Latest California Healthline Stories
Pharma Defends Drug Prices As Cost Of R&D, But Analysis Finds That May Be A Stretch
In other news on pharmaceutical costs, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) questions Kaleo about the $4,500 price tag of its EpiPen alternative and some payers are denying coverage of pricey hepatitis C treatments, despite more discounts.
Blue Shield Of California To Move Headquarters From San Francisco To Oakland
The relocation, expected to take place in 2019, will move the nonprofit insurer’s 1,200 employees.
State Lawmakers Reconsider HIV Criminalization Law
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) says that the existing law, which makes it a felony to intentionally expose someone to HIV, is outdated: “It’s time for California to lead and to repeal these laws to send a clear signal that we are going to take a science-based approach to HIV not a fear-based approach.”
What’s Next For The GOP Replacement Law?
Several players will shape the upcoming road to repealing Obamacare and replacing it with an alternative health plan, including potential Republican defectors and the governors.
The Big Picture: Who Stands To Gain, Lose Under The American Health Care Act
News outlets analyze the specifics of what’s in the GOP plan, compare it with Obamacare, identify who wins and loses as a result of its changes, and detail issues such as taxes, subsidies and mental health coverage and public health benefits.
Repeal-And-Replace Plan Starts To Move Through House, Emerges As Critical Test For Trump
The proposal cleared its first hurdle when it was approved by the U.S. House Ways & Means Committee, but the process was acrimonious — marked by Democratic efforts to slow its progress. Meanwhile Republican leaders, including President Donald Trump, work to unify support within the part for the Obamacare replacement legislation.
Concerns Voiced Over How California Will Fare Under GOP Health Law Replacement Plan
The Los Angeles Times reports that most insurance plans offered in California would be ineligible for tax credits, due to an anti-abortion provision in U.S. House Republicans’ repeal-and-replace legislation. Meanwhile, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones and various state-based consumer groups criticize the plan and its potential impact on California.
More Overweight Americans Are Not Trying To Lose The Extra Pounds
Though the health risks of obesity are widely known, experts say that the difficulty of shedding weight and keeping it off is a top reason behind the trend.
Conservatives Balk At GOP Plan: ‘This Is Not The Obamacare Repeal Bill We’ve Been Waiting For’
The right wing of the party immediately panned the bill, calling it Obamacare-lite.
Pelosi Prepared To Go To Battle For Her Signature Domestic Achievement
Sources tell Politico that the reason House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is even still in Congress is to defend the Affordable Care Act from being completely dismantled.