Latest California Healthline Stories
Assembly Committee Passes Bill to Set Nursing Home Staffing Ratios
The Assembly Health Committee on Tuesday passed legislation (AB 1075) to establish nurse-to-patient ratios in California nursing homes, the Contra Costa Times reports.
HHS to Introduce National Donor Cards
To help increase the number of organ donations, HHS is set to begin issuing national organ-donor cards, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Bush Plan Would Cut Funding for Uninsured
President Bush’s $1.9 trillion FY 2002 budget will “propose deep cuts” in a number of health programs designed to help the uninsured, the New York Times reports.
News Programs Examine Shock Therapy, Xenotransplantation
CBS’ “60 Minutes II” reports that although electroconvulsive therapy, also known as shock therapy or ECT, was once considered “the essence of barbarity,” more than 100,000 Americans receive the treatment every year.
San Mateo Begins Enrollment in Medical Marijuana Study
San Mateo County Health Center officials yesterday began recruiting patients to participate in the “first federally approved study” to examine the potential benefits of medical marijuana in controlling AIDS-related pain and stimulating appetite, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports.
Kaiser Permanente 2000 Financial Status Prompts Credit Ratings Upgrade
For the first time in four years, Kaiser Permanente, California’s largest HMO, posted positive financial results in 2000, prompting Standard & Poor’s to boost the HMO’s credit rating, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Alzheimer’s Disease Could ‘Overwhelm’ Medicare
An anticipated “wave of baby boomers with Alzheimer’s” could “overwhelm” Medicare and other public health programs, the Alzheimer’s Association told members of Congress yesterday.
Conference Focuses on Utilizing Technology to Reduce Medical Errors
Computer technology could help reduce and eventually eliminate medical errors, according to health professionals gathering at a three-day conference in San Diego this week, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
New Web Site Provides Forum for HMO Issues
Citizens for Patients’ Rights, a new not-for-profit organization in Connecticut, has launched a Web site dedicated to giving consumers information about managed care plans and ways to resolve disputes with insurers, the Connecticut Post reports.
Thomas Will Introduce MSA Bill Today
Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) and Rep. William Lipinski (D-Ill.) will likely introduce legislation today that will expand the use of medical savings accounts by removing the existing participant cap and eliminating current time limits, CongressDaily reports.