Latest California Healthline Stories
Pharmaceutical Companies Win With Defeat of Proposition 79
Tuesday’s special election results “gave the pharmaceutical industry exactly what it wanted: the defeat of Proposition 79” — not the approval of Proposition 78, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Surges in Demand for Flu Vaccination Reported Nationwide
Health officials and companies that administer flu vaccination clinics are reporting a “surge in demand for flu shots,” possibly driven by “sporadic vaccine shortages and fears of a flu pandemic,” USA Today reports.
Chicago Tribune Examines Politics of House Budget Reconciliation Bill
The Chicago Tribune on Thursday examined how the House budget reconciliation bill, which is scheduled for a floor vote on Thursday, would make cuts to several programs for the poor, including Medicaid, and the political implications of doing so.
Seniors Will Need Help Registering for Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, HHS OIG Report Says
Millions of seniors and disabled people likely will need help enrolling in the new Medicare prescription drug benefit, according to a report by the HHS Office of Inspector General, the Washington Post reports.
U.S. Consumers Concerned About Privacy of Medical Records, Survey Finds
Two-thirds of U.S. residents are concerned about the privacy of their personal health information and nearly half are concerned an employer might use medical information to make employment decisions, according to a survey released Wednesday by the California HealthCare Foundation, CQ HealthBeat reports.
Salinas Californian Looks at Nurse-Training Grants
The Salinas Californian on Monday examined the statewide campaign to “tackl[e] the toughest obstacles to expanded nursing training” through a $43 million grant for faculty and clinical training opportunities.
Wall Street Journal Examines Increased Use of Telemedicine To Help Reduce Costs
The Wall Street Journal on Thursday examined how telemedicine has begun to move “into the policy mainstream” as governments and technology companies are “investing heavily to tap its potential for sharply reducing health care costs for a growing elderly population.”
GAO Report Cites Problems With Effort by Federal Government To End Illegal Prescription Drug Imports
U.S. consumers import a “substantial and increasing” amount of illegal prescription drugs, but “very limited” information exists to help federal regulators intercept shipments of addictive medications or other treatments that could have safety risks, according to a report released on Thursday by the Government Accountability Office, the Washington Post reports.
Parental Notification Measure Seen as Threat to Abortion Rights, Experts Suggest
Proposition 73 likely failed because voters were concerned it would weaken abortion rights at a time of “energized debate” over whether new appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court could result in the overturning of Roe v. Wade, political experts said Wednesday, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Lawsuit Illustrates Issues Related to Securing Approval for Out-of-Network Care From HMOs
A lawsuit that claims Health Net refused to pay for an out-of-network specialist for a child with a rare disease “illustrates how the managed-care model of health care … could make it difficult for patients who need specialized care,” the Los Angeles Times reports.