Latest California Healthline Stories
Opioid Prescriptions Drop Sharply Among State Workers
New data from the California agency that manages health benefits for 1.5 million public employees, retirees and their families shows that doctors are writing far fewer opioid prescriptions, reflecting a national trend of physicians cutting back on the addictive drugs.
Specialty Drug Costs Soar 30% For California Pension Fund
Such medications account for more than a quarter of the state agency’s $2.1 billion in pharmacy costs.
Report From Key Agency Raises Concerns About Proposal To Cut Drug Prices
Staff researchers at California’s largest public buyer of health benefits say the goal of reducing drug costs for the state is appealing but might not work in the real world.
CalPERS Approves More Modest Health Insurance Rate Hikes Than Last Year
Average premium increases for the agency’s 2017 HMO and PPO plans are indicative of health care cost trends.
CalPERS Taps UnitedHealth To Run Its Prescription Drug Business
Controlling costs was a big consideration in awarding the nearly $4.9 billion contract to OptumRx, a unit of the insurance giant.
Three Firms Vie To Run CalPERS’ Drug Benefits
UnitedHealth’s OptumRx is the lowest bidder and wins a key endorsement ahead of final vote by California’s public retirement system.
Debating The New Ballot Measure To Control Prescription Drug Prices
The California Drug Price Relief Act would mandate that the state pay no more for prescription drugs than the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. David Gorn sat down with Rand Martin, Sacramento lobbyist for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which is sponsoring the ballot measure, and Kathy Fairbanks, campaign consultant for the committee opposing it.
Anthem’s New Partnership With Seven Hospitals Builds on an Old Idea in California
Vivity — a new Southern California product from Anthem Blue Cross — debuted to considerable fanfare last month. California already has a rich history of managed care and integrated networks, so is there anything unique about this particular arrangement? “Road to Reform” consulted the experts to find out.