Latest California Healthline Stories
House Lawmakers Question FDA on Superbug Outbreak
Ten House lawmakers in a letter to FDA on Wednesday asked the agency to respond to several questions about the outbreak of a superbug bacteria, including how long officials had known about the risks of endoscopes linked to the outbreak. In February, UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center began notifying 179 patients who may have been exposed to Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or CRE, from contaminated medical endoscopes. Meanwhile, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday reported that four patients had been infected with CRE and up to 67 more might have been exposed after being treated with the same type of scope. Los Angeles Times.
Hospitals, GOP Lawmakers Make Backup Plans for ACA Subsidies
Hospitals are planning for various scenarios that could occur if the Supreme Court rules federal exchange subsidies are illegal, including how to communicate with patients who could lose the subsidies. Meanwhile, several GOP-backed contingency plans have been introduced to help those who could lose subsidies. Modern Healthcare et al.
GAO: Medicare, Medicaid Made $77.5B in Improper Payments in 2014
A new Government Accountability Office report finds improper payments by the federal government increased by 18% in 2014, totaling $124.7 billion. The report shows that Medicare accounted for $60 billion of the total, while Medicaid accounted for about $17.5 billion. Washington Post‘s “Federal Eye,” GAO report.
Covered California Signs Up More Latino Individuals, Young Adults
New Covered California enrollment data show that nearly 500,000 state residents signed up for coverage during the exchange’s second open enrollment period. In addition, the data show that the proportion of Latino, black and young adult enrollees increased from the first open enrollment period. Kaiser Health News et al.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of March 6, 2015
In two separate incidences, the electronic health record systems at the Antelope Valley Hospital and Rideout Health recently experienced blackouts. The family of a girl who in 2013 was declared brain dead at UC-San Francisco’s Benioff Children’s Hospital has filed a lawsuit against the hospital over alleged inadequate care.
California Has the Most Five-Star Nursing Homes in the U.S.
New rankings released by U.S. News & World Report show that California has nearly 400 five-star nursing home facilities — the highest number of any state. The ratings are based on data from CMS’ Nursing Home Compare website. U.S. News & World Report et al.
Sacramento Area’s Suicide Rate Up by 25%, Data Show
The suicide rate in the Sacramento area increased by about 25% between 2000 and 2013, according to the latest California Department of Public Health data. The data show about 290 Sacramento area residents committed suicide in 2013, up from 191 in 2000. Further, the suicide rate per 100,000 residents increased from 10.3 to 13.6 during that time period. Sacramento Bee.
San Joaquin County Confirms Infant Died From Pertussis
San Joaquin County public health officials confirmed that an infant died of whooping cough. Officials say that pertussis comes in cycles of three to five years and that the last statewide epidemic was in 2010. Capital Public Radio’s “KXJZ.”
GE Ventures, Stanford Launch New Startup To Evaluate Digital Health Tools
On Thursday, GE Ventures and Stanford Health Care announced the launch of a new company, Evidation Health, to evaluate the efficacy of digital health technologies. According to a statement, the company will leverage health outcomes data and predictive analytics to analyze digital health products and platforms in real-world clinical settings. MobiHealthNews, San Francisco Business Times‘ “TechFlash.”
Earlier this week, FDA announced that drugmakers must revise their labels for testosterone treatments to note the products could increase the risk of heart attack and stroke and should be not be used to treat age-related symptoms. FDA said the number of men receiving testosterone prescriptions has increased by 75%, to 2.3 million, between 2009 and 2013. New York Times, Reuters.