Latest California Healthline Stories
There are “significant … discrepancies” in the quality of care provided by the state’s 10 largest HMOs, according to the annual HMO report card released yesterday by the Office of the Patient Advocate, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Thursday — the last day of the legislative session — vetoed four bills addressing the importation of lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada, the New York Times reports.
House Panel Blocks Effort To Release Medicare Cost Estimates
The House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday voted 26-21, mostly along party lines, to report unfavorably a Democratic-sponsored resolution of inquiry that would have forced the Bush administration to release documents related to cost estimates for the new Medicare law, CQ HealthBeat reports.
Bush Administration, Congress Disagree Over SCHIP Fund Allocation
Democrat and Republican legislators, as well as the Bush administration, want to keep $1.1 billion in unspent state SCHIP program funds dedicated to the program, but they “disagree on how to distribute that money and what it should be used for,” CongressDaily reports.
Judge Denies Creditor’s Request To Foreclose on Land Owned by Santa Paula Memorial Hospital Land
U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Robin Riblet on Tuesday rejected a motion that would have allowed a lender to foreclose on hilltop property owned by Santa Paula Memorial Hospital, the Ventura County Star reports.
California Healthline Highlights Recent Legislative Action
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) recently acted upon 83 bills, including several health-related measures. The governor has 125 bills left to act on by midnight Thursday, the AP/San Diego Union Tribune reports.
Scientific Panel Debates Issues Surrounding Stem Cell Research
A panel of scientists on Wednesday discussed Proposition 71, a measure on the Nov. 2 statewide ballot that would issue state bonds to raise an average of $295 million annually over a decade to promote stem cell research, the Sacramento Bee reports.
NPR’s “All Things Considered” on Wednesday examined a provision of Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry’s (Mass.) plan to reduce health care spending by transferring a portion of employers’ catastrophic health care costs to the government — “one of the few new ideas in health care this year.”
Filmmaker Michael Moore Expected To Make Documentary on Business Practices of Health Care Industry
Filmmaker Michael Moore plans to make a new documentary focused on the business practices of the health care industry, which has prompted some companies to tell employees that “under no circumstances” should they speak with him, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Congress on Wednesday approved a stopgap continuing resolution (H J Res 107) to fund government agencies at fiscal year 2004 levels through Nov. 20, CongressDaily reports.