Medicaid Programs Find Generic Drugs Can Cost More Than Brand-Name Pharmaceuticals
In the “latest twist in the convoluted world of government drug pricing,” some state Medicaid programs are finding that generic drugs may cost them more than brand-name pharmaceuticals, the Wall Street Journal reports.