Latest California Healthline Stories
San Diego County Must Revise Eligibility Rules for Medical Program, Judge Rules
Superior Court Judge Ronald Styn on Friday affirmed a tentative ruling that San Diego County income limits that disqualify low-income residents for last-resort medical care at no cost violate state law, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
New York Times Examines ‘Clash’ Over Physician Reimbursement Reduction
The New York Times on Sunday examined how physicians and the Bush administration are “headed for a clash” over a 4.4% reduction in Medicare reimbursements for physicians scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2006.
California Healthline Highlights Recent Children’s Health Coverage News
Efforts to expand children’s health insurance coverage recently advanced in Napa and Orange counties. Summaries appear below.
Employers Shifting Health Care Costs To Workers, Survey Finds
U.S. employers’ health care costs in 2005 increased at the slowest rate since 1998, in large part because of a shift of costs onto employees, according to a nationwide survey by Mercer Health & Benefits, the Wall Street Journal reports.
California Healthline Highlights Health Coverage Expansion Proposals
The Christian Science Monitor and Los Angeles Times recently addressed state efforts to expand health care coverage.
Scientists Concerned About Delays of Proposition 71 Funds Choose Singapore Lab Over Stanford
Two geneticists from the National Cancer Institute said recently that they would move to Singapore to conduct stem cell research rather than Stanford University because of delays in the allocation of Proposition 71 grants, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Los Angeles County Officials Discuss Expansion of First 5 Programs
Los Angeles County officials on Thursday discussed proposals for expanding the influence of First 5 LA to increase the number of children involved in health care and other programs, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Concerns Raised About Medicare Drug Coverage for Dual Eligibles
The federal government’s plan to transfer dual eligibles from Medicaid drug coverage to the new Medicare prescription drug benefit has many problems, including an overreliance on voluntary efforts by state governments, drug plan sponsors and pharmacists, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said Wednesday, CQ HealthBeat reports.
House Approves Budget Bill To Cut Medicaid, Other Programs
The House on Friday voted 217-215 to approve a five-year budget plan (HR 4241) that would save the government nearly $50 billion, including about $12 billion in cuts to Medicaid over five years, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports.
CMS Supports Two-Year Increased Physician Payments, But Will Not Provide Funding
CMS Administrator Mark McClellan on Thursday said the Bush administration will support reversing scheduled Medicare physician rate cuts and increasing payments in 2006 and 2007, but he added that Congress will have to find the funding to do so, CQ HealthBeat reports.