Latest California Healthline Stories
Doctors, Patients Concerned About After-Cancer Care
The Lance Armstrong Foundation is funding cancer survivorship programs at several U.S. cancer centers, citing research that says long-term health can be bolstered by attention to health issues after cancer treatment. New York Times.
Health Care Industry Officials Concerned About Documentary
Michael Moore’s new film about the U.S. health care industry premiered this week, sparking some health care industry officials to worry that reaction to the documentary could push lawmakers to plan more aggressive regulation of the industry. New York Times, CNN.
More Group Plans Allow Rollover of Dental Benefits
Some insurance plans limit the number of years over which members can build up benefits and most require members to undergo regular dental checkups and preventive care. Wall Street Journal.
Orange County Weighs Cuts to Emergency Medical Care
As a result of low revenue projections for the next fiscal year, Orange County supervisors are considering cutting funding for pediatric and adult trauma care and payments to physicians. Los Angeles Times.
Federal Officials Tout Benefits of Private Medicare Coverage
CMS officials are trying to head off proposals to reduce payments to Medicare Advantage plans by stressing that the plans improve rural beneficiaries’ access to care. Democrats have called for redirecting funds to children’s health insurance. CongressDaily, CQ HealthBeat.
Health Care Reform Motivates Nurses’ Union To Join AFL-CIO
The California Nurses Association voted two years ago to join the AFL-CIO provided that the labor organization support a single-payer health care system in the U.S. CNA leaders see the move as an opportunity to extend support for single-payer legislation in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. Sacramento Bee et al.
Physicians Oppose Use of Prescribing Data To Market Medications
Pharmaceutical firms and data-mining companies say that compiling information about doctors’ prescribing patterns boosts drug safety efforts while also providing financial benefits for drug makers. However, some physicians want to opt out of the system. Washington Post.
New York Times Columnists Tout Coverage Expansions
Bob Herbert and Nicholas Kristof took up the case for expanded health insurance coverage in recent columns, with Herbert focusing on children and Kristof calling on presidential candidates to address the issue. New York Times.
Democrats Offer To Drop Kids’ Insurance From War Spending Bill
President Bush rejected the proposal to drop funds for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program and other domestic programs from a bill to pay for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, but a White House official said the offer was a step forward. Atlanta Journal-Constitution et al.
Nurses Union Leader Backs Single-Payer System in U.S.
The U.S. health care system is more expensive and covers fewer people than other industrialized countries’ health care systems, a situation that members of Congress could change by enacting a single-payer system in the U.S., according to the president of the California Nurses Association. Wall Street Journal.