Latest California Healthline Stories
Covenant Care Agrees to Pay $3.2M in Medicare Overbilling Case
Covenant Care Inc. has agreed to pay the federal government approximately $3.2 million to settle a Medicare overbilling case, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Two AIDS Activists Barred From Contact with San Francisco Chronicle Employees
A San Francisco judge yesterday issued a temporary restraining order barring AIDS activists Michael Petrelis and David Pasquarelli from “having any contact” with San Francisco Chronicle employees, the Chronicle reports.
Health Concerns Diminish After Sept. 11, Poll Finds
Anxiety about terrorism has “overwhelmed” concern about health topics since the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, placing Americans’ concern about issues such as Medicare reform and prescription drug prices on the back burner, according to a study released today on the Health Affairs Web site.
Drugstore Industry Database May Help in Bioterror Fight
The drugstore industry has a “powerful database” that could provide “vital information in the battle” against bioterrorism, but the Wall Street Journal reports that few public health agencies can “take advantage of it.”
Hutchinson Discusses Senate Nursing Shortage Bill on NPR
An aging nurse work force “spells big problems as we look toward the future,” Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark.) said in an interview on NPR’s “Morning Edition” today.
WebMD Reports $4.62B Q3 Loss Related to Acquisitions
WebMD Corp. yesterday reported a net loss of $4.62 billion that includes a charge of $3.83 billion related to a “write-down” of some acquisitions, the Wall Street Journal reports.
DMHC May Need to Regulate Doctor Fees, Bee Columnist Writes
California’s new law requiring medical groups to disclose their financial status and “fix” any problems that keep it from meeting the state’s definition of solvency may force the state to solve contract disputes been the groups and managed care companies, Daniel Weintraub writes in his Sacramento Bee column.
Minnesota Pharmacy Board Approves New Drug Dispensing Vending Machines
Minnesota pharmacy regulators have approved use of the first automated prescription drug dispenser, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports.
California Supreme Court Likely to Determine Fate of State Tobacco Litigation Next Year
The Los Angeles Times reports that the California Supreme Court will likely determine whether the tobacco industry will face a “tsunami of lawsuits” and the “risk of billions of dollars in liability” in the state.
New York Times Profiles CDC’s Early Response to Anthrax
The New York Times today profiles the CDC’s initial response to anthrax cases reported last month in Florida and New York City.