Latest California Healthline Stories
Muslims Raise Funds to Support Free Medical Clinic in Los Angeles
A fund-raising event on Nov. 18 for the University Muslim Medical Association clinic, the only free medical clinic in South-Central Los Angeles, brought in more than $284,000, allowing the facility to operate for another year, the Los Angeles Times reports.
KPC Will Close Clinics on Wednesday
KPC Medical Management, Southern California’s largest for-profit medical group, is likely to close its clinics on Wednesday, “disrupting care for 300,000 patients and presenting the first major test of the state’s new managed care regulations,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
Family Law, Immigrant Rules Clash in Court
The case of an illegal immigrant from Trinidad who is too poor and too sick to take care of her son has the courts dealing with the issue of whether illegal immigrants should receive government assistance such as Medicaid, the New York Times reports.
Sacramento County Campaign Publicizes Emergency Contraception
On Tuesday, the not-for-profit health communications organization Population Services International launched a $75,000 media campaign in Sacramento County aimed at educating women about their options for emergency contraception, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Nurses, Hospitals Disagree on Staffing Numbers
In accordance with legislation passed last year, the state Department of Health Services is trying to determine the minimum nurse-staffing levels required for California hospitals, but nurses and hospitals “can’t agree on what the numbers should be,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
HMOs Seek to Shift Patients Out of KPC
Health plans seeking the Department of Managed Health Care’s approval on contingency plans to move patients out of physicians groups belonging to financially ailing KPC Medical Management, the Orange County Register reports.
UNOS Approves New Liver Transplant Distribution Plan
The United Network for Organ Sharing yesterday approved new rules for the distribution of “scarce” livers, helping ensure that the sickest patients are placed at the top of the waiting list for transplants, the New York Times reports.
Agencies Cite Flu Shot Discrimination in Shipping Orders
Some customers who ordered doses of the flu vaccine earlier this year from the drug distributor Henry Schein Inc. say their orders are going “unfilled,” while customers who recently ordered the vaccine at higher prices are having their shipments “quickly delivered,” the New York Times reports.
Families USA, HIAA Unveil Plan to Expand Coverage
Hoping to shift the post-campaign spotlight back to the issue of the uninsured, officials at the Health Insurance Association of America, Families USA and the American Hospital Association are expected to announce Monday a proposal that could expand health care coverage to nearly half of the country’s 42.6 million uninsured residents, the Hartford Courant reports.
Refugee Health Tracking Program May Be National Model
California health officials have launched a new program aimed at tracking “every aspect” of refugees’ health status to ensure they receive appropriate care, the Scripps-McClatchy Western Service/Denver Rocky Mountain News reports.