Latest California Healthline Stories
HHS OIG Report Finds Medicare Mental Health Care Overbilling
A report released today by HHS’ Office of the Inspector General cited about one-third of mental health services provided to Medicare beneficiaries in doctors’ offices and mental health centers as “unnecessary, provided by unqualified staff or billed incorrectly,” USA Today reports.
Georgia’s CHIP Program Offers Online Enrollment
Georgia’s Children’s Health Insurance Program, PeachCare for Kids, has launched a Web-based application that allows parents to enroll their children online.
Grand Jury Report Criticizes Contra Costa Health Department for Not Addressing Financial Troubles
The Contra Costa County grand jury, a “civilian spending watchdog,” has concluded that the county’s health department has “not done enough” to address a “financial crisis” that “threaten[s] to force sharp cuts in county services” to the uninsured and could “lead to higher taxes,” the Contra Costa Times reports.
Sonoma County Residents to Vote on Ballot Initiative to Fund Palm Drive ED
Residents in rural west Sonoma County tomorrow will vote on a ballot initiative that would keep the Sebastopol-based Palm Drive Hospital emergency department open, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Will Lawmakers ‘Cut a Deal’ on Patients’ Rights?
With Senate Democrats set to address patients’ rights legislation after they assume control of the chamber, National Journal reports that while Republicans and Democrats “disagree on the details” of the issue, a deal “could be in the offing.”
Daniel Freeman Hospitals May Be Sold to Tenet or Closed
Administrators, physicians and community members are “debating” the future of the “financially troubled” Daniel Freeman Hospitals in Inglewood and Marina del Rey, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Nurses May 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 two-day strike if a contract agreement with the hospital chain cannot be reached, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Stricter FDA Blood Bank Control Led to More Error Reports
“[E]rror and accident” reports from blood banks and plasma centers “jumped” 51% last year after the FDA implemented new restrictions to decrease risk of transmitting Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human variant of mad cow disease, the Wall Street Journal reports.
HIV Infections Up Among Gay Men, Especially African Americans
The incidence rate of HIV among men who have sex with men is rising to rates not seen since the early days of the epidemic, and African-American men are among those hardest hit, according to new study findings from the CDC released in a “special” edition of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report devoted to 20 years of the AIDS epidemic in the United States.
San Francisco Mayor’s Proposed Budget Allocates $6M to New Program for Uninsured Children
The $5.2 billion proposed city budget for FY 2001-2002 unveiled this week by San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown (D) includes a $6 million allocation to provide health insurance for an estimated 5,000 uninsured children, the San Jose Mercury News reports.