Latest California Healthline Stories
USC Doctors Tackle Diabetes Epidemic in Minority Areas
Francine Kaufman and Anne Peters of USC’s Keck School of Medicine are testing programs aimed at addressing the high rate of diabetes among Latino and black populations in East and South Los Angeles. Newsweek.
California Health Care Reform Debate Moves to Special Session
Gov. Schwarzenegger called a special legislative session, during which he hopes lawmakers will pass a health reform plan but leave the funding details for a ballot initiative in 2008. Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, however, wants the bill to require employer contributions so health care still can be expanded if the ballot measure is rejected. San Francisco Chronicle et al.
Legislation Could Help Cut Rx Drug Costs for Hospitals
The executive director of Safety Net Hospitals for Pharmaceutical Access in an opinion piece touts legislation that would expand a program that provides prescription drug discounts to hospitals that serve a large number of low-income and uninsured patients. The Hill.
CalPERS Seeks Adviser To Help Reduce Rising Health Care Costs
A permanent health care adviser could help vet strategies and ideas for CalPERS to combat high health care costs and could help streamline various cost-cutting initiatives. CalPERS in recent years has had difficulty controlling health care inflation and rising premiums. Sacramento Bee.
Health Care Measures Make Their Way to Schwarzenegger
Gov. Schwarzenegger signed a measure to permit women to use reproductive technology to conceive with an HIV-positive man if some precautions are taken, while the legislature sent the governor bills dealing with health benefits for firefighters’ survivors, disability benefits and a smoking ban in cars with children present. Los Angeles Times et al.
Increase in Cost of Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Slows
The 2007 Employer Health Benefit Survey found that while the increase in employer-sponsored health insurance premiums dropped from 7.7% in 2006 to 6.1% in 2007, it still outpaces the increase in employee wages and inflation rate. USA Today et al.
Medi-Cal Provision Cut From Budget May Pass as New Bill
Democratic lawmakers are trying to push through the Legislature an amended bill that allows trial lawyers to seek damages in excess of Medi-Cal costs. The provision was deleted by Gov. Schwarzenegger from the state budget to satisfy Senate Republicans. Orange County Star.
Assembly OKs Bills on HIV Testing, Dietary Information
A sponsor of the bill to make an HIV test part of a routine exam said it is the “most important change in public HIV/AIDS policy in years.” Lawmakers also passed a measure to require chain restaurants to list each food item’s nutritional information on menus. Los Angeles Times.
Employers Examine Dependents’ Eligibility for Health Plans
More employers are trying to curb costs by requiring employees to provide documentation to verify the eligibility of dependents enrolled in their health plans. Employers could seek to recoup medical and prescription drug costs in case of fraud. Wall Street Journal.
CalPERS-Backed Health Care Fund Outlines Investment Strategy
David Brailer, founder and head of Health Evolution Partners, detailed an investment strategy that focuses largely on companies working to help control health care costs. CalPERS is the fund’s sole partner, with a $700 million investment. San Francisco Business Times et al.