Latest California Healthline Stories
Wall Street Journal Examines Increased Popularity of Blogging Among Patients
The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday examined how blogs “have become a significant new forum for health care consumers” as “Web-savvy patients … chronicle their experiences with everything from Alzheimer’s and cancer to gastric-bypass surgery and childbirth.”
Blue Cross of California Members Overcharged Because of WellPoint Billing Error
About 47,000 members of WellPoint Health Networks’ Blue Cross of California subsidiary in April were charged as much as five times more than their usual monthly premiums because of a “technical issue” with WellPoint’s automatic bill paying system, the Los Angeles Times reports.
CDC Prepares for Possible Flu Vaccine Shortage in Upcoming Season
The federal government will begin the 2005-2006 flu season this fall by recommending vaccination only for high-risk U.S. residents, after which it will broaden the recommended population if enough doses remain, federal officials said Wednesday at a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports.
Retiree Health Care Costs Driving Fare, Parking Fee Increases in BART
The cost of health care benefits for Bay Area Rapid Transit District retirees and their dependents is expected to be at least $33.6 million annually “for years to come,” the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Doctors Medical Center San Pablo/Pinole Near Deal To Sublease Pinole Campus From Tenet
Doctors Medical Center San Pablo/Pinole is close to an agreement with Texas-based Tenet Healthcare to sublet the Pinole hospital campus for 16 years, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Los Angeles City Council Approves Creation of Prescription Discount Plan
The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday voted 14-0 to create a prescription drug discount program for residents, a move that could make Los Angeles the first city in the United States to offer such a plan, the Los Angeles Times reports.
House Panel Approves ‘Patient Navigator’ Bill To Help Uninsured Patients
The House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday approved a bill (HR 1812) that would establish a “patient navigator” system to help uninsured patients with chronic illnesses make medical decisions, CQ HealthBeat reports.
House Democrats Announce Health Care Agenda
House Democrats on Wednesday — in a press conference as part of Cover the Uninsured Week, coordinated by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation — outlined a health care agenda that seeks to lower the number of uninsured U.S. residents, allow retirees under age 65 to buy into Medicare and legalize the reimportation of U.S.-manufactured prescription drugs from abroad, CQ HealthBeat reports.
Labor Federation Sues State Over Use of Workers’ Compensation Formula To Determine Disability Levels
The California Labor Federation on Tuesday filed a lawsuit in the state Supreme Court to stop workers’ compensation insurers from using a formula that the unions say will excessively reduce payments to disabled workers, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Lawsuit on Indigent Care in San Diego County Begins Friday
A case to be heard beginning Friday in San Diego Superior Court could lead to the county being required to provide health care coverage for “thousands” of low-income county residents, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.