Latest California Healthline Stories
Physician Organizations Have Mixed Reactions To Decision Upholding Ban on Balance Billing
Don Crane of the California Association of Physician Groups, Elena Lopez-Gusman of the American College of Emergency Physicians and Lynne Randolph from the state Department of Managed Health Care discussed the ruling.
Health Care Providers From Other Countries Face Hurdles Getting Licensed in United States
Jeanne Batalova of the Migration Policy Institute; John Cordova and Jose Pena from the immigrant aid organization Welcome Back; and Kevin Schunke of the California Medical Board discuss the issue with California Healthline.
Farm Worker Health Record Effort Grows in San Joaquin Valley
Billed as the first of its kind in the country, a pilot project is creating personal health records for farm workers in the San Joaquin Valley. The project is part of $6 million in new state grants for projects aimed at improving health care delivery systems for underserved populations.
Medicare Payment Delays Push California Physicians To Stop Accepting New Patients
Mike Barlow of Palmetto, Dev GnanaDev of the California Medical Association, and Sandra Newman and Julian Delgado of the California Academy of Family Physicians discussed the situation with California Healthline.
Financial Meltdown Taking California Budget From Bad to Worse
California’s health care system, already reeling from Medi-Cal cutbacks, faces new risks if the receding economy pushes health insurance out of reach for more people, as many predict it will.
Effort To Standardize U.S. Hospitals’ Use of Color-Coded Wristbands on Patients Underway
Jan Emerson of the California Hospital Association, Beth Feldpush of the American Hospital Association and Niraj Sehgal of UC-San Francisco spoke with California Healthline about the pros and cons of the project.
California Lobbies CMS Over Changes in Family Planning Program
Family planning advocates say federally ordered changes in California’s Family Planning, Access, Care and Treatment program will harm patients and cost the state and federal governments more money in the process.
Robotic Telemetry Expands Patient Care Options for Small Hospitals Throughout California
Jim Gude, an intensive care physician in Northern California, Ben Kanter of Pomerado Hospital in Escondido, Valerie Takes of Palm Drive Hospital in Sebastopol and Yulun Wang of InTouch Health discussed the trend with California Healthline.
California Falls Far Short of Federal Guidelines for Nurse-to-Student Ratios in Schools
Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.), Linda Davis-Alldritt of the state Department of Education, Nancy Spradling of the California School Nurses Association and Mary Jean Schumann of the American Nurses Association discussed the shortage.
Dental Advocates Fear Dentist Exodus From Denti-Cal
California dentists are increasingly questioning their involvement in Denti-Cal, the state’s dental and oral care program for Medi-Cal recipients. Lower reimbursement rates are part of the problem, but dentists say the program’s uncertainty and mountains of paperwork also are factors.