Latest News On Hospitals

Latest California Healthline Stories

Chronically Ill, Traumatically Billed: The $123,000 Medicine For MS

Shereese Hickson’s doctor wanted her to try the infusion drug Ocrevus for her multiple sclerosis. Even though Hickson is trained as a medical billing coder, she was shocked to see two doses of the drug priced at $123,019, with her share set at $3,620.

Playing On Fear And Fun, Hospitals Follow Pharma In Direct-To-Consumer Advertising

Hospitals are increasingly advertising medical services directly to patients to enhance their national brands. They think the image building improves their ability to negotiate with health plans and brings in wealthier patients.

Like Clockwork: How Daylight Saving Time Stumps Hospital Record-Keeping

One of the most popular electronic health records software systems used by hospitals, Epic Systems, can delete records or require cumbersome workarounds when clocks are set back for an hour, prompting many hospitals to opt for paper records for part of the night shift.

Novel Measures Test Cities’ Power — And Will — To Tame Health Care Costs

Union-backed initiatives in Palo Alto and Livermore, Calif., aim to cap charges by hospitals and doctors, seeking to build on national furor over rising medical bills. The measures arise in health care markets that are among the most expensive in the nation.