Latest California Healthline Stories
Cutting Funding for Community Clinics Does Not Make Sense in Long Run, Mercury News Says
Gov. Gray Davis’ (D) proposal to cut funding for California’s community clinics by $10 million could increase health costs in the long run and should be reconsidered, a San Jose Mercury News editorial says.
New Dietary Guidelines for Diabetes Allow Sweets
The American Diabetes Association, hoping to improve the prevention and treatment of diabetes, has issued new dietary guidelines that allow individuals with the disease to consume sweets “occasionally,” the New York Times reports.
FDA Approves Online Heart-Device Monitoring
Minnesota-based Medtronic Inc. yesterday announced that it has received FDA approval to market an online network that allows data from patients’ implanted defibrillators to be sent to doctors’ offices, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
DMHC Helped 200,000 HMO Patients in 2001, Davis Says
The Department of Managed Health Care helped 200,000 HMO patients resolve disputes with their health plans in 2001, Gov. Gray Davis (D) announced last week.
FTC Warns Web Sites Marketing Anti-Bioterror Products
The Federal Trade Commission yesterday warned 71 Web sites to “stop making unproven claims” about bioterrorism protection devices, including gas masks that “might not work as advertised” and ultraviolet lights “falsely touted” as anthrax protection, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
PacifiCare Cuts 1,300 Jobs, Expects to Offer New Plans
PacifiCare Health Systems yesterday announced it would cut 15% of its workforce — or 1,300 jobs — as part of a “profit improvement program,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
HHS Purchases 1.6M Doses of Radiation Treatment
HHS announced yesterday that it recently purchased 1.6 million doses of the radiation treatment potassium iodide and plans to purchase at least six million more doses within the year, the Washington Post reports.
Medicare Now Covers Nutrition Therapy and Pain Management
Expanding the preventive services available to Medicare beneficiaries, CMS yesterday began covering nutrition therapy and pain management for millions of seniors — two services “badly needed but little used by the elderly,” the New York Times reports.
New San Francisco Program for Uninsured Children Begins
San Francisco yesterday began offering “nearly universal health coverage” for children through its new Healthy Kids program, the San Francisco Chronicle reports in a profile of the initiative.
House, Senate Pass Last-Minute Nursing Shortage Bills
Legislation aimed at stemming a national nursing shortage passed the House and Senate late on Dec. 20, shortly before both adjourned for the year, the Baltimore Sun reports.