Latest California Healthline Stories
California Ballot Includes Health Care Initiatives
Voters statewide will be asked to weigh in on whether unmarried minors should have to notify a parent before undergoing an abortion, and San Francisco voters also will be presented with a bond measure to replace San Francisco General Hospital. Includes other election news. San Francisco Chronicle KPCC’s “Air Talk.”
Núñez Aide Gets Post on California Medical Assistance Commission
Danny Eaton, a longtime chief-of-staff to former California Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, was tapped for a seat on the California Medical Assistance Commission. The post will pay more than $50,000 annually and comes after Núñez helped increase Eaton’s salary by 25% in two years. Sacramento Bee.
Federal Court Rejects Bush Administration Medicare Payment Policy
A Bush administration directive sought to limit Medicare payments to the least costly medications for specific conditions, but a federal judge ruled that CMS does not have the authority to redefine payment rates set by Congress. The administration is considering its next move. New York Times.
Lawsuits Fault Ventilation System at State Hospital
In September, a Santa Monica attorney filed two lawsuits in Fresno County Superior Court alleging that problems with the ventilation system at Coalinga State Hospital have compromised patients’ health. The facility is California’s newest mental hospital. Fresno Bee.
U.S. Supreme Court Hears Case on Rx Drug Liability
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case centered on whether consumers could bring lawsuits in state courts against drugmakers if FDA approved the label on a drug. The Bush administration is siding with drugmakers in the case. Los Angeles Times.
Army Specialty-Care Units Fall Victim to Overuse
An Associated Press investigation found that many service members being treated at the Army’s Warrior Care units do not have injuries serious enough to merit the higher level of services offered at the centers. The new units were launched in June 2007 in response to criticism of the military health system. AP/San Jose Mercury News.
New Studies Investigate Risk Factors for Autism
A study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine on Tuesday found that counties with high precipitation levels have higher autism rates. Meanwhile, a study in last month’s American Journal of Epidemiology indicates that the first-born children of older parents are more likely to have autism than their siblings or children of younger parents. USA Today, Riverside Press-Enterprise.
Business Groups Back Challenge to S.F. Health Care Access Program
The National Business Group on Health and the ERISA Industry Committee are backing a lawsuit against San Francisco’s universal health access program brought by a group representing restaurants in the city. The groups are challenging an appeals court decision last month. CQ HealthBeat et al.
California Counties Cutting Back on Health Care, Other Programs
State budget cuts and lower-than-expected revenue are pushing California counties to scale back mental health services and other programs. Ventura County supervisors are set to vote on a round of budget cuts affecting health programs today, and health care programs in San Francisco likely will be cut back in the face of a growing budget deficit. Sacramento Bee et al.
Medicare Drug Benefit Premiums Will Increase for Many Beneficiaries
Some insurers are hiking copayments for Medicare drug coverage and others are raising monthly premiums significantly. An analysis of California and four other large states shows that premiums for the 10 largest Medicare drug plans will increase by an average of 31% next year. Wall Street Journal.