Latest California Healthline Stories
Stark Proposes Mental Health Parity in Medicare
House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chair Pete Stark (D-Calif.) has introduced legislation that would require parity in mental health services for Medicare beneficiaries. CongressDaily, CQ HealthBeat.
Fewer Professional Groups Offer Health Plans as Costs Rise
Many professional associations are stopping association health plan coverage for their workers and health insurers are dropping associations as health care costs increase. Many professional associations offered coverage to workers who could not obtain it elsewhere. Los Angeles Times.
San Francisco Mayor Defends Universal Health Plan
Funding for the program includes an employer-contribution mandate that is being challenged in court by the Golden Gate Restaurant Association. Newsom said the plan seeks to cover all residents, including the homeless and undocumented immigrants. San Francisco Chronicle.
Committee To Hear Bill to Revise Donor Policies
The measure would allow couples in which one partner is HIV-positive to use artificial insemination or in-vitro fertilization. Current state law prohibits HIV-positive individuals from donating sperm, blood or other tissue. San Francisco Chronicle.
State Predicts Costly Effect of Workers’ Comp Measure
The Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates that a ballot initiative seeking to overhaul the state’s reform efforts to the worker’s compensation insurance system could raise costs for employers by billions of dollars annually and by hundreds of millions of dollars for state and local governments. Sacramento Bee.
Sen. Clinton To Seek Universal Care as President
Presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) promises that as president she would seek to establish a universal health insurance system. AP/Detroit Free Press.
Census Says Number of Uninsured in U.S. Long Overestimated
The Census Bureau since 1995 has overestimated the number of uninsured U.S. residents because of a computer programming error. However, a bureau official said the impact is small. AP/Washington Times.
House Committee Approves Genetic Discrimination Bill
The House Energy and Commerce Committee approves legislation that would ban discrimination based on the results of genetic tests. CQ Today, Washington Times.
AARP To Launch Medicare Rx Price Negotiation Plan
AARP plans to launch a campaign in support of legislation that would allow HHS to negotiate prescription drug prices under Medicare. USA Today.
Dem Presidential Candidates Support Universal Coverage
Seven Democratic presidential candidates promise to work toward universal health care if elected. However, the candidates have differing views on how they would implement universal coverage and whether they might require additional tax revenue. Chicago Tribune et al.