Latest California Healthline Stories
FTC Accuses Supplement Makers of False Online Ads
The Federal Trade Commission yesterday announced a “crackdown” on six dietary supplement companies, charging the firms with making “false and potentially dangerous” claims about their products on the Internet, Reuters Health reports.
Three AIDS-Related Bills Clear Their Houses of Origin
The Assembly has approved two AIDS-related bills, and the Senate one such bill, according to an AIDS Healthcare Foundation release.
Hispanics are ‘Most Uninsured Ethnic Group,’ Study Finds
Although they make up a growing portion of the U.S. population and workforce, Hispanics “lag far behind” non-Hispanics in health insurance coverage, a new study by the Project HOPE Center for Health Affairs and the Commonwealth Fund found.
Jury Finds Doctor ‘Negligent’ for Under-Treating Pain
An Alameda County jury on Wednesday found that Dr. Wing Chin, a physician at the Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, acted with “reckless negligence” by not adequately treating pain in a cancer patient, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Nurses Plan June 27 Strike at 10 CHW Hospitals in Northern California
Nearly 3,500 registered nurses at 10 Catholic Healthcare West hospitals in Northern California have agreed to hold a one-day strike on June 27 if contract negotiations remain deadlocked, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
FDA Says it Has Authority to Grant OTC Status
During a House Energy and Commerce health subcommittee hearing yesterday, FDA officials “unequivocally asserted” that the agency has the authority to decide whether prescription drugs should be made available over the counter, even without the manufacturer’s consent, CongressDaily reports.
Lockyer Probes Kaiser Foundation Health Plan ‘Indirect’ Contributions to Davis Campaign
The state Attorney General’s Office is investigating allegations that the not-for-profit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan made “indirect” campaign contributions to Gov. Gray Davis (D) in violation of state and federal law, the Oakland Tribune reports.
Rate of Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Coverage Drops
Workers in low-wage and manufacturing jobs are “less likely to be offered” employer-sponsored health insurance now than they were in 1979, according to a new report from the Center for National Policy.
CalPERS Considering Direct Contracts With Providers
Exploring possible ways to reduce costs, CalPERS said yesterday that it has asked nearly 100 provider groups to make “preliminary proposals” to contract directly for care given to the pension fund’s members, a move that “could reduce the huge role played by HMOs and other health plans,” the Orange County Register reports.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Plans Major eHealth Initiative
Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati intends to design a new eHealth initiative to teach patients “how to leverage the Web for better and more efficient health care,” the Cincinnati Business Courier reports.