Latest California Healthline Stories
Abstinence Programs Not Effective Against Spread Of HIV, Stanford Study Finds
The new report suggests that the money would be better spent on HIV prevention programs that have been shown to cut infection rates.
Because Fentanyl Is Harder To Track, Death Toll Doesn’t Tell Full Story
Doctors treating overdose patients often look for more common painkillers as the culprit, making it hard to get a clear view of how many have been affected by the synthetic drug. It can also be missed in standard tests and not all hospitals have the set up to conduct the special lab tests it often takes to detect it.
Fitness Trackers, Apps Among The Innovations Explored At Sacramento Health Startup Weekend
Local entrepreneurs gathered for 54 hours to develop ideas for medical technology in “hackathon” style. The winner was a physical therapy tool, PT Tracker.
Gilead Allowed To Submit New Evidence In Patent Case After Claiming Merck’s Lawyer Lied
The California-based company alleges the lawyer misused what he learned on a conference call to change pending applications.
Doctor Allowed To Keep UC Regent Seat After Probe Concludes He Violated Ethics Rules
Dr. William De La Peña resigned from the health committee and gave up its chairmanship following an investigation into his efforts to strike a financially beneficial deal between his eye clinics and UCLA. But he remains on University of California’s overall governing board.
Health Agencies Ready To Enroll Kids Who Are In The U.S. Illegally In Medi-Cal
Statewide, about 55,000 children are expected to be added to the program for low-income residents. Meanwhile, Medi-Cal’s online enrollment system for health care providers is getting an upgrade.
Nonprofit Hospitals Dominate Top 10 Most Profitable Ranking
Market muscle — whether gained from size, prestige or a lack of competition — plays a key part in being able to negotiate with insurers, the study finds. California’s Sutter Medical Center and Stanford Hospital, came in second and third, respectfully.
Covered California’s Unique Negotiating Power Has Helped Slow Premium Increases
Other states and the federal marketplace accept any plan that seeks to participate, but California’s exchange negotiates prices with insurers to help consumers get the best prices.
Premium Increases This Fall Could Inject Health Law Concerns Into Election Campaign
Politico looks at how an expected rise in health premiums coming out shortly before the November election could bring the health law back into the political debate. Also, Morning Consult examines House Speaker Paul Ryan’s plan for high-risk pools.
First Zika-Linked U.S. Death Reported; Congress Leaves For Recess Without Approving Funding
Doctors say deaths caused by Zika complications are rare. Meanwhile, lawmakers left several unresolved issues, including a compromise that could allocate more than a billion dollars toward efforts to fight the virus, as they left on a week-long break.