Latest California Healthline Stories
Alameda County Workers Reach Agreement, Avert Strike
Averting a potential strike Thursday, union negotiators for 2,300 workers at the Alameda County Medical Center tentatively agreed late Sunday night to a contract with the county, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Commonwealth Conference Addresses Several Proposals for Uninsured
Health advocates and professionals discussed the benefits and limitations yesterday of expanding public programs, broadening employer-sponsored insurance coverage and introducing tax credits as a means to reduce the number of uninsured in America, expressing optimism that such measures could be helpful but cautioning that an incremental and heterogeneous approach was the best strategy.
Recent FDA Bans May Signal Future Trend
After taking several “blockbuster-selling drugs” that killed or injured patients off the market, the FDA is warning doctors and patients to prepare for “even more bans” in the future, the AP/Arizona Republic reports.
Ohio Bill Aims to Regulate Doctors Practicing Out of State
The Ohio General Assembly on Dec. 6 passed a measure that would make it illegal for out-of-state doctors to practice medicine, including diagnosing conditions and prescribing medications online, in Ohio without a state medical license, the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
GOP Leaders, Clinton Reach $108.9B Agreement on Labor-HHS Bill
The White House reported yesterday that President Clinton and Republican congressional leaders have reached a $108.9 billion agreement on the “contentious” FY 2001 Labor-HHS appropriations bill — a deal that provided the “first hints” of a “breakthrough” in negotiations, the New York Times reports.
Bush Would Face Obstacles to Enacting Medicare Drug Benefit
Texas Gov. George W. Bush (R), if elected president, would likely face “significant challenges” from some Democrats in enacting a prescription drug benefit for seniors, CongressDaily reports.
Staffing Shortages Predicted for Specialists, Dentists
Physicians, health care policy officials, and state lawmakers met yesterday at the Health Workforce 2000 Conference in Washington, D.C. to discuss the “imminent shortage” of specialty doctors, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Health Inspectors Document Neglect at Nursing Home
California health inspectors have announced that they will ask the state’s attorney general to consider pressing criminal charges against the Windsor Gardens nursing home in Golden Hill for more than 127 cases of “poor care,” the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
KPC Bankruptcy Provides Test for DMHC
The confusion surrounding the closure of 38 KPC Medical Management clinics is “exacerbating the already tense relations between doctors and health plans,” providing the “first real test” for the newly created Department of Managed Health Care, the Orange County Register reports.
Study Examines Physicians’ Views on Cost-Containment
While California doctors generally agree that they should play a role in reducing health care costs, they hold disparate views on how to incorporate cost-effectiveness into their clinical decisions, according to a new survey published in this month’s issue of the Western Journal of Medicine.