Latest California Healthline Stories
LAO Report Outlines ‘Challenges’ for Prop. 36 Implementation
Implementing Prop. 36 by its July 1 deadline will require “unusual collaboration” between county and state agencies, which have a “less-than-stellar” history of cooperation, according to a state Legislative Analyst’s Office report released yesterday.
Bush Is ‘Business-Friendly’; But Pressures Exist for Changes to Health Care System
Bush will take office next month “uniquely poised” to influence America’s health care system, which is “deeply fissured” with providers declaring bankruptcy and Medicare managed care companies exiting the market, the Los Angeles Times reports.
EEOC Defines Contraception as ‘Preventive Treatment’
Employers who exclude coverage for contraceptives when they cover other “preventive treatments” in their health plans are in violation of federal law, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled Wednesday.
UM Plans to Reduce Medical Errors using IBM Technology
The University of Michigan Health System is partnering with IBM Corp. to develop an electronic program to reduce medical errors, Reuters reports.
George W. Bush Speaks to Nation, Sets Presidential Agenda
After a five-week battle over Florida’s 25 electoral votes, Texas Gov. George W. Bush emerged victorious last night over rival Vice President Al Gore and laid the foundation for his administration in his first speech as president-elect, the New York Times reports.
Failed UCSF/Stanford Merger Led to $176M Loss
The “disastrous” 29-month partnership between hospitals at Stanford University and the University of California-San Francisco resulted in a combined loss of $176 million for the two institutions, according to a final audit released yesterday.
FDA Targets Misleading Online Promotions of Medical Devices
The FDA is appropriating “more resources” to track and fight “misinformation” about health care products on the Internet, targeting the “pervasive problem” of false online advertising, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Labor-HHS Compromise Reached, Congress to Vote Tomorrow
Congress is set to vote tomorrow on the $108.9 billion Labor-HHS appropriations bill, complete with the Medicare “giveback” legislation, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Antismoking Campaign Effective at Cutting Heart Disease, Study Says
California’s “aggressive” antismoking campaign prevented 33,000 Californians from dying of heart disease during its first nine years, according to a new University of California-San Francisco study, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Number of Pharmacists Nationwide Dwindling
The number of pharmacists is dropping, even while the demand for prescription drugs continues to escalate, according to a new Health Resources and Services Administration report, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports.