Latest California Healthline Stories
San Diego City Council Special Election Outcome May Affect Needle-Exchange Debate
As debate continues in San Diego over exchange programs, a Feb. 27 special election to fill a vacant city council seat in San Diego’s 8th district could provide the deciding vote for or against such measures, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Bush to Support State Patients’ Rights Laws
With two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and congressional lawmakers prepared to address the issue, President-elect George W. Bush has expressed, through his aides, support for state laws “expanding the rights of patients in disputes” with their HMOs, the New York Times reports.
Shalala Says Medicare Reform ‘Not So Easy’
In an interview in today’s New York Times, outgoing HHS Secretary Donna Shalala gave a “rueful laugh” while proposing “a little advice” to likely successor Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) — Medicare reform “is not so easy.”
New Privacy Regulations Allow Data to be Used for Sales Pitches
The new privacy rules for medical records issued by the Clinton administration last month will for the first time explicitly allow health care providers and their business associates to use personal health records for marketing and fundraising, the Washington Post reports.
Los Angeles County Health Reform Requires Immediate Action
Although Los Angeles County has received a second Medicaid waiver to bail out its troubled health care system, a Los Angeles Times editorial questions why supervisors have yet to devise a “coherent plan for savings or for moving [uninsured patients’] cases from costly hospitals to clinics.”
Uninsured Residents Have ‘Ripple Effect’ on State
California taxpayers are beginning to feel the “ripple effect” of having seven million uninsured residents, as they pay billions of dollars to provide health care services, the AP/Ventura County Star reports.
CNA to Hold Town Hall Meetings on Nurse Ratio Proposal
The California Nurses Association is holding a series of town hall meetings to “rally nurses and gain public support” for a new law requiring minimum nurse-to-patient ratios beginning in 2002, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
AAFP Plan Proposes Universal Access Plan
Joining the chorus of interest groups offering proposals to increase health coverage for the nation’s uninsured, the American Association of Family Physicians Thursday presented “A Strategy to Provide Health Care Coverage for All: A Proposal for Discussion and Comment,” a plan to guarantee free basic health services for all individuals in the United States.
Sacramento County to Consider Adult Foster Care
Sacramento County officials are considering a pilot adult foster care program for seniors similar to foster care for children, the Sacramento Bee reports.
HMO Arbitration System ‘Tilted’ Against Consumers, Report Finds
The arbitration system used by most of the state’s managed care organizations to resolve patient disputes is “deeply flawed at the expense of consumers,” according to a new study, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.