Latest California Healthline Stories
Ventura County Businesses Join HCO to Control Workers Comp Costs
To curb the increasing cost of workers compensation coverage, about 100 Ventura County businesses have signed up with a state-certified health care organization offered through the not-for-profit Ventura County Foundation for Medical Care, the Ventura County Star reports.
California Endowment Allocates $50M to Improve Farm Workers’ Health
The California Endowment announced yesterday it will provide $50 million over the next five years to improve the health of California’s farm workers, the Fresno Bee reports.
CalPERS Board Votes to Drop Three Health Plans
The Board of Trustees of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System voted yesterday to reject the 2002 contract bids from Aetna, Cigna and Lifeguard health plans, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Zingale Rejects Petition to Open Arbitration Cases
The Department of Managed Health Care has rejected a petition to make all documents and discoveries obtained during arbitration cases between health plans and their members available to the public, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Supreme Court Rules Drug Tests Illegal on Pregnant Women
In a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled yesterday that hospitals cannot test pregnant women for illegal drug use without their consent and give the results to police, the AP/Columbia State reports.
Exposure to Tobacco Smoke Down Among U.S. Adults, CDC Reports
A report released by the CDC yesterday found that human exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke dipped more than 75% during the last decade, an indication that efforts to curb indoor smoking have “been effective,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
St. Mary’s Medical Center to Close Services
To offset some of its $8 million in operating losses from the past eight months, St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco will close its psychiatric outpatient program, a psychology clinic, a pediatric clinic and its linear accelerator, which provides radiation to cancer patients.
Frist Discusses ‘Moral Obligation’ to Fund AIDS Treatment on NPR
Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), one of several Republicans in Congress dedicated to “increased assistance” for funding AIDS treatment programs in developing nations, yesterday described AIDS as “a huge pandemic, a global health, humanitarian, economic and political problem that we must address today” on NPR’s “Morning Edition.”
Bush Would Veto Kennedy-McCain-Edwards Patients’ Rights Bill
President Bush said yesterday that while he hopes to sign a patients’ bill of rights by the end of year, he would veto any proposal in Congress with right-to-sue provisions that would be too expansive and would “drive up” health care costs, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Sacramento Hospitals Question Need for Costly Seismic Upgrades
With state-mandated seismic retrofitting expected to cost Sacramento-area hospitals at least $180 million, some are questioning the need for such upgrades at a time when hospitals are struggling financially, the Sacramento Bee reports.