Latest California Healthline Stories
California Moves Away From Reimportation, Looks for New Ways To Address Rx Drug Prices
California health care advocates have “decided that Canada couldn’t do much to lower drug costs in the United States” and are instead turning to other legislation and ballot measures to provide lower prices, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
HHS Announces Members of Federal Medicaid Reform Commission
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on Friday announced 13 voting members and 15 nonvoting members of a federal Medicaid commission that will be charged with recommending short- and long-term reforms to the program, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.
SCHIP Programs Will Face Future Budget Deficits Without Congressional Action, Report Finds
Federal funds for SCHIP programs likely will fall short of states’ needs in coming fiscal years, as more states expand enrollment, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports.
Participants in Pay-For-Performance Program Show Improvements, Report Finds
About 225 medical groups participating in Integrated Healthcare Association’s pay-for-performance program in 2004 made progress in 14 clinical quality standards, including implementation of health information technology, according to a report IHA released last week, the San Francisco Business Times reports.
County Officials Work To Create Plans for Allocation of Proposition 63 Funds
The Contra Costa Times on Monday examined how task forces around the state have been meeting throughout the summer to decide how to allocate funds expected from Proposition 63.
University of California Nurses Plan One-Day Strike
The California Nurses Association on Friday announced that the 8,300 nurses it represents at five University of California teaching hospitals have voted against a proposed contract and are planning a one-day strike on July 21, the Sacramento Bee reports.
House Republicans Plan To Move Several Health Care Bills to Floor in July
House Republican leaders this month plan to bring several health care bills to a vote, CQ Today reports.
DHS Suspends Medical Marijuana ID Card Program
The Department of Health Services on Friday suspended a pilot program that issued photo identification cards to people who use marijuana for medical purposes while Attorney General Bill Lockyer (D) reviews the legal implications of the program, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Health Care Facility Closures, Conversions Could Save $308M in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County could reduce costs by about $308 million by closing some health care facilities and converting one county hospital to an outpatient facility, according to a report released Friday, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Appeals Court Rules Federal Ban on ‘Partial-Birth’ Abortion Unconstitutional
A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday upheld a decision by Lincoln, Neb.-based U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf to strike down a federal ban on so-called “partial-birth” abortion because the law does not include an exception to protect a pregnant woman’s health, the AP/Columbia Daily Tribune reports.