Latest California Healthline Stories
Medicare’s Readmission Penalties Hit New High
Medicare will withhold an estimated $528 million in 2017 from more than 2,500 hospitals — including 225 in California — that have too many patients returning within 30 days.
University of California OKs $8.5 Million For Two Patients Suing Over Financial Conflicts
The patients allege that Dr. Jeffrey Wang, former executive director of UCLA’s spine center, failed to disclose his conflicts of interest with device maker Medtronic before using the company’s devices in surgeries that left them in chronic pain. Both UCLA and Medtronic deny wrongdoing.
Many Well-Known Hospitals Fall Short of 5 Stars In Medicare’s New Ratings
Nine hospitals in California were among the 102 that did get the highest score.
Congressman Decries Olympus’ Failure To Warn U.S. Hospitals About Tainted Scopes
U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) renews his call for tightened laws that would force manufacturers to notify the U.S. Food and Drug Administration when they issue safety warnings in other countries related to the design and cleaning of their devices.
Warning: Government Listing Of Clinical Trials Doesn’t Disclose Costs To Patients
Some clinics on NIH’s website charge people to participate in testing of unproven treatments — and it can come as a surprise to unsuspecting patients.
Two Insurance Giants Planning To Jump Into California’s Medicaid Market
Aetna and UnitedHealth seek to build up doctor networks before they start offering government-funded health plans to low-income residents of San Diego and Sacramento counties next year.
Olympus Told U.S. Executives No Broad Scope Warning Needed Despite Superbug Outbreaks
Internal emails show that after the Tokyo-based device maker alerted customers in Europe in 2013, it told its U.S. operation not to widely warn U.S. doctors and hospitals. Since then, at least 35 patients have died after being sickened in outbreaks.
Did Blue Shield Of California Short-Change Consumers On Refunds?
A class-action suit says the state’s third largest insurer owes beneficiaries more than $34 million. Blue Shield says the allegations are “misinformed and incorrect.”
A Chat With The Head Of California’s Doctor Lobby
California Medical Association President Steven Larson says it’s time to circumvent the state Legislature and go straight to voters with ballot measures that could increase how much Medi-Cal pays physicians.
Doctors Get Creative To Distract Tech-Savvy Kids Before Surgery
Anxiety before surgery can be dangerous for kids. Medication can help calm them down. But an anesthesiologist in California has come up with a safer, cheaper and much more entertaining alternative.