Latest California Healthline Stories
Health Insurance Bill Would Affect 69 Businesses
A proposed bill requiring large employers to spend a set percentage of their payroll on employee health insurance would apply to businesses including Wal-Mart, Macy’s, Target and Sears.
Medicare Will Cover Aneurysm Testing
Medicare will begin covering ultrasound testing for aortic aneurysms for some beneficiaries.
Regulations Approved for Proposition 71-Funded Research
The Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee approves ethics rules for intellectual property and egg donation, while the board of directors is informed that funding likely will be delayed until 2007.
Seizures of Canadian Drug Shipments Increase
Some Canadian pharmacies say seizures of drug shipments to U.S. consumers have increased four- to five-fold.
Hospitals Use County Reserves, Wait for Federal Funds
Federal reimbursement for indigent care is delayed as officials work on details of new accounting system. Public hospitals say $650 million has been withheld.
Lobbyists Push for Retrofit Funds
SEIU lobbies for hospital retrofit funds to be included in governor’s bond measure, while hospitals seek a delay in the compliance deadline for state seismic safety requirements.
Bush Praises Drug Benefit, Acknowledges Problems
Bush says most Medicare beneficiaries will pay about half as much for prescriptions under the drug benefit, but Democratic leaders continue to call for changes to the program.
Leavitt Says States Will Save More Under ‘Clawback’
States’ “clawback” payments to the federal government could be about $700 million less than expected this year because of greater use of generic drugs and competition among Medicare drug plans, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said on Thursday in a statement, CQ HealthBeat reports.
Stem Cell Committee To Vote on Royalty Policies
The Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee on Friday will vote on a proposal that would require not-for-profit research institutions to pay the state 25% of revenue exceeding $500,000 from discoveries made using Proposition 71 funds, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Biopsy More Effective Than Noninvasive Tests for Breast Cancer
Four noninvasive tests for breast cancer are not accurate enough to routinely replace biopsies, according to a study published Thursday by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, CQ HealthBeat reports.