Latest California Healthline Stories
New HHS Panel to Recommend ‘Streamlined’ Regulations
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson last week named 27 people to serve on an advisory committee intended to “refor[m] and streamlin[e]” the department’s regulatory requirements, Reuters Health/Yahoo News reports.
New Year Brings A Host of New California Health-Related Laws
Several new state laws approved by lawmakers last year took effect yesterday, including a number of health-related measures, the Los Angeles Times reports.
California Health Care Advocates Began 2001 with Optimism, Ended in Disappointment
For health care advocates in California, 2001 was a year “of great anticipation followed by dramatic disappointments,” as the recession and the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon deepened some existing problems and pushed back some planned improvements, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Many Specialists Refusing To Respond to Emergency Call, Citing Loss of Income and ‘Inconvenience’
“[F]ed up with the losses of money, autonomy and prestige,” California’s physician specialists are increasingly refusing to “honor expectations” to respond to emergency situations, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Kaiser Permanente Arbitration Cases Show ‘Systemic Problems,’ Critics Say
Nine cases since 1995 in which arbitrators have found Kaiser Permanente liable for patient injuries or deaths “illustrate the same dangers identified by state officials ‘who have levied a $1.1 million fine against the HMO:’ not enough staff and overcrowded facilities,” critics of the insurer say.
Mandatory hospital nurse-to-patient staffing ratios intended to take effect Jan. 1 will not be implemented on time, as state officials have not yet finished developing the new rules, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Congress Likely To Address Key Health Issues in 2002
The 2002 congressional session “promises a return to meat and potatoes” health care issues, including health coverage for the uninsured, a Medicare prescription drug benefit and patients’ rights legislation, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Bush Budget Plan ‘Emphasizes’ Hospitals, Health Agencies
Public health agencies and hospitals are expected to receive a “major boost” in funding as part of President Bush’s fiscal year 2003 budget, the Washington Post reports, citing the information to unnamed administration and congressional sources.
Los Angeles Times Opinion Pieces Weigh in on Managed Care
Two Los Angeles Times pieces last week offered opinions on the state of managed care in California.
States Showing ‘Renewed Interest’ in Rx Drug Monitoring
Although public health officials insist that systematically monitoring prescription drug patterns “saves lives,” just 15 states currently employ such programs, the New York Times reports.