Latest California Healthline Stories
HealthSouth Confirms Restructuring Plans
The company plans to restructure operations around its inpatient rehabilitation division. Birmingham News et al.
Opposing Campaign Criticizes Tobacco Tax Measure
The No on Proposition 86 campaign says the tobacco tax measure could violate antitrust laws and would allocate more funds to hospital corporations than to antismoking campaigns. Proponents of the measure cite a Department of Health Services study that showed projected benefits of the initiative. San Mateo Daily Journal.
Medicare Beneficiaries Face Drug Coverage Gap
About 3.4 million Medicare beneficiaries will reach the coverage gap this year, a report estimates. San Francisco Chronicle, CQ HealthBeat.
Core of Massachusetts Insurance Mandate ‘Worth Exploring’
Although a health insurance mandate similar to a Massachusetts law might not work in California, shifting the responsibility for obtaining health coverage to individuals could lay the groundwork for successful health system reforms, a Sacramento Bee columnist writes. Sacramento Bee.
Although the state requires nursing home inspection reports to be posted on the Internet and in facilities, Department of Health Services officials say a lack of funding makes it difficult for the agency to comply with the law. Sacramento Bee.
CMA: Blue Cross Health Care Spending Ranks Last
An analysis by the California Medical Association found Blue Cross of California spent less than other health plans on patient care as a percentage of revenue last year, while not-for-profit insurers spent the most on patient services. Los Angeles Times.
Hospital Group Criticizes CMS Specialty Hospital Plan
The Federation of American Hospitals says the CMS proposal would “neither meaningfully change the behavior of specialty hospitals or level the playing field for full-service community hospitals.” CQ HealthBeat.
FDA Medication Directory Inaccurate, Report Finds
An FDA prescription drug directory does not include about 9,200 medications and erroneously includes 34,200 treatments, a report finds. AP/Houston Chronicle.
Kaiser To Launch HSAs in California
Kaiser Permanente expects to enroll about 40,000 Californians by the end of 2007 in plans that combine health savings accounts with high deductible insurance plans. Oakland Tribune.
DHS Releases Proof of Citizenship Guidance
Health officials say there is some flexibility in state implementation of the law, which will allow California to accept a broad range of documents based on a five-tier system and give current Medi-Cal beneficiaries time to locate proof of citizenship documents. Oakland Tribune.