Healthcare

Shouldn’t Doctors Have To Pee In The Cup Too?

October 9, 2013  ·  Jamie Court

<p>Pilots, college athletes, bus drivers and Disneyland cast members all are subjected to mandatory drug testing, but not the doctor performing open heart surgery, or a vasectomy. Not yet.<br /> <br /> Substance abuse among doctor runs twice as high among doctors as the general population -- 18% of physicians according to the California Medical Board. It's no wonder, they can deal their own drugs.<br /> <br />

Law Enforcement and Public Health in Vernon

October 8, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

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Federal Official at Center of the Health Care Tumult Has Gone Against the Grain

October 1, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p itemprop="articleBody">WASHINGTON — The federal official in charge of <a class="meta-classifier" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/health_insurance_and_managed_care/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="Recent and archival health news about health insurance and managed care.">health insurance</a> shopping malls, which open Tuesday under President Obama’s <a class="meta-classifier" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/health_insurance_and_managed_care/health_care_reform/index.html?inli

Brown Out

September 27, 2013  ·  Jamie Court

<p><img class=" size-full wp-image-2693" alt="" class="insert right" src="http://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/pillbills_1.jpg" style="width: 120px; height: 90px; " width="120" height="90" />Governor Jerry Brown waited until late Friday to <a href="http://gov.ca.gov/docs/SB_62_Veto_Message.pdf">veto </a>legislation requiring coroners to report to the medical board whenever narcotics cause deaths.  The medical establishment has opposed the bill, which is aimed at weeding out the small number of dangerous and drug dealing doctors who are responsible for the vast majority of prescription drug overdose deaths.<br /> <br />

Is Your Doctor Opposed To Peeing In A Cup? Check The List

September 24, 2013  ·  Jamie Court

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2687" alt="" src="http://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/images_2013_doesyourdoctorphysiciandrugtesting.jpg" style="width: 211px; height: 246px; float: right; margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px;" width="300" height="350" />A drunk Orange County plastic surgeon reportedly disfigured at least a half dozen patients before losing his license. A Rocklin anesthesiologist was arrested for taking anesthesia through an extra IV line while administering it to a patient.  A meth-using doctor who was convicted of drug dealing will get his doctor's license back after a year.<br /> <br />

Bill To Regulate Doctors’ Prescription Power Loses Teeth

September 13, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>A bill to suspend licenses for physicians accused of overprescribing medication has passed the California Legislature, but supporters aren’t happy.<br /> <br /> Senate Bill 670, authored by Sen. President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, would have temporarily restricted doctors who are accused of harming patients by improperly prescribing medicine. But last-minute changes to the proposal stripped out that provision after a flurry of lobbying from the California Medical Association.<br /> <br />

Why Does Dr. Paul Phinney Oppose Doctor Drug Testing? He Won’t Say

September 1, 2013  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="rtecenter"><a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/sites/default/files/images/paulphinneypostcard_front.png"><img alt="" src="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/sites/default/files/images/paulphinneypostcard_front.png" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; width: 500px; height: 387px;" /></a><br /> <u><strong>Patients Beware</strong></u></p> <p>Dr. Paul Phinney:</p>

Planned Parenthood Backs Caps On Malpractice Damages

August 19, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p><span style="font-family:Arial;">California supporters of damage caps on <a href="http://www.modernhealthcare.com/section/articles?tagID=5770">medical malpractice</a> lawsuits have gained an unexpected ally—Planned Parenthood. And that organization is coming under fire for its position on the issue.</span></p>

AM Alert: Opponents Of Cap On Medical Damages Make Case

August 16, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>The doctors and lawyers are at it again. We've been keeping tabs on formidable foes clashing over the $250,000 cap on pain and suffering damage awards in medical lawsuits, imposed by the <strong>Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act</strong>, also called MICRA. Today, supporters of raising the cap take their case to legislative staff.</p>

Historic Step

July 25, 2013  ·  Jamie Court

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2670" alt="" src="http://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/images_bobpack_pressconference_small.jpg" style="width: 211px; height: 313px; margin-left: 7px; margin-right: 7px; float: right;" width="252" height="374" />We just wanted to let you know that we have filed a ballot measure that has been 37 years in the making. If we collect about 750,000 valid signatures, voters will have a chance to adjust for inflation a three and a half decade-old cap on the value of a child's life if he or she is killed by medical negligence -- a $250,000 limit that has never been changed.<br /> <br />

Danville Dad Of Slain Kids Seeks To Lift Medical-Negligenc Damages Cap

July 25, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p class="bodytext"><span id="MNGiSection">A Danville man whose two children were slain by a drugged driver in 2003 has filed a proposed ballot measure that would raise the cap on damages in medical-negligence lawsuits and force doctors to be more careful in handing out prescriptions.</span></p>

UNITED HEALTHCARE: Faces Class Action Over Mail Order Program

July 23, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Matt Reynolds at Courthouse News Service reports that United Healthcare Insurance subjects thousands of HIV-positive Californians to "potentially life-threatening" delays by making them get their prescription drugs through the mail, a class action claims in Federal Court.<br /> <br /> John Doe sued United Healthcare Insurance, mail order pharmacy OptumRx, Pacificare Life and Health Insurance, and UnitedHealth Group on five counts, including unfair competition, breach of faith and violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act.<br /> <br />