Latest California Healthline Stories
Newspapers Examine Health Savings Accounts, Bush ‘Ownership Society’ Agenda
Two newspapers on Sunday examined the “ownership society” agenda of President Bush and how experts view health savings accounts and other proposals under which consumers would have more responsibility over their health care costs.
NIH To Ease Restrictions in Proposal To Make Public Results of Federally Funded Clinical Trials
NIH has decided to ease restrictions on its plan to provide results of federally funded research to the public, the Washington Post reports.
Schwarzenegger Budget Proposal Includes New Health-Related Programs, Reduced Funding for Others
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) state budget proposal for fiscal year 2005-2006 includes a 4.2% increase in spending, with an 8.2% funding increase for public health programs, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
New York Times Examines Reaction to Recent Medicare Payment Advisory Commission Recommendations
The New York Times on Tuesday examined reaction to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s recommendations to Congress, which include a lower payment increase for hospitals and a freeze in payments to nursing homes and home care agencies in 2006.
Proposal for Legislation To Create Statewide Database for Doctors, Pharmacists Under Consideration
The office of Sen. Tom Torlakson (D-Concord) is reviewing a proposal for legislation to create a database that would provide doctors and pharmacists statewide with real-time access to patients’ medical records to help address prescription drug abuse, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Lawmakers Likely To Consider Cuts to Medicaid in Budget Reconciliation Effort
As Republican budget writers seek to reduce the federal budget deficit in the coming months, Medicaid and other mandatory spending programs “likely” will be targeted, Senate Budget Committee Chair Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) has indicated, CQ Today reports.
DMHC Fines Health Net for Underpayments to Emergency Department Physicians
The Department of Managed Health Care on Thursday said that it had fined Health Net $250,000 for not adequately paying about 65,000 claims filed by emergency department physicians who were not contracted with the insurer, the Los Angeles Times reports.
A Shasta County judge on Wednesday approved a $24 million settlement in a civil lawsuit involving 769 former patients treated at Redding Medical Center and four cardiologists whom the plaintiffs allege over several years performed invasive and unnecessary heart surgeries, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Medicare Payment Advisory Commission Recommends Increasing Physician Payments
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission on Wednesday voted to approve several new recommendations to Congress, including an increase in physician payments and kidney dialysis reimbursements, CQ HealthBeat reports.
Bush Reiterates Safety Concerns About Reimportation of Prescription Drugs; States Turn to Europe
President Bush on Thursday reiterated previously stated concerns that purchasing lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada compromises U.S. residents’ safety, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.