Latest California Healthline Stories
Workers’ Comp Bureau Aims To Hike Premiums by 30%
The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau has proposed a 29.6% increase for employer-provided premiums, citing 2005 reforms that led to a boost in the severity of claims. Gov. Schwarzenegger and Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner have opposed similar premium increases, but they are unlikely to address the issue before their terms in office end. Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert.”
Report Finds Rx Drug Info Often Hard To Understand
Prescription drug information provided to patients by pharmacies varies widely in content and can be difficult for patients to read and understand, according to a study published in Archives of Internal Medicine. Prescription drug information leaflets provided by pharmacies are not regulated by FDA and are produced through private publishing companies. While longer leaflets contain more of the information recommended by FDA, few leaflets meet all of FDA’s standards for the materials. Reuters.
Failed Alzheimer’s Drug Trial Latest Setback for Treatment
Eli Lilly has halted two late-stage clinical trials for its experimental Alzheimer’s treatment semagacestat, after it worsened patients’ symptoms and increased their risk for skin cancer. Semagacestat was designed to block an enzyme in the brain that prompts the formation of amyloid plaque, the buildup of which is widely believed to cause Alzheimer’s. However, an interim analysis of the trials analyzing the drug’s effectiveness in 2,600 patients showed that cognition and ability to execute daily tasks deteriorated more in participants taking the drug than in those taking a placebo. New York Times, Wall Street Journal.
Plan To Draw Additional Medi-Cal Funding Might Strain Smaller Hospitals
A law requiring state hospitals to pay about $2 billion in extra fees to secure additional Medi-Cal matching funds from the federal government might prove too great a burden on smaller hospitals that already have low amounts of working capital, according to experts. Payers & Providers.
Different Approaches Offer Insights on End-of-Life Care
In its August edition of “Health Dialogues,” KQED’s “California Report” examined end-of-life care issues. The edition includes segments on end-of-life care planning, cultural influences, physician perspectives, insurance coverage and pediatric hospice services. KQED’s “California Report.”
California Supreme Court Ruling Allows Furloughs To Begin Friday
On Wednesday, the California Supreme Court issued a ruling that lets the governor continue with his planned furlough program for about 150,000 state workers beginning this Friday. Meanwhile, the state could start issuing IOUs within a few weeks. Los Angeles Times et al.
Recession Cuts Funds, Increases Demand for Mental Health Care
While demand for mental health care services has increased in California, the economic recession has hurt the budgets of not-for-profits that provide the services, according to a survey. Availability of mental health care services has dropped by up to 20%. “California Watch Blog.”
Survey: More Employers Plan To Increase Health Care Costs for Workers
In 2011, nearly two-thirds of large U.S. employers plan to ask employees to pay a larger portion of their health care costs, partly because of the federal health reform law, according to a National Business Group on Health survey. Bloomberg/San Francisco Chronicle et al.
Advocates Protest Proposed Cuts to IHSS, Health Care
On Wednesday, more than one dozen advocacy groups rallied in Sacramento to protest Gov. Schwarzenegger’s proposed cuts to In-Home Supportive Services, adult day health care, mental health services and Medi-Cal. Advocates said the proposed cuts would force many residents into institutionalized care. Sacramento Bee, Capital Public Radio’s “KXJZ News.”
State Data Standards Could Bolster Insurance Exchanges
HHS’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology recently examined data that 10 states collected for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and other health services. According to the enrollment work group of ONC’s Health IT Policy Committee, many states use program eligibility data that are similar enough to serve as common data standards for the electronic health insurance exchanges mandated under the federal health reform law. Government Health IT.