Latest California Healthline Stories
S.F. Board of Supervisors To Consider Bill To Require Drugmakers To Fund Drug Take-Back Program
On Tuesday, David Chiu — a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors — is expected to introduce legislation that would require drugmakers to cover the cost of disposing unused and unwanted medications, as opposed to taxpayers. Alameda County recently became the first in the U.S. to pass such a mandate, and proponents say that approval in San Francisco could encourage other counties to enact similar rules. San Francisco Chronicle.
Brown To Meet With Nurses Over Ebola Requests
On Tuesday, Gov. Brown is expected to meet with the California Nurses Association and National Nurses United to discuss the groups’ requests for additional training and safety precautions related to Ebola. The two groups have asked state lawmakers to enact requirements for “optimal safety standards,” such as Hazmat suits and hands-on training for nurses that could treat patients with Ebola. Los Angeles Times‘ “L.A. Now.”
N.Y. Database Finds 34,500 Individuals Too Mentally Unstable To Carry a Gun
A database maintained by New York’s Division of Criminal Justice Services has found that about 34,500 individuals are too mentally unstable to carry a firearm. However, mental health advocates have voiced concerns that the database might be categorizing too many individuals as having severe mental illnesses. New York Times.
CMS Releases Beta Search Tool for Physician Payment Site
On Friday, CMS released a beta search tool designed to make it easier for users to look up data on its recently launched physician payment website. According to CMS, the new tool allows users to search by a physician’s name, location and specialty. The search results list each individual payment and can be arranged from high to low or low to high. Wall Street Journal‘s “Pharmalot.”
Lawmakers Urge HHS To Address Rising Generic Rx Drug Costs
In a letter sent to HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Rep. Elijah Cummings and Sen. Bernie Sanders call on the Obama administration to address the rising costs of generic prescription drugs. In the letter, they note that the increasing costs affect both consumers and the federal government. The Hill‘s “Floor Action,” Cummings/Sanders letter.
Anti-Kickback, Doctor Self-Referral Law Waivers for ACOs Extended
The Obama administration has extended through Nov. 2, 2015, waivers to federal anti-kickback and physician self-referral laws for accountable care organizations participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program. Federal officials say the waivers were extended in part to continue collecting stakeholder feedback on their effectiveness. Modern Healthcare.
Local Officials, Associations in Calif. Take Steps To Reduce Ebola Risk
San Francisco officials have issued new 911 protocols to screen callers for possible Ebola infections, and a California surgeons association has advised its members to protect themselves from the disease. Meanwhile, nearly 550 Kaiser Permanente nurses marched in Oakland to call for better Ebola training and protections. San Francisco Chronicle et al.
Study: Smoking Kills More in California Than AIDS, Diabetes
A study by UC-San Francisco’s Institute for Health and Aging and School of Nursing finds that the number of smoking-related deaths in California outpaces deaths from AIDS, diabetes and other health conditions. In addition, the health care costs related to smoking increased from $15.8 billion in 1999 to $18.1 billion in 2009. San Francisco Examiner et al.
Covered California Doles Out $13.4M To Increase Call Center Capacity
California’s health insurance exchange has awarded two contracts to outside firms — Faneuil and Maximus — to increase the capacity of its call centers during the second open enrollment period. The contracts are worth a combined $13.4 million. Los Angeles Times.
Lawsuits Filed in L.A. Court Over Fake Spinal Screws
On Friday, more than two dozen lawsuits were filed in Los Angeles Superior Court against a former hospital executive and several business partners over an alleged scheme to bribe surgeons to implant counterfeit screws in patients’ spines at several Southern California hospitals. The former hospital executive, Michael Drobot, was indicted earlier this year for participating in a $500 million insurance fraud scheme. KPCC’s “KPCC News,” AP/Washington Times.