Latest California Healthline Stories
Calif. Legislative Committees Advance Medical Marijuana Bills
An Assembly committee has approved a bill that aims to develop a framework for governing the medical marijuana industry. Meanwhile, a California Senate committee has advanced a measure that would direct state agencies to establish rules to diminish the environmental effects of cultivating marijuana. Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of July 10, 2015
Kaiser Permanente is in the process of building new medical centers in Manhattan Beach, Murrieta and Sacramento. The new 131-bed Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital has reopened after the original facility closed in 2007 following reports of inadequate care.
More Data Needed To Gauge Health Effects of Fracking in California, Study Finds
While there is little evidence that hydraulic fracturing is directly linked to widespread negative health and environmental effects, the data and record-keeping necessary to understand whether the practice is contaminating future drinking water supplies and injuring nearby residents are incomplete, according to an independent scientific report released Thursday by the California Council on Science and Technology. The state Senate commissioned the study in 2013. Torrance Daily Breeze.
Calif. Health Care District Criticized for Spending Habits
During a city council meeting this week, San Leandro Mayor Pauline Cutter criticized Eden Township Healthcare District for compensating its three employees nearly twice as much as the district’s total grant awards. The health care district — which covers San Leandro, Hayward and western unincorporated Alameda County — also has received criticism from Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan for providing less in grants than it spends on administrative costs. Bay Area News Group.
Audits Find Security Lapses in Los Angeles County’s Probation, Public Health Departments
Lapses in security practices at Los Angeles County’s probation and public health departments allowed fired employees to continue to access confidential medical records, according to a series of audits conducted by the county’s auditor-controller. The audits found the departments failed to delete employees’ online credentials after termination. KPCC’s “KPCC News.”
Harris Joins 46 Other Attorneys General To Warn Against Federal Data Breach Laws
On Tuesday, a group of 47 state attorneys general — including California Attorney General Kamala Harris — sent a letter to congressional leaders asking that any federal data breach notification law not pre-empt similar state laws already in place. Although the federal efforts are not geared specifically toward health care, they touch on areas of interest to the industry. In the letter to House and Senate leaders, the attorneys general wrote, “Any additional protections afforded consumers by a federal law must not diminish the important role states already play protecting consumers from data breaches and identity theft.” Health Data Management.
No Significant Reduction in Volume of Applications for Calif. Workers’ Comp Medical Reviews
There has been no significant reduction in the volume of applications for independent medical reviews for California worker’s compensation cases during the first quarter of 2015, according to an analysis released on Tuesday by the California Workers’ Compensation Institute. An average of 12,510 IMR applications per month have been submitted since January 2014, according to the analysis. Further, the backlog in the IMRs has been caused by a small number of providers. Insurance Journal.
CMS Proposes Medicare Coverage for End-of-Life Care Discussions
Yesterday, CMS released a proposed rule that would provide Medicare coverage for end-of-life counseling. Under the proposal, Medicare would reimburse certain providers for in-person meetings to discuss what patients would like to happen if they become too ill to voice their own decisions on their end-of-life medical care. New York Times et al.
More Men With Prostate Cancer Opt for Monitoring Over Treatment
A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds rates of active surveillance among men with early stage, localized prostate cancer have increased significantly since 2010. The researchers hope the findings will reopen discussions on the benefits of early detection and screening. Reuters.
California Receives Failing Grade for Health Care Cost Transparency
The Catalyst for Payment Reform and the Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute’s third annual report card on health care price transparency gives California an “F” grade. California was one of 45 states to receive a failing grade. Modern Healthcare, FierceHealthFinance.