Latest California Healthline Stories
President Bush Signs Legislation Banning Genetic Discrimination
The measure prohibits health insurers from denying coverage to applicants or charging higher premiums to members based on results of genetic tests. The legislation also bars employers from taking such results into account for hiring, firing and promotion decisions. AP/San Francisco Chronicle et al.
Legislative Plan Targets U.S. Entitlement Spending
As part of his plan to reign in government entitlement spending, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) calls for tax credits to help individuals buy health insurance and increased flexibility for states to design their Medicaid programs. The proposal also aims to push more Medicare beneficiaries into private health plans. Wall Street Journal.
Merck Agrees To Settle Multistate Lawsuit Over Vioxx Advertisements
The settlement centers on Merck’s Vioxx ads, which several states said downplayed the drug’s cardiovascular risks. The agreement calls for Merck to submit ads to FDA for review for the next seven years, but some advocates harbor concerns about FDA oversight of such ads. AP/Philadelphia Inquirer et al.
Study Outlines Strategy To Train More Rural Physicians
A study in the March issue of Academic Medicine estimated that if each of the 125 allopathic medical schools committed 10 seats per class to a rural training program, the schools could produce 1,139 new rural physicians annually. About 513 graduates annually practice in a rural or small-town area. American Medical News.
Older Veterans Fear Being Pushed Out of Counseling
Some older veterans living in the Inland region of Southern California say that the Department of Veterans Affairs is forcing them out of counseling programs to prepare for an expected influx of younger veterans from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. A VA official maintains that the department is not discontinuing or reducing services. Riverside Press-Enterprise.
Hospitals Push Back Against Proposed Cuts to Medi-Cal Providers
A Senate committee today will weigh Gov. Schwarzenegger’s proposal to cut Medi-Cal funding as part of his budget plan. The California Hospital Association says the changes would push more Medi-Cal patients onto already taxed emergency rooms. KPCC’s “KPCC News.”
State Partners With Doctors, Insurers To Push PHRs
State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, physicians and health insurers convened in Sacramento yesterday to urge residents to use personal health records. According to a Department of Insurance survey, fewer than 5% of members of six large health plans have created PHRs. Sacramento Bee, Capital Public Radio’s “KXJZ News.”
San Francisco Sues McKesson Over Inflated Brand-Name Drug Prices
The San Francisco Health Plan and City Attorney Dennis Herrera maintain that since 2001, McKesson has increased the difference between what pharmacies paid wholesale drug manufacturers and the benchmark price for more than 400 drugs. San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Business Times.
Teen Birth Rate Up for First Time in 15 Years in California
A report from the not-for-profit Public Health Institute found that the teen birth rate rose from 37.2 per 1,000 teens in 2005 to 37.8 per 1,000 teens in 2006 and cost taxpayers statewide $1.7 billion. Three programs aimed at preventing teen pregnancy are slated to lose about $1.5 million under Gov. Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal. San Francisco Chronicle et al.
Bush Administration Launches Ad Campaign for Hospital Web Site
The Bush administration will buy full-page ads in daily newspapers in 49 states to tout CMS’ Hospital Compare Web site. The agency’s leader says the ads are aimed at areas that include about 1,000 of the 4,000 hospitals with quality information included on the site. USA Today et al.