Latest California Healthline Stories
Tobacco Jury Selection Begins in Healthy Smokers Retrial
Jury selection begins today in a “landmark” West Virginia class-action lawsuit that is asking four tobacco companies to pay for annual medical tests for healthy smokers, the AP/Deseret News reports.
HIV/AIDS Vaccine Conference Begins in Philadelphia
AIDS vaccine researchers, public health officials and pharmaceutical company representatives are gathering in Philadelphia today for AIDS Vaccine 2001, the “first in a series of meetings designed to speed” research on AIDS vaccines, USA Today reports.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors yesterday voted to form a commission to study a proposal that would cede control of the county Department of Health Services to a “separate public authority,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
GOP Lawmakers to Propose Legislation to Stem ‘Defections’ from Medicare+Choice
Hoping to prevent more “defections” from Medicare+Choice, Reps. Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) and Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.) plan to introduce legislation to boost reimbursement rates for health plans participating in the program and force Medicare beneficiaries to “make cost-conscious medical choices,” USA Today reports.
Nursing Home Study Finds Quality Lacking at For-Profit Facilities
For-profit nursing homes have fewer staff and provide less quality care than not-for-profit facilities, according to a review of more than 13,000 nursing home inspection records, the Wall Street Journal reports.
California Hospitals Receive ‘Mixed Reviews’ in Statewide Industry Survey
Californians who have spent time in the state’s hospitals said they generally received necessary pain medication, did not experience long waits and were treated respectfully before surgery, according to a patient survey conducted by the California HealthCare Foundation and the California Institute of Health Systems Performance.
Consumers in Individual Health Insurance Market Face Rejection, High Premiums
Acne, yeast infections and weight are some of the reasons people face rejection or “sky-high premiums” in the individual market for health insurance coverage, the Orange County Register reports.
Budget Cuts to Pregnancy and Child Health Program Limits Access for Low-Income Women
Gov. Gray Davis’ (D) funding cut for the Maternal and Child Health initiative in July has led to reduced access and a staffing shortage for MCH’s 30 pregnancy and children’s health programs for low-income women, especially in the state’s smaller counties, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Kaiser Permanente Made Access to Physicians ‘Cumbersome’, Los Angeles Times Reports
The Los Angeles Times reports that although Kaiser Permanente, the largest HMO in California, “promoted itself in a [1990s] advertising campaign as an HMO whose patients were ‘in the hands of doctors,'” the MCO was actually “making it difficult for its Northern California patients to see doctors.”
Congress Faces Doubts on Rx Benefit, Patients’ Rights
Congressional lawmakers returning from the August recess this week face a “heavy workload,” including a number of health care issues, that has “grown even more daunting” with the news of the declining federal budget surplus, the Washington Post reports.