Latest California Healthline Stories
Calif. Study: Chemicals Might Alter Effectiveness of Breast Cancer Drugs
California Pacific Medical Center research finds that bisphenol-A and methylparaben, which are used in consumer products, could decrease the effectiveness of breast cancer drugs. A bill under consideration would ban BPA from some infant products. San Francisco Chronicle.
Federal Judge Strikes Down Major Provisions of Health Reform Law
Yesterday, a federal district court judge in Pennsylvania ruled in an independent lawsuit that the federal health reform law’s individual mandate is unconstitutional. The judge also struck down provisions of the law that he said are inseparable from the mandate. Reuters et al.
Physicians Find Ways To Treat Uninsured, Low-Income Residents
Doctors increasingly are seeking ways to provide care to low-income and uninsured residents in California. Strategies include offering phone consultations to help patients avoid office visits and connecting patients to charitable organizations. USA Today.
S.D. County Medicare Patients Saved $5.3M on Rx Drugs
Last week, CMS officials announced that a provision in the federal health reform law that was designed to narrow the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap — known as the “doughnut hole” — provided more than 10,240 San Diego County residents this year with discounts totaling more than $5.3 million. In 2010, the health care overhaul called for Medicare beneficiaries in the doughnut hole to receive one-time, $250 rebates. This year, the rebates were replaced with a 50% discount. Statewide, more than 119,200 Medicare beneficiaries have received prescription drug discounts totaling $60 million. San Diego Union-Tribune.
Editorial Urges Brown To Sign Bills on Epilepsy, Autism
Gov. Brown “needs to sharpen his veto pen” because “[w]e hope he mercilessly skewers many of the bills sent to him in the closing hours of the legislative session,” a Sacramento Bee editorial states. However, the editorial argues, “Despite the many ill-considered measures, important bills affecting children won approval and are worthy of signature.” The editorial calls on Brown to sign SB 161, by Sen. Bob Huff, which would permit volunteers to administer epilepsy drugs to public school students, and SB 946, by Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg, which would require health plans to cover a certain autism therapy for children. Sacramento Bee.
WellPoint, IBM To Collaborate on Diagnosis, Treatment App
On Monday, WellPoint announced plans to partner with IBM’s Watson super-computer system to create a commercial application capable of diagnosing medical conditions and authorizing treatment for the insurer’s 34.2 million members. The application will combine and sift through data from WellPoint’s existing history of medicines and treatments, Watson’s expansive library of textbooks and medical journals, and patients’ charts or electronic health records. WellPoint officials hope to unveil the system early next year. AP/San Diego Union-Tribune, Wall Street Journal.
Many Patients Continue To Struggle With Medical Debt
In 2010, nearly 25% of U.S. adults younger than age 65 reported facing medical debt, the highest recorded rate for medical debt in the country. Experts have blamed the problem on the high cost of health care, which has continued to rise as more people face unemployment. KQED — in collaboration with the California HealthCare Foundation’s Center for Health Reporting — profiled San Francisco resident Andy Gee, who is struggling to pay $72,000 in medical bills after he was involved in a motorcycle accident with an uninsured driver. KQED’s “The California Watch.”
Republican Candidates Discuss Medicare Drug Benefit, Health Reform
During a debate yesterday, eight Republican presidential candidates discussed health policy issues ranging from the Medicare drug benefit program to the federal health reform law. None of the candidates said they would repeal or scale back the Medicare Part D program. New York Times et al.
Debt Panel’s First Policy Hearing Could Set Tone for Future Discussions
The debt panel is expected to focus on testimony from the director of the Congressional Budget Office during its first policy hearing today. Experts say the tone of today’s questioning could foreshadow the climate of future budget discussions. National Journal et al.
Some Students Starting School Year Without Receiving Pertussis Shot
Despite a new law mandating pertussis — or whooping cough — vaccinations for students entering grades seven through 12, some students are beginning the school year without getting the booster shot. State law requires the shot within 30 days of starting school. HealthyCal.