Latest California Healthline Stories
In Alameda County, A Big Data Effort To Prevent Frequent ER Visits
Hospitals share patient records of “super-users” to save money and avoid duplicating medical treatment.
California Regulator Signs Off On $37 Billion Aetna-Humana Insurance Merger
Aetna to spend nearly $50 million on health initiatives, agrees to more rate review.
California Insurance Commissioner Urges Feds To Block $54 Billion Anthem-Cigna Deal
Commissioner Dave Jones says the deal would further reduce competition in the state’s health insurance market and harm consumers.
As Hospital Chains Grow, So Do Their Prices For Care
The average patient stay costs $4,000 more at Sutter and Dignity hospitals than at other California medical centers, study shows.
State Legislators Push Bill To Inform Patients Of Drug Company Discount Programs
Opponents of the proposal say a requirement to inform consumers of such programs would only boost drug company sales and increase overall health care spending.
Study Suggests Federal Standard May Be Thwarting Some Transplant Patients
Researchers report that performance standards set by federal health officials may have led to many patients being dropped from transplant lists without improving survival rates.
Lights Out: Some Children’s Hospitals Take Steps To Ensure A Good Night’s Sleep
Because of the important role sleep plays in healing, a trend is emerging in which children’s hospitals are reorganizing their workflow to help their young patients sleep through the night.
Blue Shield ‘Lifts The Veil’ On Executive Pay
Consumer advocates say the nonprofit’s disclosures come too late for policy holders and the public.
Medicare’s Drug-Pricing Experiment Stirs Opposition
A proposal to change the way Medicare pays for some drugs has set off intense reaction and lobbying — all tied to a common theme: How far should the government go in setting prices for prescription drugs?
California’s Glaring Shortage Of School Nurses
A new national pediatric guideline proposes that every school have a nurse on staff. In California, 57 percent of school districts do not employ nurses.