Latest California Healthline Stories
Bush Asks Congress to Pass ‘Good’ Patients’ Rights Bill
President Bush “implored” Congress yesterday to pass patients’ rights legislation that addresses his concern for limiting lawsuits, “portraying himself as a proponent of — and not an obstacle to — legislation that most Americans support,” the New York Times reports.
Since 1982, abortion clinics in California have been bombed and set on fire more frequently than in any other state, according to a state Senate report conducted in response to debate over a bill (SB 780) that would create a state version of the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
CHW, Mercy Health Care Sacramento Settle Medicare Overpayment Lawsuit for $2.9M
Catholic Healthcare West and its subsidiary Mercy Healthcare Sacramento have agreed to pay the federal government $2.9 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that the hospital chain knowingly kept Medicare overpayments, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Philip Morris-backed Tobacco Control Bills Criticized
Public health and anti-tobacco groups have criticized similar bills sponsored by Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) that would allow the FDA to regulate tobacco products, saying that the measures do not go far enough and that they are “actually smoke screens supported by tobacco giant Philip Morris Cos. Inc.,” National Journal reports.
Medicare+Choice Fails to Increase Options, Study Says
The Medicare+Choice program, having failed to meet lawmakers’ goal of expanding choices available to Medicare beneficiaries, has earned a grade of “‘D’ if not an ‘F'” according to a new report released in the July/August issue of Health Affairs.
Judge Rules Kaiser Not Required to Cover Viagra, Prompting Questions about Other ‘Lifestyle’ Drugs
A Sacramento Superior Court judge ruled late Friday that the state cannot force Kaiser Permanente to pay for Viagra, possibly opening the door for health plans to rescind coverage of other “so-called lifestyle drugs,” the Sacramento Bee reports.
Office of Minority Health Launches HIV/AIDS Web Site
The Office of Minority Health has launched a new Web site, http://www.hiv.omhrc.gov in support of the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative.
CalPERS Requests Suggestions For Improving Health Care Payment, Delivery Systems
The California Public Employees Retirement System has “formally” requested ideas to improve the “insurance and delivery process” from more than 100 medical groups, hospital systems, disease management firms and managed care companies, the San Francisco Business Times reports.
Blue Cross to Begin Offering Doctors Bonuses for Quality of Care
Blue Cross of California, a unit of WellPoint Health Networks, will today announce plans to end the insurer’s system of awarding bonuses to doctors for controlling costs and will instead begin to “link bonus payments directly to patient satisfaction,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
Bush Expected To Push Medicare Reforms This Week
President Bush is expected “later this week” to outline his proposals for a Medicare reform package, including a prescription drug benefit, CongressDaily/AM reports.