Healthcare

Voters Reject Proposition 46

November 5, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>LOS ANGELES -- Proposition 46, a wide-ranging initiative that included raising the 1975 limit on pain and suffering damages in medical malpractice lawsuits, was defeated today.</p> <p>Proposition 46 author Bob Pack said the campaign on behalf of the initiative "opened the eyes of all Californians about patient safety," but "faced deep-pocketed opposition from the insurance industry."</p> <p>"At least in this election, insurance industry profits trumped patient safety," Pack said.</p>

Efforts To Crack Down On Doctor Negligence, Drug Use Will Continue, Prop. 46 Proponent Says

November 5, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>California voters nixed efforts Tuesday by a consumer group and trial attorneys to lift the cap on pain-and-suffering damages in medical malpractice lawsuits — but proponents say they will keep on fighting.</p> <p>Proposition 46 was defeated by a margin of 67.1 percent to 32.9 percent. The actual vote count was 3,415,996 "No" votes to 1,671,163 "Yes" votes, according to figures from the <strong>California Secretary of State</strong>.</p>

Election 2014: Voter Apathy, Money In Strange Mix

November 4, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Voters may be apathetic on Election Day, but there are some people in California who are excited indeed about the ballot – those who have a big pocketbook interest in the outcome.</p> <p>Through Tuesday morning, campaign spending on six ballot propositions alone has approached a quarter-billion dollars, a hefty price tag, even in California. Meanwhile, pre-election polls predicted a record low turnout.</p>

Government Sues Honeywell Over Required Testing, Fines In Wellness Program

November 3, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>MINNEAPOLIS — Federal officials are challenging new benefit rules at Honeywell Inc. that create monetary penalties unless employees and spouses take medical tests.</p> <div> <p>A lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in response to complaints from two Minnesota employees sets up a potential court case over how far employers can go to shift health costs and influence worker behavior.</p>

Sorting Through Misleading Ads for the Real Proposition 45

October 31, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Would the real Proposition 45 please stand up?</p> <p>One of the main arguments advanced by the commercials aired and the torrent of mailers sent by the <a href="http://stophighercosts.org/">No on 45 campaign</a> is that the measure would place healthcare in the hands of a single corruptible politician. "Who do you trust with your health care," a recent mailer asks, "a politician or your doctor? Prop. 45 gives one Sacramento politician control over medical treatment options."</p>

Ads Point Out Pros, Cons Of Doctor Drug Testing

October 28, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<script type='text/javascript' src='http://v9.anv.bz/scripts/anv_mcp_9.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>var p = new anv_pl_def(); p.config = {}; p.config.width = 640; p.config.height = 360; p.loadVideoExpressV3('eyJ1cGxvYWRfaWQiOiJleHByZXNzLTE0MTQ2MjQwMjQ4MzYiLCJ2aWRlb190eXBlIjoiMSIsInNyY19pbWFnZV91cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vbWVkaWEuMTBuZXdzLmNvbS9waG90by8yMDE0LzEwLzI4LzE2eDkvQWRzX3BvaW50X291dF9wcm9zX19jb25zX29mX2RvY3Rvcl9kcnVnX18yMTgwOTcwMDAwXzkzNzQxMTRfdmVyMS4wXzY0MF80ODAuanBnIiwiZGVmX3RpdGxlIjoiQWRzIHBvaW50IG91dCBwcm9zLCBjb25zIG9mIGRvY3RvciBkcnVnIHRlc3RpbmciLCJ0aXRsZSI6IkFkcyBwb2ludCBvdXQgc

Voters Have Say In Doctor-Lawyer Battle Over Malpractice Cap

October 27, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<div id="content-body-713359-3411759"> <p>Nearly 40 years ago, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law to help stem spiraling costs for medical malpractice insurance policies in California.</p> <p>Brown would later describe the situation at the time as dire: Doctors were forced to “go bare” because they couldn’t afford insurance. Some stopped providing high-risk procedures. Others threatened to quit their jobs.</p>

Opioids Prescribed By Doctors Led To 92,000 Overdoses In ERs In One Year

October 27, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong><span class="trb_sharelines_text" data-role="socialshare_sharetext">Study finds that 68% of ER patients who overdosed on opioid drugs took pills prescribed by a doctor</span></strong></p>

Kidney Settlement Derided

October 25, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>DaVita Healthcare Partners Inc. this week agreed to one of the largest ever anti-kickback settlements in the U.S.</p> <p>But even a $350 million penalty isn’t enough to satisfy Jamie Court’s sense of justice.</p> <p>The president of Consumer Watchdog wants to hold accountable the kidney doctors who bought ownership stakes in DaVita dialysis clinics and then referred patients there for treatment.</p> <p>Dialysis referrals are made when people are most vulnerable, he said.</p>

$66M Raised So Far in Fight Over Medical Malpractice Ballot Initiative

October 24, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

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Hospital of Ebola Patient Posts Poor ER Benchmarks

October 23, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>DALLAS (AP) — Diplomas from outstanding medical schools. Records free of discipline. A team trusted by a president.</p> <p>For all the strengths of <a href="http://www.chron.com/search/?action=search&channel=news%2Ftexas&inlineLink=1&searchindex=property&query=%22Texas+Health+Presbyterian+Hospital+Dallas%22">Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas</a>, the first U.S.-diagnosed Ebola patient walked through its seemingly weakest link: the emergency room.</p>

California Malpractice Cap Generates Big Spending

October 22, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p class="permalinkable" id="h1822696-p1">SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Bob Pack wanted to go after the HMO doctors for recklessly prescribing painkillers to a drug-abusing nanny who ran over his 10-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter as they were heading for ice cream one early fall evening in 2003.</p>