Latest California Healthline Stories
Contra Costa County Supervisors Discuss Contributions to Workers’ Compensation Funds
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday discussed the possibility of cutting several staff positions, including some related to health care, and reducing a recommended increase in payments to the Workers’ Compensation Trust Fund by almost $6 million to address a $50 million county budget deficit, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Bill on Use of Identification Chips in Health Insurance Cards, Other Documents Amended
Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) has amended a bill (SB 682) that would limit the use of radio frequency identification chips on health insurance cards, drivers’ licenses and other personal-identification documents, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Los Angeles County Supervisors Approve Budget, Including $125M for Department of Health Services
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Monday voted 5-0 to approve a $19.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2005-2006, including $125 million for the county Department of Health Services, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Jackson Calls for Biomonitoring Program
A statewide biomonitoring program is needed to track residents’ exposure to various chemicals, Public Health Officer Richard Jackson said last week at a workshop on human exposure to chemicals, the Oakland Tribune reports.
Telephone Service Helps Uninsured California Residents Find Coverage
The San Mateo-based Foundation for Health Coverage Education in April launched a toll-free telephone service to help uninsured California residents obtain health coverage, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Implementation of Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Will Be Difficult, MedPAC Says
CMS will have difficulty educating Medicare beneficiaries about the new drug benefit, as “[f]ederal, state and private outreach proved relatively ineffective” in enrolling beneficiaries in the temporary Medicare drug discount card program, according to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s June report to Congress, CQ HealthBeat reports.
Kessler Recommends Settlement in DOJ Lawsuit Against Tobacco Companies
U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler, who is presiding over the Department of Justice’s civil racketeering lawsuit against several U.S. tobacco companies, on Monday held a private meeting with industry CEOs, their attorneys and DOJ lawyers to urge both sides to settle the case, the Washington Post reports.
Health care spending for U.S. residents with private health insurance increased by 8.2% in 2004, about the same as the growth in 2003 and almost four times the growth in wages, according to a study published Tuesday on the Web site of the journal Health Affairs, the Washington Post reports.
Wall Street Journal Examines New Vending Machines for Prescription Drugs
The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday examined new “ATM-like” vending machines that some drugstores and grocery stores in California and Virginia have installed or plan to install to dispense prescription drugs.
AMA Resolution Says Pharmacists Should Fill All Prescriptions or Provide Referrals
The American Medical Association’s House of Delegates on Monday at its annual meeting in Chicago passed a resolution saying pharmacists should be required to fill all valid prescriptions or refer patients to another pharmacy or pharmacist immediately, the Chicago Tribune reports.