Latest California Healthline Stories
Number of Uninsured Drops for Second Consecutive Year
Fueled by an increase in employer-sponsored health insurance, the number of uninsured Americans has dropped for the second year in a row, decreasing from 39.3 million in 1999 to 38.7 million in 2000, according to Census Bureau figures.
New Web Site Allows Patients to Handle ‘Clerical Matters’ with Doctors Online
Although most doctors have concerns about offering patients medical information online, some have “struck a compromise” by allowing patients to “take care of clerical matters” through a new Web site, the Business Journal of Tampa Bay reports.
Davis Taps Abortion-Rights Supporter Carlos Moreno as State Supreme Court Nominee
In his first state Supreme Court appointment, Gov. Gray Davis (D) on Wednesday named U.S. District Judge Carlos Moreno, a “centrist” abortion-rights supporter, to fill the vacant seat left by the death of Justice Stanley Mosk, the Los Angeles Times reports.
FDA Approves New Genetic Test for HIV Patients
After completing a year of study, the FDA on Wednesday approved the first genetic test to determine whether a patient’s HIV infection has become resistant to one or more antiretroviral drugs, the AP/Los Angeles Times reports.
Experts Urge Congress to Increase Mental Health Funding After Sept. 11 Terrorist Attacks
Congress should help fund mental health services for those affected by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, particularly police officers and fire fighters who have participated in the rescue and recovery efforts, mental health professionals said Wednesday.
GAO Report Says Federal Bioterrorism Plan Has Gaps
The federal plan to respond to bioterrorism is “a collection of poorly coordinated, often underfunded, projects that span 11 separate Cabinet-level agencies,” a General Accounting Office draft report says.
AHRQ Releases Spanish-Language Consumer Publication on Receiving Quality Health Care
The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality this week announced the release of a new Spanish-language publication with “advice on what the average person can do” to increase his or her chances of receiving quality health care and avoid medical errors.
Maxicare, Tower Health Likely to be Dissolved by End of Year
Two managed care companies seized this year by the Department of Managed Health Care — Los Angeles-based Maxicare and Long Beach-based Tower Health — will likely be dissolved by the end of the year, and their members will be transferred to other HMOs, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Sacramento County Judge Temporarily Halts Public Release of Medical Groups’ Financial Information
A Sacramento County judge issued a temporary injunction Wednesday to block a Department of Managed Health Care plan to publicly release medical groups’ financial information, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports.
Third Patient Receives Artificial Heart
A third patient has undergone the six-hour procedure to receive a self-contained mechanical heart, the AP/New York Times reports.